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Original poster

The teeny tiny straw that broke the camels back.

43 replies

Mitebiteatnite · 20/08/2019 13:08

You know the one, when you've had a run of bad luck but remained positive and/or calm, but then something really minor happens and you just lose it.

Last week I found out that my temporary work contract (which I was assured would definitely be made permanent in September) wouldn't be made permanent at all. Fine, disappointed but I coped. I'll find another job.

Saturday our car broke down, turns out cam belt went and it's not worth fixing. Not great, but we'll have to get another one somehow and DH can borrow one from work in the meantime.

Yesterday our ancient washing machine also died. We'd been expecting it, and I'd been putting a bit of money aside for this kind of thing. Luckily my washing basket is mostly empty so we've got clothes to last a week or so.

Then this morning, while opening the last tin of beans in the cupboard, the tin opener broke halfway round. Butchered the tin so I can't open it now. And I cried and cried for about half an hour. It felt like the worst possible thing EVER.

Why is that? How is it we manage to cope when big things go wrong, but then the smallest thing happens and it tips you over the edge. Tell me I'm not the only one who's like this? Grin

OP posts:
Deathraystare · 20/08/2019 13:23

No idea but that is really Shit! That is more than 3 things (mum always used to say bad things come in threes!) so you are due good stuff. Here's hoping!

SayOohLaLa · 20/08/2019 13:23

It's a known thing OP, just the straw that breaks the camels back. It's like coping with the death of a family member but falling to bits when the budgie dies.

Hope your luck changes soon, and look 2nd hand for a washer - Facebook Marketplace etc. rather than buying new.

Iggi999 · 20/08/2019 13:28

BrewCake for you Op

Original poster
Mitebiteatnite · 20/08/2019 13:34

I've always done it tbh, when my dad died and I stayed strong to help mum with the funeral etc. But a few days later I called BT to find out why my broadband was down, and the guy said it would be 2-3 days before it was fixed. He was very confused when I started sobbing down the phone.

And yes, I always thought bad things came in threes, hopefully it's not doubling up and I'm due another 2 til it's over Shock

OP posts:
Atlasta · 20/08/2019 13:37

I think of it as filling a bucket with water.
Eventually that bucket gets heavier and heavier. What inevitable is that it's eventually going to overflow. It's the accumulation.
Hopefully your bucket is now emptyFlowers

Babdoc · 20/08/2019 13:38

Bad things always come in batches, eh, OP. We all have a breaking point, and you are obviously quite a tough and stoical soul to shrug off so many hits before the final one overloaded you.
I think it’s the unfairness of it that upsets us too - we feel we’ve had more than our share of rotten luck, and it ought to be someone else’s turn by now!
Have a damn good moan, a nice glass of wine or piece of chocolate, and write this week off as shite.
Your luck will turn eventually, nothing stays the same indefinitely. Think how relieved you’ll feel when nothing goes wrong at all tomorrow!
(And yes, I’m crossing fingers for you here...)

Original poster
Mitebiteatnite · 21/08/2019 08:00

I like the bucket of water analogy, it makes sense!

Thanks all, today will be a better day!
I'm waiting to hear if I've got an interview for a new job today, and overworked, underpaid DH is finally asking for a pay rise this morning so fingers crossed it all works out!

OP posts:
GroggyLegs · 21/08/2019 08:31

Everything crossed for you Mite Flowers

poolblack · 21/08/2019 09:24

I used to work in a restaurant as a supervisor, there were 3 of us working shifts and 3 duty managers above is also working shifts. One of the DM's was an absolute bitch and literally came in looking for faults. It went on for a few months before one evening I arrived at work to a note about a straw, a single fucking straw, being left on one of the tables and as I was supervisor the night before it fell on me. I was stunned at how pathetic and nasty she really was, the fact that it took longer to write the note than it would have to bin the straw didn't miss me! I worked my shift through then told the DM who was on that night when we were closing up that I wouldn't be back because I could no longer work 'with that'! But yes, it really was the proverbial straw that broke this camels back!!

This was mid 90's and you could pick up jobs easily enough, I think anyone working under that level of pressure in a fairly low paid job would struggle now to leave.

vampirethriller · 21/08/2019 10:03

The night before last I was making jam which boiled over. I threw the tea towel I used to mop up into the washing machine which was full of clean clothes. So they got covered in jam.
Then I drained the veg for dinner into the sink without the bloody colander.
When I'd picked my veg out of the sink and rinsed it I then poured boiling water over my dinner instead of into the gravy granules.
Then I dropped the only clean fork on the floor and then I had a little cry.

peridito · 21/08/2019 11:46

oh OP you sound amazing ,lucky husband and family to have you .

Things have to be on the up for you now .Everything crossed for you about the job !

Original poster
Mitebiteatnite · 21/08/2019 12:31

vampire that would tip me over the edge too. Especially pouring boiling water over your dinner Sad

peridito thank you, still waiting impatiently. Square sausage in a well-fired roll has taken my mind off it temporarily.

OP posts:
vampirethriller · 21/08/2019 14:41

I threw it away and went for chips so it turned out ok in the endGrin

Original poster
Mitebiteatnite · 21/08/2019 15:56

OK, do you want to hear how it got worse today? TW- if you don't like spiders, DO NOT READ THE NEXT SENTENCE.
.
.
.
.
.
I had an appt booked with the nurse practitioner because my ear has been really sore and bleeding a bit. So she had a look in there and not only have I got an outer ear infection (thanks eczema!) but there was a teeny tiny baby dead spider stuck to the dried blood. WTAF? The nurse cleaned it out and, at my request, checked there wasn't an entire family of baby spiders inside my ear. She was quite amused by it, I was obviously horrified. She said it probably crawled in the while I was asleep and got stuck in the drying blood. So now I'm never going to sleep again, thank you very much. Can't even use earplugs until its healed. FML

OP posts:
Trumpton · 21/08/2019 16:02

Oh I am in bed feeling very sorry for myself after a lumpectomy and you made me laugh so much I jiggled my poor sore boob !

You have a good way with words . I do hope things improve and that you are not due a smear test any time soon !

NoSquirrels · 21/08/2019 16:08

RIP tiny baby spider Grin

Poor you, OP!!

Well, if your bad luck is doubling up only 1 more to go, eh? Maybe don’t walk near any ladders or switch on anything electrical for a bit!

Original poster
Mitebiteatnite · 21/08/2019 16:17

Oh Trumpton I'm sorry I made you jiggle your boob Blush Hope it heals soon. I am actually due a smear, but I think I'll leave it for a bit Shock

nosquirrels I did feel a bit sad for him after I'd calmed down, I quite like spiders. He thought he was going for a little nighttime adventure, but then got caught in some sticky blood and thus his life ended. Not a great way to go Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
Mitebiteatnite · 21/08/2019 19:20

Well I rescued an injured dove today, so I'd like to think that's earned me some good karma Grin

OP posts:
Clevererthanyou · 21/08/2019 19:26

It's all well and good to rescue birds op but did it poo on you? Grin

Pipandmum · 21/08/2019 19:35

I remember losing out on our dream holiday home after a long search and lots of plans due to mortgage company devaluing our house by £200k in two months ... ok we’ll find another. My dad had a stroke while abroad... flew out helped my mum and we got him home and was in hospital, my sisters flew in with lots of support... felt we could all handle it. Then we were about to go out view some professional photos and my four year old son comes in holding a bucket of hair and proudly announces he gave his two year old sister a hair cut... I sat down on the step and just cried. And cried.

Original poster
Mitebiteatnite · 21/08/2019 20:12

oh pip, how bad was the haircut?!

OP posts:
TiredOldTable · 21/08/2019 21:18

My DH was diagnosed with cancer. He had post operative surgery complications. He was diagnosed with another cancer. We just got on with it.

I burst into tears because the car park machine wouldn't take my £2 coin.

GroggyLegs · 21/08/2019 21:25

I do hope things improve and that you are not due a smear test any time soon

😂

minibroncs · 21/08/2019 21:28

It's because we push our feelings away when the big stuff happens, pretend to be fine, don't feel it, don't let it run its course, and leave it sitting there in the background getting bigger and bigger as more stuff happens to add to it... Until it reaches a tipping point where it's too big for us to push away and it overflows. Then we wonder where all that emotion came from because we're so used to ignoring our feelings we didn't realise we had them.

If we just ditched the weird British idea that we must pretend to be ok when bad stuff happens and instead actually felt our emotions and got them out of our system it would be a lot more healthy and manageable. (And we wouldn't end up embarrassing ourselves sobbing uncontrollably because the shop ran out of our favourite sandwich.)

Think you got off lightly with the spider thing. I was braced for you to reveal the source of the pain was some gigantic spider all bunched up in your ear.

minibroncs · 21/08/2019 21:34

at my request, checked there wasn't an entire family of baby spiders inside my ear

I wonder if she noted that in your records. "Mitebiteatnite very anxious about spider families living in her ears. Reassurance offered."