Thursday is Friday

[ksmith]

Taking one of my damned-near-gone vacation days tomorrow. Luckily I spend the day inside because it's supposed to be awful--90s, humid, thunderstorms. I hope it's not too thunderbumpy, or King will want to spend the day in my lap, and that can't happen.

Ran into someone I hadn't seen in years today. At one time, more than an acquaintance, but not really a friend. We talked for about 20 minutes...except it was more like she talked and I listened. I think I talked a minute, maybe two, total. Heard about the bad current job, and the bad former job, and health issues. I mentioned a little about my job, and about my folks, and then she took over until we said goodbye. This was the person who, five minutes into our very first conversation ever, told me about her bad marriage and the fact that she had an affair. The affair, afaik, was fallout from the bad marriage, not the cause.

I always knew why I let the relationship fizzle, but it was confirmed today. I am a decent listener, but sometimes I do talk and I like to think that what I have to say is more than an opportunity for you to draw breath and take over the conversation again.

In other news, received word from my pet insurance company that I will be getting back money for both King's surgery and Gaby's cut leg. After the subtractions and adjustments and the $100 annual deductible, between 50-60% of what I spent. Given that I had considered not even filing those claims, it was a nice outcome.

Oh well. Back to it...

Comments

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

Re the non-stop-talker: oh yes, I know people like that. Some I forgive because they only do it occasionally and they're really good people.

Some I avoid. A lot. And I don't think they realize why.

I find it a good example to remind myself to shut up and ask other people about their lives -- which I think I tend to do anyways because I find other people interesting. But I always do worry about being clueless...

There was one woman I knew many, many years ago. There were three of us plus her in her house -- two male, one female, plus her. We were together because we worked for the same organization. None of us was a close friend of the others, though we knew each other. She started talking (for no reason I could see) about why she chose to use a diaphragm for birth control. I was too young and inexperienced at that time to interrupt and tell her this was just Too Much Information.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

For various dumb reasons, I have done the Blurt thing while talking with new acquaintances. Realized from the look on their faces that I had made a mistake but boy, it's hard to walk back that bad first impression.