Nice People Thread Number 10 -the official residence of Nice People

LydiaJ

misskool wrote: »

Diagnosis = ops for life (well, more than most ppl) but it's a vicious cycle. Will pm you once I've had a bit of sleep.

So sorry you are suffering. It sounds awful, even if it isn't all the time. Hope this most recent bout of it is over soon. Hugs being metaphorically sent in your direction.

lostinrates

LydiaJ wrote: »

I'm sure it must rankle. FWIW, when I said I wouldn't let it cause a rift if that happened to me, I didn't mean to imply that I would be happy about it, or that it would be easy not to let it cause a rift, just that I would do my best, as fir seems to be doing, to get over it and not let it develop into a feud.



But lir, that's all very well if there's plenty of money to go round, especially if the parents are old and the children are grown up. What if leaving all your assets to your kids would leave fir with not enough of the assets of the marriage to keep your home going? Would you want him to have to sell up and move at such a traumatic time in his life? Or would you want your kids' capital tied up in a house that fir was still living in? I think silvercar expressed the dilemma perfectly:



I'm not sure that this works either:



It was a great solution a century or so ago, when inflation was almost non-existent and interest rates were high enough that the spouse in such a situation could live on the income from the investment without diminishing its value, so that it would still be there for the kids to inherit after the second death. But it's unworkable now. It ties up the money, possibly for decades, with its value being inflated away, while the spouse merely gets to collect a piddly amount of interest that's not enough to be useful to man nor beast, and can't actually use the capital for anything. I believe PN knows of a situation along these lines that has not turned out how the testator intended at all.

I'd be happy for the capital to be tied up in an asset fir was living in, and would be happy for it to go into a different property were they to move. Its what would happen if I left it to him first, or had not ore deceased him significantly or it to be an 'issue'. too.......cash ATM.......none spare! Imagine if we had children would be less cash!

hjd

Spirit wrote: »

Another first world problem. We have a week off in March and had considered going away.

I would vote for Prague. Have been once, would love to go back. Stayed in a wonderful apartment there.
Have never been to Lisbon or Barcelona but would like to; however, any holidays seem only to happen every few years.

purch

misskool wrote: »

Barcelona. Great place! Just watch the pickpockets though.

I must admit, on the many times I have been there I have never noticed or felt any threat. although it is something you often see in guide books and reviews, I even know people who won't go to the city because of what they have read. I guess the lower part of Las Ramblas is pretty seedy, and some of the streets in the old bit could be threatening especially at night, but then again I avoid places like that everywhere I go.

The underground network is brilliant and very easy to use to get around.

vivatifosi

The thing with Barcelona is that you can take measures to avoid the pickpockets: have a bag with a zip that you keep your hand on, if in a cafe, make sure you keep things secure, don't leave cameras unattended, etc.

Most of all, don't look like an American: they are like walking targets to pickpockets.

I also have one of these for good measure:
http://www.travelonbags.com/anti-theft/anti-theft-cross-body-bag

lostinrates

LydiaJ wrote: »

I'm sure it must rankle. FWIW, when I said I wouldn't let it cause a rift if that happened to me, I didn't mean to imply that I would be happy about it, or that it would be easy not to let it cause a rift, just that I would do my best, as fir seems to be doing, to get over it and not let it develop into a feud.
.

Just want to say, DH is amazing, but he is not a saint. There are situations with step mil I think are......especially difficult but that he should get over.


ATM he wants to have his dad see our home. I think this is right and natural. But he feels he cannot do this because he cannot invite his dad without step mil coming and he doesn't want her here at all. No way, no how no discussion. He's ok with meeting her on neutral ground, restaurants homes of other family and family friends when they've been In London or other cities he's been, but he doesn't want her in his house.


I feel if DH wants his family o respect his choice in me then maybe he has to do the same. Of course there are differences and its a bit over simplistic to say tht, but....ultimately its what it boils down to.,

Generali

Sydney is very nice at this time of year, I can highly recommend it.

michaels

Generali wrote: »

Sydney is very nice at this time of year, I can highly recommend it.

I take it you haven't been burned in a forest fire, suffered heat stroke, been bitten by a deadly household spider or snake nor had a giant pinecone fall on your head this moring then

How did the dogs get on with a weekend of just you? How did you get on with a weekend with the dogs?

Doozergirl

Generali wrote: »

Sydney is very nice at this time of year, I can highly recommend it.

My bestie was in Hong Kong last week - updating her residency and whatnot. Her OH wanted to go at this point but she knew it would be a bit cold. It turned out even colder, so they abandoned ship, got on another flight and are now in Byron Bay!

I make her send photos of the beach to my bed.

Generali

michaels wrote: »

I take it you haven't been burned in a forest fire, suffered heat stroke, been bitten by a deadly household spider or snake nor had a giant pinecone fall on your head this moring then

How did the dogs get on with a weekend of just you? How did you get on with a weekend with the dogs?

None of the above.

Actually I heard of another terrifying Australian thing. There's a small tick which likes to bite a person now and again. It's painless and barely even itches apparently.

If you get bitten then there's a chance that 1-6 months later, when you eat mammalian meat ('roo, possum, lamb, horse etc) then you'll get anaphylaxsis. After that you'll be allergic to meat (not fish or fowl) forever.

The weekend was lovely. Me, 2 dogs, an Aussie side losing the Test and lots and lots of Winter Olympics. We did walks and I spoiled them rotten. They eat very well! They get a sort of porridgey stuff for breakfast and then a mix of veggies, lentils, rice and pearl barley for dinner with a pat of raw meat. It looked great! I was kinda tempted myself. A doggie biscuit for supper plus the odd bone if they've been good. It's a pretty sweet life.

I got the pine nuts out of the cone week before last and I have roasted one so far. They're pretty big, well over an inch long and almond shaped. They taste very nice, a bit like a giant pine nut funnily enough. Faintly sweet. I'll roast the rest at the weekend I think.

I've yet to be bitten by a spider. We have funnel webs in the back yard living under a brick so there's hope yet. I managed to pick said brick up without gardening gloves as SiL wanted to put a brick under her wheel to stop the car rolling off. Won't be making that mistake again.