Annoying!

Barbee · March 15, 2009

How come ya got them lights so close?

Everyone that visits the basement asks me this question!
When I try to explain why, then I get this one.....

How do you see the plants? How do you water them?

Answer: You squat down to see the plants. Or you pull the tray out and look. When I want to water, I pull the tray out and water it, then put the tray back under the lights.

Sometimes I think it might be easier to post a little sign on the lights or something.

My sister asks these same questions every single time she visits. Like 2x a week! I'm trying to decide if she has selective memory....or I'm not giving her the answers she wants to hear. Maybe I'll ask her that every time she visits

rnewste · March 15, 2009

Barbee,

Simple solution: LOCK the basement door (or tell her there is a MOUSE down there!).

Ray

Barbee · March 15, 2009

Ha! The mouse idea just might work! Or a snake! No, not a snake. I'd hate to jinx myself

rxkeith · March 15, 2009

is your sister 4 years old?

that sounds like my son some times. he can ask the same question over and over again, especially if he doesn't like the answer.

you could tailor your answers to the degree of interest the people are showing in your set up. if their eyes start to glaze over or they start looking away, time to move on. you may have an opportunity to inoculate some one else with the gardening bug.

keith

Barbee · March 15, 2009

Keith,
My sister is just a bit older than 4.......like 54 years older

Maybe she's got the Benjamin Button thang going on?

No doubt you're right about tailoring the answers. To most around here, a tomato is a tomato. A celebrity or something similar.
Today's questions from my neighbors who stopped in:
Wow, them's some big tomato cages! How come they're so big? To hold the tomatoes.
Tomatoes don't get that big...I've never seen a tomato get that big. Are you sure they'll get that big? Yep, they'll get that big and probably even bigger.
Then they look at me like I have 3 heads and say...I'm coming down to see those tomatoes this summer. I never heard of a tomato getting that big LoLoL, now you watch, I'll have the worst year ever for tomatoes!

Polar_Lace · March 16, 2009

I'd go totally bonkers and tell her I'm growing a secret government plant in the basement, or maybe some 'Pods.' How about some man eating plants - Ala 'little shop of horrors!' That'd keep her out of the basement.

You can also tell her that it's a cover up for a bomb shelter! LOL!

(Remember those?)

~* Robin

habitat_gardener · March 16, 2009

Try giving her a different answer every time she asks. Say it with a straight face, then change the subject. Try for more outlandish each time, until she stops asking and looks at you funny when she visits.

"How come ya got them lights so close?"

Because their little arms are so short.
They're hungry for light and pull it close.
It needs to be in slurping distance so their little tongues can reach it, that's all they eat at this stage.
To keep the darkness from swallowing them up.
To keep the basement gremlins away.

"How do you see the plants? How do you water them?"

They tell me when they need water. I hear them calling me.
Oh, I let the elves take care of that. [NPR had a story about elves in Iceland.]
They just grow a tendril and tap into the pipes when they're thirsty.

newatthiskat · March 16, 2009

You could put a poster on the wall explaining why the lights are so close. I like habitat_gardener's answers. Put them on paper and laminate. Everytime she or other's ask just point to the poster and tell them to pick an answer they like! you could also make a voice recording and play it for anyone that is asking.

Kat

rnewste · March 16, 2009

kat,

I still think "there's a mouse in the basement" is the simplest response. I keep the Dear Wife out of my "Man Cave" with that line.

Ray

newatthiskat · March 16, 2009

Ray I would not let a little ole thing like a mouse keep me out of anywhere! I always thought that if i had a house with a basement I would call it the Kat Cave!

Kat

stormymater · March 16, 2009

"Because their little arms are so short."

Barbee · March 16, 2009

Look!! Here's a little exploding smiley face. That's what I felt like this weekend.
Today, I'm feeling much better. I think I will start throwing out the most outrageous answers I can think of. This could be fun

svalli · March 16, 2009

I would use the outrageous answers.

I'm sorry to go out of topic, but this story kinda fits here. I had heard many people being called from some company, which sells panties. If you agree to get the first ones from them, they will send you new ones each month and getting rid of this 'club' is quite difficult. These are just normal panties, not any Victoria's Secret stuff. One day I did receive the call saying that I have been selected to receive five high quality panties at a low introductory price. I told the lady on the line that I do not wear any, so they would not be useful for me; she hung up. Next day I got an other call from same company, but a different person on the line. This time I told that I wear only my husband's longjohns. They have not called me since that.

Barbee · March 16, 2009

Svalli, that made me giggle.

Of all the jobs, I think I'd hate being a telemarketer worst of all. I know I am rude to them and I imagine lots of people are.
I always wanted to start telling them this big long list of complaints when they start the conversation by asking :How you doing today?"
Oh my back hurts and I have an eye infection. My heart's giving out and I can't breathe too well. You know, on and on, so they can't get another word in. Wouldn't that be just too fun

Polar_Lace · March 16, 2009

Barbee, you crack me up. LOL!

That would be so funny to do!

~* Robin

March 15, 2009	#1
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Annoying! How come ya got them lights so close? Everyone that visits the basement asks me this question! When I try to explain why, then I get this one..... How do you see the plants? How do you water them? Answer: You squat down to see the plants. Or you pull the tray out and look. When I want to water, I pull the tray out and water it, then put the tray back under the lights. Sometimes I think it might be easier to post a little sign on the lights or something. My sister asks these same questions every single time she visits. Like 2x a week! I'm trying to decide if she has selective memory....or I'm not giving her the answers she wants to hear. Maybe I'll ask her that every time she visits __________________ *Barbee*

March 15, 2009	#3
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Ha! The mouse idea just might work! Or a snake! No, not a snake. I'd hate to jinx myself __________________ *Barbee*

March 15, 2009	#5
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Keith, My sister is just a bit older than 4.......like 54 years older Maybe she's got the Benjamin Button thang going on? No doubt you're right about tailoring the answers. To most around here, a tomato is a tomato. A celebrity or something similar. Today's questions from my neighbors who stopped in: Wow, them's some big tomato cages! How come they're so big? To hold the tomatoes. Tomatoes don't get that big...I've never seen a tomato get that big. Are you sure they'll get that big? Yep, they'll get that big and probably even bigger. Then they look at me like I have 3 heads and say...I'm coming down to see those tomatoes this summer. I never heard of a tomato getting that big LoLoL, now you watch, I'll have the worst year ever for tomatoes! __________________ *Barbee*

March 16, 2009	#6
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	I'd go totally bonkers and tell her I'm growing a secret government plant in the basement, or maybe some 'Pods.' How about some man eating plants - Ala 'little shop of horrors!' That'd keep her out of the basement. You can also tell her that it's a cover up for a bomb shelter! LOL! (Remember those?) ~* Robin __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.

March 16, 2009	#7
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	Try giving her a different answer every time she asks. Say it with a straight face, then change the subject. Try for more outlandish each time, until she stops asking and looks at you funny when she visits. "How come ya got them lights so close?" Because their little arms are so short. They're hungry for light and pull it close. It needs to be in slurping distance so their little tongues can reach it, that's all they eat at this stage. To keep the darkness from swallowing them up. To keep the basement gremlins away. "How do you see the plants? How do you water them?" They tell me when they need water. I hear them calling me. Oh, I let the elves take care of that. [NPR had a story about elves in Iceland.] They just grow a tendril and tap into the pipes when they're thirsty. Last edited by habitat_gardener; March 16, 2009 at 01:35 AM. Reason: had to add the thing about the elves

March 15, 2009	#2
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	Barbee, Simple solution: LOCK the basement door (or tell her there is a MOUSE down there!). Ray

March 15, 2009	#4
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,848	is your sister 4 years old? that sounds like my son some times. he can ask the same question over and over again, especially if he doesn't like the answer. you could tailor your answers to the degree of interest the people are showing in your set up. if their eyes start to glaze over or they start looking away, time to move on. you may have an opportunity to inoculate some one else with the gardening bug. keith

March 16, 2009	#8
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	reply You could put a poster on the wall explaining why the lights are so close. I like habitat_gardener's answers. Put them on paper and laminate. Everytime she or other's ask just point to the poster and tell them to pick an answer they like! you could also make a voice recording and play it for anyone that is asking. Kat

March 16, 2009	#10
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	Reply Ray I would not let a little ole thing like a mouse keep me out of anywhere! I always thought that if i had a house with a basement I would call it the Kat Cave! Kat

March 16, 2009	#11
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	"Because their little arms are so short."

March 16, 2009	#13
svalli Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Vaasa, Finland, latitude N 63° Posts: 838	I would use the outrageous answers. I'm sorry to go out of topic, but this story kinda fits here. I had heard many people being called from some company, which sells panties. If you agree to get the first ones from them, they will send you new ones each month and getting rid of this 'club' is quite difficult. These are just normal panties, not any Victoria's Secret stuff. One day I did receive the call saying that I have been selected to receive five high quality panties at a low introductory price. I told the lady on the line that I do not wear any, so they would not be useful for me; she hung up. Next day I got an other call from same company, but a different person on the line. This time I told that I wear only my husband's longjohns. They have not called me since that. __________________ "I only want to live in peace, plant potatoes and dream." - Moomin-troll by Tove Jansson

March 16, 2009	#14
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Svalli, that made me giggle. Of all the jobs, I think I'd hate being a telemarketer worst of all. I know I am rude to them and I imagine lots of people are. I always wanted to start telling them this big long list of complaints when they start the conversation by asking :How you doing today?" Oh my back hurts and I have an eye infection. My heart's giving out and I can't breathe too well. You know, on and on, so they can't get another word in. Wouldn't that be just too fun __________________ *Barbee*

March 16, 2009	#15
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	Barbee, you crack me up. LOL! That would be so funny to do! ~* Robin __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.