Archive through June 22, 2002
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The ClubHouse: Archives: Are you late?: Archive through June 22, 2002

Moondance

Thursday, June 20, 2002 - 10:55 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Pamy... GREAT story!

Weinermr

Thursday, June 20, 2002 - 11:16 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm late coming to this thread, so that tells you something right there!

I make an enormous effort to be EXACTLY on time to things. I HATE to be early, hate to be late. As a result, I am either on time, or slightly late, because all kinds of unexpected things happen to throw off my exact timing. More often than not, I'm on time, but *$&% happens, and it slows me down. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Urgrace

Thursday, June 20, 2002 - 11:27 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Pamy, I couldn't help but think your mother was laughing at the poignancy of your story. It's better to remember someone with a smile.

On time, yes and no. Sometimes early, sometimes at the bell, and sometimes late. My dh looks at the clock which could say five minutes after the hour and reads it as almost the following hour (5:05 is almost 6:00) which drives me crazy!

Tess

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 12:35 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Pamy, I love the story about your mom.

I'm almost never late. I detest being late and it causes me more stress that most anything else. I can't say that being late causes my little family any stress at all which is why I can only say I'm ALMOST never late. When it's just me I'm either a minute or two early or just on the dot. When I have to rely on someone else........ <sigh>

Christina

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 04:33 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I am always early....like I am waiting long enough that I start thinking too much. Things like...maybe we arent meeting here. I usually have way too much time to waste. On the other side. If I am late....I am so disorganised. My best friend is usually really late. If I wait too long, I let her have it....allthough it hasnt changed a thing. I lived with her for years and she was always running out the door with her employees waiting for her to open the store. I think after a few years this was one of the things to help make the decision to lay her off. She always had a puff of smoke left behind cuz she was racing from one place to another and obviously never had time to put the time in to finish what was started. Even last weekend, the nite before I got married, I hated to see my hubby leave(nite before) Cheryl said she would be here at 6. We had big plans....foot soaks and such.....9 she shows up. I have been on my own for 2 and half hours and CRAZY. I thought this was rude!

Teatime

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 04:51 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Pamy, that was a great story!

I am a stickler for being on time, so I am 5-20 minutes early for virtually everything. (See what I mean? 5-20 minutes early is the SAME as on time for me!)
Arriving late is not worth the stress it causes me, so I avoid it if possible. I will show up to a meeting with damp hair or the wrong shoes, but by golly I am sitting there with my necessary paperwork and extra pens!

Gail

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 05:00 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I am almost never late. I can't even remember being late to anything this year. I usually allow enough time to arrive 10 minutes early for appointments. I don't think I have ever walked into a movie theater after the previews or movie started.

Now, if I am supposed to be somewhere (like a dinner reservation, movie, office party etc) where there is a set start time and someone else is doing the driving and they are late, I will definitely stress out. Especially if it is something where being late means you get a bad seat (or have to sit apart) or have to stand or even might not get in.

When I had surgery in January, the surgery time was 7:30 - I had to be at the clinic at 06:30. My neighbors know the drill - same place as the other three surgeries it takes at least 35 minutes to get there - Dede knows if I have to be there at 6:30, I would want to be there at 6:15 or earlier (she stresses like me). For my last surgery, her husband had to drive me in. We told him that I had to be there at 6 am so I would be sure to be there on time (I got there at 6:15). He drives kind of slow and nothing stresses him out.

One of my biggest pet peeves is if I have an appointment at say . .. . 10 am and I show up at 9:50 and the person who had the 9:30 appointment shows up at 9:50 also and I have to wait because they were late.

Resortgirl

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 06:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm always early... I get so anxious to be wherever it is I'm supposed to be. I also do not like to feel rushed in traffic so I allow myself plenty of time for any circumstance so I don't have to break the speed limit or stress about being late. If we are going to someones house for a gathering you will normally see us circling the block about 10 times. I've learned to do that because our hosts seem to get a little uptight when we arrive before they have showered or dressed for the occasion..LOL

When I worked for other companies, they always loved me because I was there, ready to work at least 20 minutes beforehand.

It really drives me nuts when people are late...since I'm ready about an hour ahead of time, if they are even 10 minutes late I feel as if I've been waiting for them for an hour and 10 minutes.

Neko

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 06:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Hmmm.... I don't make many actual timed plans so I'm usually not late.

I give myself two hours in the morning to get ready, probabaly because I just stand in the shower for about 15 minutes *before* I actually start to Shower.

Since I have to catch a Metro Transit bus to school, I know I have to be there before it comes or I'll be late.
I've been late a few times but it's nothing compared to other people I know

Oh..and about me being the last person to post in this thread (As of now), I'm not late...I'm fashionably lateneko

Pamy

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 09:28 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks, yes my Mom and I were like sisters, crazy sisters, we always had fun. She didn't want her funeral to be sad, she wanted it to be like a party, so people got up and told funny stories they remembered about her during it, I told this one...The nite before she died I slept in the bed with her and she said thanks for sleeping with me tonite, and I said, "if I had a dime for everytime I heard that!" without missing a beat she said 'and you would still be broke!!!!'

Juju2bigdog

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 10:00 am EditMoveDeleteIP
The corporate culture of the agency I worked for was that if you were not five minutes early, you were late. I tend to show up exactly on time, like to the second, certainly within 60 seconds of being early or 30 seconds of being late. Imagine my surprise before I learned of the corporate culture, and I was detailed to a management position at HQ. I showed up to a meeting one minute early and was told I was late. I told off the boss. I decided not to apply for jobs at HQ after my detail was over.

Micknrc

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 10:55 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm ALWAYS early. end of story.

Rissa

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 11:39 am EditMoveDeleteIP
If I ever start a thread titled 'Sympathy for a new divorcee please' you will know it's because of my hubby's lateness. It drives me nuts ! The aggravating part is that he does it on purpose because he hates waiting for OTHER people. ARGHH I am like Juju, if it says 5 pm then I am walking in at 5 pm on the dot. Hubby will show up at about 5:10 so he doesn't have to wait for the stragglers. I could care less about his doing it to other people {G} but he does it to ME!!!! We will make plans to meet for dinner and there I am with three hyper children who always need to run to the bathroom 2 seconds in the door and want to begin eating immediately and we have to wait for him. And he has no intention of changing and feels no guilt. He says that he didn't rush on the chance that I was late.. he wouldn't want to just stand there. Can I say ARGHHH again? LOL

His whole family is like that. We joke that we tell them to arrive an hour earlier then we want them to actually show up, so we don't sit around swearing at the door. LOL And my family isn't much better. A couple years ago my sister invited us over for a BBQ. At the appointed time there we all were (18 of us) standing at her front door and she and he husband were not even home, they were out at garage sales and didn't arrive for a good 45 minutes. We didn't get so much as an apology or a guilty look either, what we got (seriously) was a slightly annoyed look and the comment "Well, WHO shows up exactly on time anyway?" {sigh}

Oregonfire

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 01:05 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
This is the MOST amusing thread...Kudos to Donut for coming up with it! Thanks everyone for your stories. Maybe it's because this is a topic that EVERYONE can relate to! (umm...haven't been to the exercise/diet threads in months...

Bigfan

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 01:38 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I would have to say that Max and I could be friends! I'm an on time gal! If its a meeting or appointment, I'll be there when said and if you even think your time is more valuable than mine, well, I'll stop there. Now if its a party or dinner at someone's home, I am always about 5 to 10 min. late so the hostess in not going nuts because their not finished with something. I was raised with 10 minute grace arrival late was fashionable.

If we are saying that late to bed people tend to be the late people, well that is not the case with me. I can stay up FOREVER and I hate to get up early but I did learn to tell time and I get up in enough time to have my "space out" time and time to get ready.

Time wasted is....wasted!! =)

Theowl

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 03:19 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm hardly ever late for anything when I drive, because I allow time for tractors carrying hay, cattle, or pigs. I do live in Tennessee, after all. I'm usually early for Dr. appts., which is kinda stupid, cause you never get in to see the Dr. at the appointed time, anyway!!

Tess

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 04:07 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I make a extra point to be right on time or a couple minutes for my doctor appointments (the ones with my internist) because he NEVER keeps me waiting even if they are just fitting me into the schedule as a last minute double-booking. He's the only doctor I've ever met who is always right on time or ahead of schedule no matter what. Amazing! :)

Jbean

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 06:12 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
late almost every day to work. i just can't seem to move quickly in the mornings. doesn't matter how early i get up or if i do things to prepare the night before. social occasions....like going out with friends, etc, i am usually right on time or a few minutes early.....unless it's in the morning. i guess i am not so much a morning person!

Knightpatti

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 07:51 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Being late causes me too much stress, so I am usually on time or early. My best girlfriend in HS was always late and so was her family. It never bothered them, but I could never be comfortable arriving late anywhere. I think it is because you are in the spotlight when you arrive late and definitely noticed. I prefer not be in the spotlight or ever having to explain the WHYs.

Donut

Friday, June 21, 2002 - 08:21 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
thanks for the great stories Pamy!(and everyone)
now i must sneak out of here,before someone hits me over the head with an alarm clock....
Its funny tho, yesterday, the first archive filled quickly with a lot of late types, and now the latecomers to the thread seem to primarily be the early types...

Sia

Saturday, June 22, 2002 - 03:36 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Donut, maybe because the chronically-late know it, admit it, and wanted to confess it to be free of the GUILT associated with always being late?

This is such a supportive, analytical group. Tell me if I acted childishly or if I did the right thing yesterday at the library, please: because I didn't make a FREE local telephone call on Wednesday to renew my (5) videotapes (none of which is a "hot, current release,") I was charged $15 in late fees when I returned the movies yesterday. I asked for a "good-citizen's discount" (some of the librarians will excuse all or part of your late fee if you had a good reason for being late--and sometimes just because they like you) but was refused, so I handed the woman back the books I'd special-ordered and was picking up and told my children to take their video selections back to the movie stacks.

I am returning the rest of my library books this morning before the library opens. I have supported that library monetarily with donations and memorial book purchases, as a volunteer, and have brought my children to every activity that has been held there for the past four years. Free public service, my foot! What is your opinion?

Sunshinemiss

Saturday, June 22, 2002 - 05:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Well, late to this thread, but in "real life" normally about 15 minutes early. USED to be chronically 30 minutes late, always, until I had my son, then I had to build in a cushion of time to allow for the time to get a child ready, and for some reason that cured me. Or perhaps I just learned to allow enough time. Who knows.

Now if it is a voluntary (i.e., not work or time-sensitive) activity, then I will occasionally indulge myself in tardiness or even skip it entirely. Life is too short!

Great story, Pamy.

Sia, I understand your frustration, if it were a business they certainly should have accomodated you, but a public institution is less likely to be customer service oriented (less to lose, from their point of view anyway) and as it is non profit, late fees are a primary source of funding. You are well within your rights to express your dissatisfaction in the way you did, maybe they will rethink their policy.

Great idea for a thread, Donut, as usual!

Whit4you

Saturday, June 22, 2002 - 06:50 am EditMoveDeleteIP
LOL Cute topic> I was peeking in to see who was prego.

I'm ALWAYS early. No idea if it is something latent from my childhood or what but I mean anywhere I've ever worked if I'm not there by 20 minutes prior to my shift they think something is wrong (seriously)
Same with doc visits or anything of any importance, I'm always TOO early.

For things that aren't really important I'm usually there 10 or so minutes early not 20ish.

I really dont know why its something deep inside me not really something I have control over.

As far as other people being late - that drives me NUTS! LOL. Specially when they are late to a job when they are needed there on time.

Honestly I dont know how I'd manage if I worked in a city like LA or Seattle cause the reason I'm always 20 minutes early is I plan for the 'what if's" - what if I hit every light...what if I get a flat tire..what if my battery is dead, or my car wont start. In a city like LA or Seattle - I'd end up having to leave for work 3 hours before work for a 45 minute commute LOL or I'd have to learn to be like the majority of the world and be able to be late now and then I guess.

Now these people who set their clocks ahead so they wont be late?!?!?! You guys are truely certifiable :) YOU know the clock is set ahead!!!
So you just plan it that way "the clock is 5 minutes fast so I still have time" - the only way this 'clock ahead" scheme would really work is if YOU didnt know it! LOL

Anyhow - for all of you who have never experienced it being too early all the time comes with it's own set of problems and challenges lol.

Rissa

Saturday, June 22, 2002 - 10:19 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Whit {sigh}, that ends any potentional at a budding friendship. LOL I am one of those wwo sets the alarm ahead by ten minutes or so. I am NOT a morning person, takes me half an hour of whacking the snooze button to even realize I have been doing it. In that state of mind, I really do not remember that it's set ahead. And what I do is ask hubby for an approximation of what time it is, then set the clock somewhere around that number. So I truly do go a week or so without having a clue whether my clock is actually ahead or behind. LOL Sad, I know.

Lancecrossfire

Saturday, June 22, 2002 - 11:17 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I try to be on time (and succeed about 95%). I'd much rather be early than late.