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Old 04-12-2004, 09:42 PM   #11 (permalink)
Johnny Rotten
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Location: Berkeley
You know, somebody calling you on the weekend to go hang out or whatever is great, when you're in college and the whole living environment is very ad-hoc and casual. But in the grown-up world, where people have full-time jobs, families, mortgages, it's fucking rude to call them on the weekend and expect them to drop everything, even if you actually have nothing to do--because, for Pete's sake, having nothing to do is nice sometimes.

If I were in your shoes, I'd mention to your wife that her friend is being stupid and inconsiderate--just assuming you have nothing better to do than to entertain this woman outside of work. I'd make plans several days ahead of time to be nowhere near your home come Friday afteroon, several weeks in a row. If this woman has your wife's cell number, don't bring the cell. When the woman asks why you didn't call back (and I'll be very surprised if that isn't one of the first questions she asks--like it's any of her business!), tell her the truth: You wanted to get away. Do this enough times and she'll go looking elsewhere for entertainment, just like dropping eye contact with a stray animal.

Sure, it might get awkward, but the only alternative is a downward spiral where she just gets more and more grabby. These people never get clued in without a nudge, sometimes a shove.

My mother has this problem where she can't say no to door-to-door solicitors. She tells them she's just a house sitter. It's a white lie that makes things a little awkward, but the thing is, these people keep coming back because no one tells them not to. They will never stop coming until she does.
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