An email to the wrong Laura (me) from (an angry) Laura to (an irresponsible, transient) Laura

I received the following email this morning at 3:54 a.m. from a complete stranger (who has apparently been friends for 10 years with someone who has refused to give her an accurate email address – I can see why.)  I’m looking forward to crafting my response and have highlighted some of my favorite excerpts below.

Laura,

Well, since i can’t sleep worrying over what is going to transpire tomorrow when the neighbor report the dog incident, I thought i would take this opportunity to let you know how completely horrified I am about how things ended yesterday. Though I can’t imagine what you were thinking in taking the dog out at the exact time i asked you not to (and when the specific dog I warned about was out),

I can get over that and chalk it up to bad judgement and an unfortunate accident, though it will likely be a very expensive lesson for me.

What I can’t get over, is the fact that you left my house with dirty dishes in the sink, and no less then 10 bags of garbage upstairs and in the garage. To add insult to injury, when I asked if you would be taking them to recycling (since you had the truck and could do it in one trip), you said “I don’t want to go there” as if it were just too much of an inconvenience, not taking into consideration what an inconvenience it would be for me (or for anyone else for that matter).  Leaving Rochelle in charge of helping was no answer. She of course did not show up to take anything to recycling, which is now closed until Saturday, when I will be spending probably at least an hour hauling things back and forth because I cannot fit all of that in one trip. Thankfully I am getting the $20 back, because it will cost more than that to dump everything.

I spent 35 minutes this morning pulling all the trash to the front of the garage and putting in bags what was left outside in the rain, so that Rochelle could easily identify what needed to go. I then found two more full bags of trash upstairs.  I spent part of my lunch hour taking other things left in the garage to  goodwill.

While Nanette was kind enough today to call and ask when she might come over to clean upstairs, I don’t really want someone cleaning my upstairs. That was YOUR responsibility. I don’t want to have to be here to let her in and be left with coordinating when she can come and clean, etc. and it isn’t her job even if you did give her 20 dollars and a TV.

I guess what it boils down to is that I am truly hurt and offended at your lack of care or concern. After 10 years of friendship, this is what I’m left with? It’s super disappointing.

I got the feeling yesterday that you were just sort of washing your hands of things and off to a new start. That is great for you, but not so great for those of us left cleaning up the mess both literally and figuratively. I hope we can come to resolution in the future, as I hate throwing away friendships, but right now I am just truly hurt and needed to let you know so that I can try to go to sleep.

I do hope you have a good trip and arrive safely.

-Laura