Sharks need love too (not all bite)

[Meredith]

Wow, I don’t know what to do with all these compliments!

Mer keeps Betsey going? Wow, I always thought it was she and Pam who kept ME going! Maybe it is truly a game of leapfrog…

And then, I am a big ball of energy?? More like a big ball of something not as nice…BAD pilates class this afternoon!
Nonetheless, I’ll take the WOA and go with them! Thanks!

[Underdog]

Well, isn't WOA your LL? I'm out to give you those words today, despite a crappy Pilates class!

After all, doesn't Bob give out compliments to all the contestants?

Crap, now I'm forgetting if I'm a contestant or Bob. This is a senior moment for me...

Mr. W. called me awhile ago to give me the fax number of the letter recipient and asked me my opinion. I hesitated for a second and asked if he was willing to listen to a few observations?

MW: A little nervous now. "Yes."

Me: "It would be really beneficial if we thanked him for their support last year and comment that all the players loved the food and the kindness of his staff."

MW: "Oh, wow. I'm glad you're reading it. Thanks, and you're absolutely right."

Well, hell. Why did we have to reenact this entire past year to get to this point?

Me: "Maybe we should mention the name of my friend who organized it last year--since they are close personal friends?"

MW: "Oh, that's an even better idea."

Well, I've got lots of great ideas, starting with you falling back in love with me again.

Me: "I also think we should tell them somewhere how grateful we are for their past support on behalf of the families we serve."

MW: "Uh, Bets, I probably should have asked you to write the letter for me."

Uh, huh.

Me: "And I have the letterhead too, which I think would make it look professional and official."

MW: "Okay, do what you need to do to the letter because you made some excellent points. I trust you. Will you then fax it over to him?"

Me: "You bet. I'll bring you the original and leave it at home for you to see what you said."

MW: "Sounds good."

Segue to next topic.

MW: "When are you going to be home tomorrow after work? Gary and the other bowling guys (uh, is Pam a guy?) want to take me to a sports bar for dinner and they want to meet at 6:30. I think this might be cutting it close."

Me: "Well, they're calling for snow tomorrow afternoon, and right now the forecast is for 3-4 inches by rush hour. I'll probably leave a few minutes early so I can work out and be home around 6 or a little after. Is this okay?"

MW: "Yep, that's plenty of time. And I'll just tell Gary to sit tight if I'm a little late. He'll have to get over it."

Hmmm. I'm thinking that Bob doesn't work with Gary... and that it's working to my advantage. Until Mr. W. comes home, I won't tell Gary about him. Then I'll help him get a girlfriend.

Cuz you know what? Mr. Wonderful told me yesterday that Gary is sometimes too negative for him!

Is this a karmic joke or what?

[Meredith]

Yep, Bob definitely gives out compliments to everyone...and that must be a bit difficult for someone who is boning his 'beauties' backstage. Have you SEEN some of those contestants?? Oh, and we are both. We are Bob, we are the players...we are the game. There is a headache for ya.

Okay, your post is parallel to something that I've been thinking about lately (not golf related). How many suggestions can we offer before we cross the line of telling them what to do and taking over? Is this bad?

In my dilemma it is what we wear for this picture he wants taken for Easter. I know what we should wear, he says he doesn't have a clue, I tell him what I think and we go with my suggestion. Similar to the golf letter. Nothing mean, nothing vindictive, I gave him the chance to speak up...but...in the end I still decided and he didn't even have a chance.

Where does this begin/end???

[Underdog]

Well, I had to hesitate before answering Mr. W.'s question. And the fact is, he sent me 2 e-mails soliciting input from me AND a phone call on top of it.

I figure he asked me for help 3X--that was a clear call for assistance and not validation.

Do I think this is the benchmark for you or for future issues with Mr. W.? Nope.

I'm just saying that you're going to really have to be your own gauge in every single convo/sitch with Sting.

In the end, is it really important for Sting to make the decision on what to wear in the family photo? Probably not. Is he going to be emasculated by you exerting your feminine approach on appropriate photo attire? Probably not.

In fact, I think that deciding on attire is a gender based opportunity specifically FOR you. I just can't see all 3 of you posting in Monster Garage attire at a formal sitting...

Relax... not a deal breaker. This one is fine, Mer.

You're doing just fine with Sting and no backslides here as far as I can see.

Personally, my real TV personality is sort of like Pat Sajak--he's sometimes self-deprecating and often a little mocking. I believe that more Pat and less Bob isn't good for me.

Go BOB! Go Meredith! Go all of us!

[Lyrael]

How about t-shirts with WWBD printed on the front? Now i know you all can guess what WWBD stands for (hint: it starts out with "What would..." and the word Bob is in there. Just a thought.
Myrrh
P.S. I don't think he would mind input - we're allowed to give input right? Even Bob gives input, doesn't he? Cuz if I just have to smile all the time I'm gonna get a face cramp.

[Meredith]

And…he cancelled. And…I ate him. Not really…but he perceived it that way.

I should have known he was being nice to me for some reason…and this was the reason.

He cancelled because he promised his guy friend, J, that he would go see a movie with him last week. Which, naturally, overrules the promise he mad to me last night. So, he drops that and I did my best to ACT AS IF I wasn’t pissed. I was pissed, I was very pissed. Only because I had rearranged my whole goddamn schedule this week for this stupid plan and to pick his (note, HIS) dad from the airport on Friday. It is probably easier if I just post the conversation…

Bob was in the bathroom, he missed this one.

H: HI sweetie!
M: (weakly, from stomach pains) Hey.
H: I made a mistake
M: (really? That only makes…let’s see…4,852,743) With what?
H: Tonight.
M: (why of course you did – you were nice, big mistake there) Oh?
H: Yeah. I promised J I’d go to the movies with him.
M: Mmmm.
H: I’m going to try and cancel.
M: Don’t bother, just go
H: No, really it is fine.
M: No, really, it isn’t. Because if you were just going to cancel your plans you wouldn’t have called and informed me of that. I don’t care, I’m not mad, just go ahead and go.
H: Well…no, I just didn’t want to drop the news on you.
M: (what exactly do you think you just did?) Don’t worry about it; I’m sure you want to see the movie, just go.
H: there is more
M: (isn’t there always?) Okay, hit me.
H: You need to keep S on Thursday night
M: I have plans
H: Oh.
M: Forget it, I’ll cancel…
H: No, I’ll have my mom drop him off with you Friday morning.
M: H, I’d rather cancel my plans. It’s no biggie.
H: You sound angry.
M: I’ve had a long day, I don’t feel well, I am disappointed and tired, but not angry.
H: Oh.
M: I have someone at my door (hello imaginary guy at my door) I have to go.
H: I’ll call J
M: H! Just go…See you Saturday.
H: Meri, please don’t….
M: (exasperated) don’t what?? H, I am not mad, I swear to God I am not mad…I’m tired is all…
H: oh.
M: (there are more oh’s in this damn conversation than in an economy size box of cheerios) So, I will talk to you later.
H: I’ll call you right back after I talk to J.
M: H! GO TO THE MOVIE.
H: ILY
M: ILY too (bastard).

The end! This, boys and girls, is why you always bring Bob Barker with you….

[Lyrael]

Mer-
That could have been so, so much worse. I don't think you ate him - nipped his tail a bit, but not a swallow. You kept your temper - you were sick, and you weren't Bob, but you did okay, I think!
((((((((Meredith)))))))))
Myrrh

[kml]

H: I made a mistake
M: (really? That only makes…let’s see…4,852,743) With what?

LOL!

M: I have plans
H: Oh.
M: Forget it, I’ll cancel…
H: No, I’ll have my mom drop him off with you Friday morning.
M: H, I’d rather cancel my plans. It’s no biggie.
H: You sound angry.

Boy, you do a great martyr! The least you can do is let him be inconvenienced by your plans, do NOT cancel them!

H: Meri, please don’t….
M: (exasperated) don’t what?? H, I am not mad, I swear to God I am not mad…I’m tired is all…

Liar, liar, pants on fire You were too mad.

Okay, look - I'm giving you a whack with a 2x4 because I recognize this dance all too well - used to do it with my H. The key is - either speak up or put up. If you're not willing to tell him the truth ("gee, I'm really disappointed, I was looking forward to tonight, how do you plan to make it up to me? " ) then you need to REALLY let him go and not be a martyr about it. Instead, you kind of put him in a no win situation - and reinforced his "that's why I can't tell her anything" mentality.

Better get that WWBD tattoo

Ellie

[Underdog]

WWBD shirts? What a great idea... maybe we could get nightshirts and take Bob to bed too?!

I just had a lovely convo with Mr. W. after having to call him after getting home from a really disturbing special ed meeting (about the facts of the No Child Left Behind Act).

It seems as though our garage door is once again broken. This sucker is made of solid cedar and heavy as sh*t. Mr. W. told me to go out and see if the light above my car was blinking, which indicates the sensors are not synched.

He called back after D9 and I had to pull the door down manually... and started to raise his voice at me, "What do you mean the big light isn't blinking? It should!"

I said, "Mr. W., I know what a blinking light looks like, and this light is not blinking. It appears that the spring broke once again." (This is the 3rd spring we've broken in less than 2 years... thank God I kept the receipt showing our 3 year warranty this time around.)

I thanked him for calling me back (even though I didn't appreciate being yelled at) and told him I'd call the garage door repair place tomorrow morning.

UGH. Men!

[Meredith]

Woman, if you take Bob to bed with you you’re doing it alone!! Ugh!!

Hmmm…do you think that his garage door frustration is possibly one of the following?

1. He just heard some disturbing news about your special ed meeting and rather than address that he decided to vent via the garage door…

Or

2. He finds it frustrating that he isn’t there to help when things come up like busted garage doors…


Wait, one more…OR…

3. The aliens only allow them to be nice for a certain period of time. Then, they must quickly switch into a-hole mode. The card, that just sent Mr. W right over the quota so he had no choice but to come out as a-hole man.


Thos are my theories…and from my helicopter, this wasn’t anything more than a stubbed toe on a stump! Nothing to fear…