MAF š | Dearest Gentle Reader ā¢ Writer Workplace ā¢ Life ā¢ Relationships ā¢ Travel Retelling experiences š§, encounters & unexpected moments.
Solo traveling
Joined August 2011
- Tweets32.8K
- Following5K
- Followers8.7K
- Likes42.9K
maf retweeted
My sister and I were at a high-end bridal boutique trying on $4,000 wedding dresses in a private VIP fitting suite.
The suite was gorgeous: plush velvet couches, champagne, and a large vintage brass standing lamp in the corner next to the full-length changing mirror.
While my sister was stepping out of a silk dress, I sat on the sofa and noticed a strange rhythmic humming coming from the lampās brass pole.
I stood up, walked over, and adjusted the lamp shade.
Tucked into one of the decorative brass filigree cutouts on the stem was a tiny, glass sphere. no bigger than a marbleāwarmed to the touch.
I pulled out my phone's camera app and pointed it at the sphere in the dark room.
The screen instantly picked up six bright purple infrared LED nodes surrounding a high-definition lens, pointed directly into the dressing stall.
I froze. I grabbed my sister by the arm, covered her with a robe, and pulled the boutique manager into the room.
Me: "Who installed this camera inside the VIP dressing room lamp?"
The manager went pale, then quickly tried to brush it off.
Manager: "Oh! Thatās just an anti-theft sensor for the high-value bridal gowns!
We have to protect our inventory from shoplifting."
Me: "A shoplifting sensor in a room where women are completely undressed?!"
maf retweeted
My cousin has been using my Netflix account for almost a year. I genuinely never cared until last week.
They called me annoyed because Iād changed the password.
I said Netflix made me reset it and I hadnāt gotten around to sending the new one.
So I sent it.
Later that night my husband asked why I gave it to my cousin again.
That confused me.
Apparently heād been the one changing the password.
He said my cousin hadnāt spoken to him in nearly eight months, but still texted whenever Netflix kicked them out.
I told him it was my account too and I wasnāt getting involved in whatever issue they had.
maf retweeted
My husband and I decided to spice up our marriage by experimenting with threesomes.
Earlier this year, we met a woman and had our first experience together. It was exciting, unexpected, and opened a door we hadnāt really explored before.
A few months later, my husband met a man named Aaron and suggested we meet him.
I was hesitant at first because Aaron was older than us, but when we finally met, I understood why my husband thought weād get along.
He was handsome, confident and surprisingly charming.
That evening, we went bar-hopping, flirting and getting comfortable with each other.
Eventually, Aaron told us heād booked a room at a luxury hotel nearby.
We agreed to continue the evening there.
I had no idea how differently the night would unfold.
I pay $185 a month for one parking space. It has my unit number painted on the floor and a sign on the wall.
Last Thursday I got home at 11:30 PM after a double shift. A gray SUV was sitting in it.
It was the fourth time in six weeks. I had left two polite notes on the windshield. Both were gone the next day, and nobody ever replied.
I walked to the visitor lot and looked at the clock. I was out of patience, and Iād been on my feet for 13 hours.
I called the number printed on the sign, and a truck came in 20 minutes. It took the driver about four minutes to hook it up. I stood there and watched.
Friday morning someone knocked on my door. It was the woman from the unit next to mine, holding her toddler on her hip.
āYou could have knocked on my door. We live right next to each other.ā
She said it like Iād broken something between us.
I told her Iād never spoken to her once in two years. I didnāt know her car or her name.
āSeeing you in the hallway doesnāt mean I know you.ā
She looked at me like Iād said something cruel. I hadnāt. It was just true.
Being neighbors isnāt the same as being known.
She told me the tow cost her $265 and sheād had to borrow it. I said I was sorry she had to pay that, and I meant it.
I also told her the spot costs me $185 every month, and sheād parked in it four times for free.
She went quiet and walked back to her door.
No one has parked in my space since, and no one has said hello to me either.
I keep a folder on my phone called "Spot 14."
It has 11 photos in it. Every one is a different night with the same gray SUV parked where my car should be.
I didn't start the folder because I wanted a fight. I started it because the property manager told me to "keep records."
I kept the records for two months. I emailed him 3 times and he answered once, saying he'd "look into it."
Then last Thursday I came home at 11:30 PM and the SUV was there again. I stood in the dark with my grocery bags and my work badge still on.
I didn't call the manager that night. I called the tow company listed on the sign, and the truck was there before my ice cream melted.
The next morning my doorbell rang four times in a row.
It was the neighbor from the unit beside mine. She was holding a toddler and a printed receipt for $265.
"You could have just knocked. We live right next to each other."
I asked her one question. "What's my name?"
She opened her mouth, and then she closed it.
"I don't know you, ma'am. Seeing you in the hallway doesn't mean I know you."
She said I was cold, that this was why nobody trusts anyone anymore.
I said I'd left two notes on her windshield. She said she never saw them.
I showed her the folder, with the dates and the timestamps. I didn't say anything else.
She stared at the screen for a long time. Then she took her receipt and went back inside.
At 6 PM there was a sticky note on my door. It was in shaky handwriting.
It said: "Sorry. I'll park in visitor."
I peeled it off and put it in the folder with the photos.
maf retweeted
A few weeks ago, I planned a surprise weekend for my husband. I arranged for our children to stay with my parents, who live about an hour and a half away.
Usually, when I take the kids there, I spend the entire day before returning home. But this time, I had other plans.
Iād booked a nice restaurant, planned a few drinks beforehand, and wanted to surprise my husband with a proper night out together.
I left around 8:30 that morning and was back in our neighborhood before 12:30.
As I turned onto our street, I noticed a truck parked outside our house. I didnāt recognize it, but I assumed it belonged to a neighborās visitor.
I parked a few houses away, hoping to sneak inside and surprise my husband.
I had no idea I was about to discover something that would change my marriage.
Love that we donāt even need the demo to know which āusersā this is actually built for.
Weāve raised $1.3M from YC & Afore Capital so you never have to type or speak again.
Typing is slow. Talking into your computer is awkward. Subvocal fixes both
Our glasses give you the speed of speech without you making a sound or touching a keyboard.
It tracks your internal speech muscles with non-contact sensing and decodes silent, almost invisible mouthing into text at more than 200 words/min.
Pre-orders are now live at:
subvocal.co/preorder?utm_souā¦
maf retweeted
I discovered that my 26-year-old daughter had been secretly giving her unemployed boyfriend money from the allowance I sent her every month. When I confronted her, her response made me question whether I was helping her or enabling her.
Me: Can you explain why youāre sending money to a man who doesnāt even have a job?
Daughter: Mum, please. Heās going through a difficult time.
Me: And whose responsibility is that? Iāve been sending you money to take care of yourself, not to finance somebody elseās lifestyle.
Daughter: Heās my boyfriend. Iām allowed to help him.
Me: Help him with what? His rent? His food? His transport? What exactly are you doing?
maf retweeted
I was getting quotes for my wedding photographer when two companies gave me completely different prices.
Company A quoted $4,200.
Company B quoted $1,600.
I thought A was out of their mind, so I called back and told the rep about the cheaper quote.
He went quiet for a moment.
Then he asked, āDoes that $1,600 include the full edited gallery, or just the photographer showing up?ā
I laughed. I thought he was trying to save the sale.
I called B and asked the same question.
The owner got warm and said, āBabe, thatās all-in. Everybody upsells you. We donāt. Trust me.ā
I trusted him.
I should have asked for it in writing.
On my wedding day, he showed up 40 minutes late.
One photographer. No second shooter.
He left right after the cake, before my grandmotherās toast and the first dance.
Sheād flown in from another country to be there. She was 91.
maf retweeted
HR Rep: "You've nominated the same person for Employee of the Month sixty-two times in a row."
Me: "Because he deserves it."
HR Rep: "He doesn't exist in our system."
I'd been summoned to Conference Room B with no explanation, and I'd braced for the worst. Instead, she slid a thick stack of printed forms across the table. Every one had my signature on it. Every one named the same person: the man who cleans our fourth floor at night.
Me: "He's right there every evening. Gray work shirt, a little limp, hums while he vacuums."
HR Rep: "He works for the cleaning contractor, so he can't win. The system rejects every form automatically. It has for five years."
Me: "Then why am I here?"
She took a breath.
HR Rep: "Because three weeks ago, the system stopped rejecting them."
She turned her laptop around. Every one of my sixty-two nominations was now marked Pending, and each one had a new comment attached. Different names, different departments, all written in the last twenty-one days.
"He fixed my chair at 9 p.m. and never mentioned it."
"He left a light on for me when I worked late after my dad died."
"He knows every person's coffee order. We've never told him."
Hundreds of them, from people I'd never even met.
Me: "I never asked anyone to do this."
HR Rep: "I know. They found your forms in the recycling bin, the ones that were rejected and tossed. Someone started a thread. Then the whole building joined."
She closed the laptop.
HR Rep: "The contractor wouldn't let me give him an award. Rules. So I did something I'm not supposed to do. I made a call to the cleaning company's owner."
Me: "And?"
HR Rep: "He laughed, and then he went quiet. He said that man has worked for him for twenty-six years and has never taken a day off. He said he's been trying to promote him since the first week, and the man keeps saying no. He says the night shift is the only one where he can hear the building 'settle.'"
She smiled, a little tired.
HR Rep: "Do you know what he asked me to tell you?"
Me: "What?"
HR Rep: "'Tell the one who signs the forms I read every single one.'"
I stared at her.
maf retweeted
My personal trainer told me he doesnāt date clients. then he started giving me workouts that required him to stand very close to me
I joined a gym because I wanted to get fit, not because I was looking for a relationship.
My trainer, Daniel, was attractive, confident, and annoyingly good at making difficult exercises look easy.
At first, everything was professional.
He corrected my posture, tracked my progress, and constantly reminded me to stop making excuses.
But after a few weeks, our conversations started becoming more personal.
I was getting quotes for my wedding photographer when two companies gave me completely different prices.
Company A quoted $4,200.
Company B quoted $1,600.
I thought A was out of their mind, so I called back and told the rep about the cheaper quote.
He went quiet for a moment.
Then he asked, āDoes that $1,600 include the full edited gallery, or just the photographer showing up?ā
I laughed. I thought he was trying to save the sale.
I called B and asked the same question.
The owner got warm and said, āBabe, thatās all-in. Everybody upsells you. We donāt. Trust me.ā
I trusted him.
I should have asked for it in writing.
On my wedding day, he showed up 40 minutes late.
One photographer. No second shooter.
He left right after the cake, before my grandmotherās toast and the first dance.
Sheād flown in from another country to be there. She was 91.
I told myself it was fine. The photos would still be there.
Ten days later, I got an email.
āYour 25 edited photos are ready.ā
Twenty-five. From a 10-hour wedding.
I called him. He said, āYour remaining images are available in the full gallery for $2,900. Files are deleted after 14 days.ā
I said, āYou told me it was all-in.ā
He said, āCheck your contract.ā
Thread Two
I checked my contract.
Page 6, in tiny gray text:
āUnedited files are not included and will be permanently deleted 14 days after the event.ā
Day 11.
I called him 9 times. He stopped picking up.
That night my aunt called me crying.
My grandmother had passed away in her sleep. Eight days after my wedding.
And every photo of her dancing, laughing, and holding my face was sitting in files that would be deleted in three days.
I sat on my bathroom floor and called the only person I could think of.
Company Aās rep.
I told him what happened. I expected āI told you so.ā
He said, āStop calling him. Do exactly what I say.ā
First, send one email, in writing, demanding the full edited gallery, with a 48-hour deadline.
Second, tell him youāre filing a chargeback with your bank for services not delivered.
Third, keep everything in writing. He needs it on the record.
I sent it at 11:48 PM.
At 12:30 AM he replied: āYouāll regret this.ā
I forwarded that to my bank.
At 9:14 AM, my bank opened the dispute.
At 9:41 AM, my phone rang. It was the photographer, suddenly polite.
āLook, thereās been a misunderstanding. I can get you everything today.ā
I said, āIn writing.ā
At 4 PM, a link landed in my inbox.
1,148 photos.
I scrolled until I found her.
My grandmother in her blue dress, laughing so hard she had to hold my arm.
Sheād been gone 9 days.
I lost it.
I donāt know what Iād have done if those files had been deleted.
Before you book a vendor, get this in writing:
Whatās delivered. How many edited photos. When files get deleted. What happens if they donāt deliver.
Cheap is fine. āTrust meā is not a contract.
maf retweeted
My boyfriend accused me of cheating because I agreed to visit a museum with a male classmate. But when I explained why I said yes, he accused me of disrespecting our relationship.
Iām in college, and recently I started talking to a guy in one of my classes. We mostly discuss assignments, exams, lecturers, and random college stuff.
Last week, he asked if Iād like to visit a museum with him. Apparently, itās somewhere he visits frequently, and he thought Iād enjoy it.
I agreed because I genuinely love museums.
I didnāt think there was anything romantic about the invitation.
maf retweeted
The senior role went to the intern I trained.
Then I was asked to train her for it.
Same meeting. Ten minutes.
Iād been at the company six years.
Last spring, my manager told me, āHang in there. The senior role is yours when it opens.ā
I turned down two recruiters that month.
Eight months ago, they hired an intern. I was told to āshow her the ropes.ā
I built her a training guide.
I sat in on every client call.
I stayed late fixing her mistakes so they never reached him. One was a $14,000 invoice sent to the wrong client.
In September, the senior role finally opened.
$82,000. I make $64,000.
I printed my last three years of results and put them in a folder.
I wanted to be ready.
On Monday, he asked me into his office and closed the door.
He smiled.
āWeāve made a decision on the senior role,ā he said. āWeāre going with Brianna.ā
I laughed. I honestly thought he was joking.
āBriannaās an intern.ā
āSheās been converted.ā
āSheās been here eight months,ā I said. āI trained her.ā
āI know. You did a great job.ā
āYou told me the role was mine.ā
āI never said it was guaranteed.ā
maf retweeted
My husband wants a threesome, but we barely have sex. and i think i've finally understood why i'm so hurt.
Iāve known about my husbandās threesome fantasy since before we got married.
Back then, our sex life was incredible. He made me feel desired, sexy and completely irresistible. I was confident enough in our relationship that I genuinely thought sharing that experience with another woman wouldnāt change anything between us.
Then I got pregnant.
And everything changed.
During pregnancy, he wasnāt particularly interested in sex. I could have happily done it three times a day, but we barely managed six times throughout the entire pregnancy.
I thought things would improve after the baby arrived.
I was VERY wrong.
maf retweeted
My girlfriend and I are both 21, and something happened recently that made me discover a side of myself I genuinely didnāt know existed.
We were out on a date when a group of men started catcalling us.
One commented on my body. Another looked at my girlfriend and made a particularly vulgar remark about her chest.
We ignored them and kept walking.
But hereās the strange part.
My girlfriend has always been a little adventurous. She enjoys exhibitionism, likes attention, and has occasionally asked me to do things in public that make me blush.
Iāve never completely understood the appeal.
Until that night.
maf retweeted
Machine: "Unexpected item in bagging area."
I looked down. I'd scanned a loaf of bread and a carton of eggs. The bagging area held nothing but the bread and eggs.
Machine: "Please remove the item from the bagging area."
I took the bread off. Then the eggs. The screen stayed red.
Attendant: "Ma'am? Let me reset it."
She tapped her badge on the panel. The screen flickered, then flashed the same message.
Me: "There's nothing there."
Attendant: "I know. Look at the weight."
The display read 63.4 lbs.
Me: "That's not possible."
Attendant: "Register 6 does this a few times a year. We stopped trying to fix it."
I should have laughed and moved to another register. But 63.4 pounds was a number I knew by heart. It was the last weight the vet had written on my dog's chart, four weeks ago, before he stopped being able to stand.
Me: "Why does it do that?"
Attendant: "The technicians have no idea. It only happens when someone is shopping alone, and it only reads the weight of one thing."
Me: "One thing?"
Attendant: "Whatever they're missing. A woman last spring got 8 pounds, the size of her cat. A man got 190, and he walked out without his groceries. We don't ask anymore. We just let it finish."
maf retweeted
I broke up with my boyfriend of 8 months because he was hiding our entire relationship from his female best friend.
She called him every night. She had a key to his apartment. She made plans with him without ever knowing I existed.
Every time I brought it up, he called me insecure and accused me of creating problems where there were none.
At first I tried to convince myself I was overthinking it. Heād known her longer than me, and I didnāt want to be the girlfriend who controlled his friendships.
Then one night we were having dinner and she called. He ignored it.
A minute later she texted:
āWho are you with? Youāve barely called me tonight.ā
I saw the message and asked him why she didnāt even know we were datingā¦..