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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be fuming at being made to feel like a bad friend?

19 replies

yourcruisedirector · 16/08/2013 10:10

I've been trying to make arrangements to see friends and family this weekend before our house move which will mean we have to work on the house for a while.

Aside from visiting family and friends 200 miles away, I've been trying to arrange a meet with uni friends en route to family. Friend A had asked a group of us to keep Saturday free for a barbecue at her house, which was a pain for me (and DH and toddler DD), but we were trying to make it work.

Friend B said she couldn't make Saturday so could we please (all) reschedule for Sunday. After some faffing, friend A agreed, and as it suited us better, so did I.

Then friend B accepted some work on Sunday, so she asked if we couldn't all reschedule for Friday and she would stay over with friend A as it suited her work plans to have free accommodation. Lots of others had dropped out by this stage, so the new plan was afternoon tea at friend A's. We discussed and decided we could make it work (but had to alter family plans for the second time).

Friend B then had something else come up and suggested we all meet in a different town 50 miles away at a different time as she could no longer stay over with friend A and she has enough driving to cope with this weekend. It's all roughly en route to family but really quite out of the way, and a PITA for DD's nap, lunch, and our onward journey. I said I'd think about it, but discussed with friend A who said it was a PITA for her too, so ultimately we went back to the third plan of Friday afternoon tea at A's. (A and I work btw, but have booked time off).

B went into a huge strop and sent a hugely PA text asking why couldn't change our plans to make sure she could see us all. And couldn't A and I go back to the Sunday plan so I could drive to see B today? I resisted the impulse to send snarky messages and just responded that I'd tried to fit in with the changes but couldn't make this plan work. B is now not responding to A or me. But sod that, we'll enjoy our cake. But I felt awful all night for letting her down and sad that I won't see her. Then I woke up this morning I realised I really did make the effort - three times - and it's really pissed me off!

For background, friend B has massive form for being an egomaniac but is otherwise very loyal and fun. The rest of our uni group is doing v well professionally, ten years after graduation, but B has elected to pursue a very unreliable, competitive career - like acting (but not). She used to be very entitled and sheltered at uni but we managed to beat it out of her eventually, but now at 30 she's living at home with her parents and younger siblings and she's worse than ever. They're buying her a flat in London next year and have recently bought her an expensive car, so all of her earning at occasional jobs/tutoring is spent on holidays and designer clothes and handbags, yet she continually tells us she doesn't have much money. She's not saving any money and has no regular income stream. Working friends and I are clearly a bit envious that everything is handed to her, but what winds me up is that she genuinely doesn't think she's well off, or spoiled. And she doesn't see why we can't fit in with her plans (I have a job, a DH who travels for work a lot, a toddler, and lots of committee responsibilities, and a house move that will stretch our budget for several years). She also is oblivious to her hurtful comments about how boring working 9-5 is (some of us have to!) and actually laughed when I showed her our new forever house because 'it's just so CHEAP - my flat will be nearly that much!'

So, er, AIBU to be genuinely pissed off that she made me feel like not seeing her is all my fault?

OP posts:
Ogg · 16/08/2013 10:13

Of course your not being unreasonable - just a doormat

NutritiousAndDelicious · 16/08/2013 10:17

She's a witch, cut her off without a second thought. Life's too short to mess around with those kinds of people.

YouStayClassySanDiego · 16/08/2013 10:24

She sounds utterly ruined and is quite frankly a massive pain in the arse.

Don't give her anymore head space and enjoy your cake with your mate, however much fun and however loyal B is, she is her No 1 priority and doesn't give two hoots about anyone but herself.

Send her a text reminding her that you tried to accommodate her change of plans then you had had enough of her moving the goal posts then ignore her.

yourcruisedirector · 16/08/2013 10:25

Ouch Ogg - though it's not just me, we all do it!

It's worry noting that we all live in different cities around the UK, so we really do have to make an effort to meet up, it's not as easy as deciding to pop round the corner to see each other.

OP posts:
Flyonthewindscreen · 16/08/2013 10:26

The only way in which YABU is to have rescheduled your plans more than once! Really does friend B have any redeeming features?

yourcruisedirector · 16/08/2013 10:27

Have I made her sound evil? She's really not, but is a thousand times worse when living at home under the influence of her family.

Btw - I've met all her siblings and she's the most well-adjusted if all of them Shock

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Groovee · 16/08/2013 10:29

She keeps changing everything and you have tried to accommodate her as much as you can't. Her main issue is that you have said no to her! Keep saying no!

yourcruisedirector · 16/08/2013 10:30

She does have redeeming features -she made a lot of effort to visit me after my child was born and DH was away a lot. She drove past my town a lot for her jobs at that time, but no longer does. She loves my child, but I've had enough of her comparisons with another of her friends who has a perfect, sleeping, sitting still potato child. B seems to need to believe that the people closest to her make the best decisions about everything so it's a headfuck for her when we chose to do things differently. It's part of the reason why she's so susceptible to her parents.

OP posts:
yourcruisedirector · 16/08/2013 10:31

She is a bit ruined youstayclassy Hmm

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yourcruisedirector · 16/08/2013 10:32

groovee I have definitely failed at the 'no is a complete sentence' thing here.

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Groovee · 16/08/2013 10:35

Dh's SIL was like this. Everything had to suit her. I said no and she didn't like it. We now no longer even speak but I didn't want everything being dictated as it got my back up.

Ogg · 16/08/2013 10:36

Then explain in no uncertain terms how you feel and how her actions make you feel -you can do the management sandwich thing but non of you are doing her any favours by accommodating this crap - sounds like you did a good job at uni with her , try a bit of straight talking now!

quoteunquote · 16/08/2013 10:38

Just smile and say "sorry that doesn't work for me/us."

currentlyconfuseddotcom · 16/08/2013 10:42

She needs a reality check!

And you have the patience of a saint with all that rearranging, I would have balked internally at about the second hurdle. YANBU for being pissed off. She's an old friend though, hope things work out.

yourcruisedirector · 16/08/2013 10:42

Talk about my feelings? That doesn't sound healthy Grin

Quoteunquote, oh, how easy you make it sound. I probably did make things worse by giving the impression I'd try to make Plan mk4 happen.

OP posts:
yourcruisedirector · 16/08/2013 10:45

Currently confused - thanks Grin

Longback story which I won't go into but between DH's extremely unreliable job (military) and my other commitments, we are often the people who have to cancel/change plans, which is partly why I leave most planning to the last minute. When you never know if your DH is going to work in 3/12/24 hours for days or weeks at a time it tends to breed a bit more patience with last minute changes.

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quoteunquote · 16/08/2013 10:51

Well you can soften the blow, by starting with an, "Oh that would be lovely...(then add the)..but unfortunately it won't work for me."

and in future when making plans, you inform everyone where you are going to be and when, and just say "It would be lovely if you can join me/us", and if they want to change the time and venue, you just say, "Oh dear, never mind, maybe next time then"

that way no one ever gets messed around.

SpeedwellBlue · 16/08/2013 11:01

Friend B sounds lile a pita

yourcruisedirector · 16/08/2013 11:01

Quote it'd be awesome if my life was that predictable, but I'd feel a bit hypocritical given how often I have to tinker with plans. The unequivocal tone and message would work well with B though I think.

OP posts:
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