Well said @BatCoach!
I totally agree. A lie will be so obvious. Say what you did, and make it up to them.
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We are soul sisters on this. My husband and I have had a sort of joke for years…but we’re half serious…that everyone in this country should have a National Summer of Service between high school graduation and college/tech school/etc in which you have to work at Walmart or fast food for minimum wage. Working as a landscaper’s apprentice in South Texas is the other alternative.
We always thought that this would be of lifelong help to folks in the compassion and humility departments.
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There are special occasions though where people will try to get a free meal out of the staff. Like if they chronically complain or anything along those lines. One offs are fine, but I would have simply apologized once (not profusely) and offered them something else for free like you said. I worked at a grocery store for 7 years before and during college, so my tolerance for people’s shenanigans was lowered working there.
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The city in which I spent a large portion of my childhood has a “College Bound” program, where you get a full ride college scholarship in exchange for 40 hours of service at one of the city districts (parks, streets, wastewater). All you had to do was 1) live in the city and 2) graduate high school with a 2.0 GPA
I ended up getting hired for the entire summer at one of the districts because we got along well, but they would give me fellow college goers who needed their 40 hours to supervise for the week.
Getting work out of these morons was impossible. Same girl shows up two days in a row to the waste water district in shorts and flip flops, despite being told the first day that was not correct attire. Another guy kvetching that he wasn’t getting paid so he shouldn’t have to work hard (do the math on 40 hours versus a full ride - I’ve never been paid more than that week). Several would chronically show up late.
I don’t think some people are cut out for humility, and nothing will change that. My answer was to send them out weeding along the greenhouses where I knew there was stinging nettle everywhere. The girl in the shorts and flip flops got a few hours of weed whacking along a gravel drive.
Same with Crazy at the barn - “My farrier works for ME”. She will never change that mindset.
ETA: I should say that once in a BLUE MOON someone would come along that was actually a help for the week. But, I’d say easily 80% of the people who walked in for the 40 hours were absolutely worthless.
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I’m giving “lessons” to a young girl with some serious fear issues due to coming off a horse in a different lesson program. I’m enjoying it for now, but she is a real challenge with her panic attacks at anything more than a slow walk with me next to her. Hoping we find the breakthrough you did!
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I hope you have a breakthrough too! That fear is understandable and so hard to shake
Full ride for all four years??? Seriously??
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Yep! Our “reward” for growing up in the hood lol.
Had to be an instate school. Otherwise, no restriction.
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perhaps a new group of friends ?! with friends like those ??? well … you know …
while one can not pick her/his family …but
one can pick her/his friends … and her/his nose !
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I’m a bit slower on the (with)draw here 
I’ve known this group for a little over 4yrs.
Hungry for horsefriends, I overlooked things. Both horse-related & not.
But peeking behind the curtain is getting to me & I’ve begun curtailing interactions.
Shame, as 1 of the 4 is mostly nice & 1 is relatable, mostly.
Of the other 2, 1 is just Off (borderline ADD) & the other is a toxic hot mess.
Overall, I’m finding they are not a great fit.
Sigh… Life can be disappointing.
OTOH, some Driving Club friends are becoming closer.
Overall horse knowledge & practices align closer to mine.
Hoping this alliance will work better 
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Same. Sometimes you gotta test the waters and see. I had hoped a friend down the road when I moved would be a good horsey friend but I don’t think the fit is right. It’s ok to move on!
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New rumor about me from Crazy.
My boyfriend has a horse, but he won’t board it at the same place I have mine, and instead boards down the road.
Boyfriend’s back is too bad to ride. He never comes to the barn because he is busy with his dogs. She’s never even seen him before.
Don’t know why some people get off on this stuff but whatever. I told the “informant” to tell Crazy he boards there because we have an open relationship (joking, of course).
People. Ugh.
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Why feed the troll? 
OTOH, you could tell informant Crazy & BF are having an affair, which your open relationship allows 
Might make Crazy’s 
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If they are talking about what you are not doing, it means they are not talking about what you are doing! 
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yeah, some people are just pieces of human trash who delight in trying to ''get one over" on someone. It won’t change my behavior in taking accountability for my actions and pride in my work.
Most of the time the shysters are easy to spot. When I worked at Pottery Barn at a mall in a VERY wealthy area, a middle-aged woman was raising a fuss about trying to return some curtains she claimed she purchased at Pottery Barn. Problem was, the curtains she had were never, at any point, sold by PB. She had stuffed some random curtains into a PB package, and of course had no receipt. The key was just to outlast her, no matter how she huffed and stomped her feet, I was not taking those curtains back. She threatened and cajoled, and demanded my manager, who fortunately had my back and also refused to take the curtains back. She left in a huff proclaiming how she and all of her friends would never shop there again. I said that was just fine by me.
If you have ever seen those shows on TLC like “extreme cheapskates” I almost think there is a bit of a mental health component to this need to get the best stuff, or lie to get things for free. Some people are obsessed with trying to get stuff for free and get a rise from abusing corporate policies (like buying a big screen TV for a super bowl party knowing full well that you will be returning it the next day) and - even if they don’t want or use it, they just want the thrill of a deal. Then you have straight up grifters, but that is a slightly different kettle of fish.
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Those people that return clothing that has been clearly used and abused. And swear it was that way when they got it. Ok, if it offends you now why did it not offend you yesterday when you bought it?
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Not sure if this is a daily dumb but thought I’d relate. I was in a tack shop and ran into someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. We were both on line to check out and chatted about our ponies and where we were working now. When she was done, she just turned and left without a backward glance and I was in mid-sentence too. 
I think she was out the day they handed out social graces.
Did I smell? I showered that morning so that couldn’t have been it. Bad breath? Obnoxious bodily emissions? Did the fact that I no longer worked where she thought I did offend her?
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That happened to me at a horse show/cutting.
This lady I have known well long time, daughter of someone we did business with forever, was walking by with two others when she saw me, came over to say hi! and was talking away, I was responding politely, when she turned around and walked off, other two following her, leaving me there without having finished the conversation.
A bit later saw her and I guess she had one more drink and it was obvious why she was so … detached.
It was mid morning also, why I didn’t catch right away what was going on.
Appropriating this thread once more 
So, the COVID Sorority is bending CDC guidelines to suit themselves.
Of the 3* who tested positive:
#1 - tested + Saturday 11/6
She has allowed herself to return to the barn. So in contact with boarders = The Public.
Masked, but short of the Isolation recommended for those who had symptoms.
#2 - tested + Monday 11/8
Had multiple symptoms, mostly respiratory.
Tomorrow she is going back to work.
Driving a bus full of grade school kids.
Masked because the school requires it, but still short of 14 days.
#3 - tested + Wednesday 11/10
Still having symptoms - productive cough & diarrhea.
Returning to work this Wednesday.
“My 10 days end then”
Small office, but all public contact.
I assume she will mask.
Still short of 10 day minimum for isolation w/o symptoms.
I give up.
**there’s a 4th, toxic b*tch, tested + Friday
Do not give an Eff what she does or does not do
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Yowza.
What a selfish bitch.
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