Yesterday we had tentatively planned to go swimming in the afternoon, but H rang and said he was getting a lift down and would take D up to his place by bus.
When he turned up, D was showing off on her new bike with our neighbour, so H had a look at it, and then I asked him if he wanted a coffee before pushing off to catch the bus. He had a bit of time to kill and it being a holiday, not much would have been open in town. He accepted. We didn't talk too much, he asked questions, and I answered friendly enough, but didn't ask anything much back of him.
He spent some time ranting on aimlessly about a small airport nearish to where he lives, which was extended recently to take international arrivals - how pointless it was, ridiculous it was, sort of full of disparagement and derision. But he appeared not to be basing his rant on any particular facts, just conjecture, like he knows diddly squat about airports!* I sat there and just listened to him, somewhat tuned out, and thought, this man really has a LOT (all negative, of course) to say about NOTHING!
I just hoped he would not bring up the subject of money while here, and he didn't except to tell me how he had just earned some more himself! I told him how much D loved her new bike, I thought it might make him feel he should cough up his share of the cost to me.
As for replying to his "concerns" about what he pays me, my sister drummed into me that he in fact is doing quite nicely when all is said and done. She knows guys in the other country who have to pay the FULL mortage on their children's and ex-wife's home, plus child support. I already pay half the mortgage here, and we are NOT divorced yet. So I am working on the wording to tell him this. That what he pays right now is the bottom line, as far as I am concerned.
Livnlearn
*Funny story. Years ago some of us were talking and groaning about the effects of jet lag and what a drag it was. H piped up grandly, that HE never suffered from it. When asked what the longest flight he had ever flown was, it turned out to be TWO hours, without even crossing ONE time zone!
"The unexamined life is not worth living" - Socrates
