This is probably going to be long and pointless, but I need to rant.
I have known "Lisa" since we were 14 years old and considered her a pretty good friend until about 4 years ago when I realized we'd grown so far apart that it was almost pointless to stay friends. We still talk 2-3 times per year, but I don't consider her close AT ALL and more like an acquaintance now.
Lisa has 2 daughters. She had the first daughter (now 16) when she was 16 years old. Lisa was from a really rough home life and no one was surprised when she got pregnant etc. However Lisa managed to "beat the odds" at the time, graduating from high school and tech school and then finding a relatively good job in the restaurant industry. She's been working for the same higher-end restaurant for many years now, minus a brief period when she and her then-DH lived in another state and she ran her own business. Lisa was a single mom for a very long time and then got married and had another daughter (now 8).
Lisa's whole life sort of fell apart when her marriage ended several years ago. She struggled with excess drinking for awhile and then kinda got out of that rut but is still somewhat destructive. For the past 5 years or so, Lisa has dated very sketchy men who are usually much older than she is (like 60's to her 32). Lisa had always been friends with this other girl "Ashley" (also our age, 32), but after the divorce she and Ashley became inseparable. Ashley does not have kids. Ashley lives with her parents and does not work. She constantly travels all over the USA, mostly to concerts and to the Hard Rock Cafe bar/restaurants, which to me sounds like an incredibly boring life (JMHO).
So Lisa & Ashley go on these road trips all of the time. They went to Las Vegas, Disney World, and Disneyland 2 years ago. When they got back she brought her daughters (6 and 14) gifts and photos of she & Ashley doing all of the fun Disney stuff. WTF!? I thought that was so messed up. The very idea of being a kid and your MOM going to BOTH Disneys and bringing u back a souvenir and photos is just mind-blowing to me. It didn't even seem to cross Lisa's mind that her kids might be sad/jealous of her trip.
Lisa is the type of person who makes enough money to pay her bills and is somewhat responsible, not in a lot of debt etc. I respect her a lot for that. *BUT* she is just not thinking of her daughters ahead of or even EQUAL TO herself and IMO that makes her a pretty crap parent. Lisa is always "surprised" by unexpected back to school and holiday expenses. I don't understand this, because in the state where we live school always starts at the end of August and kids always need clothes & school supplies. Lisa's daughter K is in 10th grade so she has had 11 years of this...she should know the drill! And yep, birthdays and Christmas come once per year like clockwork too. ARGH!
One of the main reasons I distanced myself from Lisa and her 2 daughters is because of gift giving. Every year since Lisa's daughters were born, I gave them nice gifts for their birthdays...dolls, toys, art sets, clothing, etc. I usually asked Lisa and she would tell me "K needs shoes, she really likes this certain pair" or "M loves anything with a penguin on it". I wasn't as involved in the little one's life as I'd been with the older daughter but I still tried to get them something nice.
Well time after time, I was annoyed because I would get the girls (K&M) these nice gifts, somewhere in the $15-50 range...and then at their birthday parties or around the same time, Ashley (Lisa's bff) would get them RIDICULOUS stuff...like an ipod, new comforter and curtains for their room, a bike, roller skates, etc. I think Ashley and her parents spent around $300 per girl on their birthdays (which happen to be 2 weeks apart).
Last year I didn't get either girl a birthday present. I just sent them a card. They came over to trick or treat me and the older girl, K, who was 15 and IMO should have known better manners...made sure to point out all of the stuff that Ashley bought her for her birthday. I caught the hint and I was totally irritated. I feel like Lisa has taught her girls to be materialistic and manipulative. You better believe I'll never buy them another gift, they will get cards or nothing.
One of my husband's friends was in a short relationship with Lisa about a year and a half ago. That whole situation was very awkward because I was really distancing myself from Lisa when they started seeing e/o, and it made things more difficult. But anyway, they broke up but remained friends and now this guy tells me some things that Lisa doesn't tell me. I really don't CARE what Lisa does but I guess a tiny part of me does.
Recently Lisa was in a car accident that was not her fault and she wound up getting a decent settlement (several thousand dollars) from the other person's insurance. It more than covered replacement of her car and with the rest she went on a shopping spree and extended road trip with Ashley, using up all of her vacation time at work. Then Lisa complained that she didn't have a lot of money for birthday gifts for her 2 girls (UGH) and that she wasn't allowed to take off the day before Halloween to decorate for her daughter K's Sweet Sixteen. Eye roll.
So anyway, K's Sweet Sixteen party was paid for entirely by K's father (who is in the picture and K lives with him half-time). Lisa made it look like she paid for it. I did not attend, although I was invited. Anyway, Lisa's ex-husband (who is not K's father but is the younger girl's dad) bought K a nice used car for her 16th birthday. IMO Lisa's ex is a really great person and Lisa screwed up their marriage. But it just boils my blood that Lisa is living such a fun life like she is a carefree teenager while these other people (her ex, Ashley and her parents, etc) pay for things that Lisa should be handling!!!
As I said, this was a long, pointless rant. But it just bugs me. I have next to no respect for Lisa.
Love 
