Step Chat - a safe place where stepparents can vent » Hello Step Chatters, how the heck

AgedOut · 8/12/2025 12:58 pm

are you doing??

Not him or her, not them or BM/BD/SKs.
You. How the heck are you???

(my first post here. Cool beans eh?)

Kes · 8/12/2025 2:47 pm

I'm very well, as I hope you are! I imagine the place will start to fill up over the next few days and weeks! ;-)

Aniki-Moderator · 8/12/2025 3:34 pm

Meh. Sitting here in the doctor's office. Never a fan. I think I deserve ice cream!

Very cool beans!

I'm hoping people will copy/paste things from the other site that they deem helpful or relevant!

Rumplestiltskin · 8/12/2025 8:15 pm

I’m good (outside of stepsh!t)! Thanks for making this site!

AgedOut · 8/13/2025 6:21 am

Aniki-Moderator wrote:
Meh. Sitting here in the doctor's office. Never a fan. I think I deserve ice cream!

Very cool beans!

I'm hoping people will copy/paste things from the other site that they deem helpful or relevant!

I hope you got your ice cream.
We had baseball last night again 1pm game today then Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday ..off Monday then we do it all over again. Minor league baseball, we're season seat holders.

Aniki-Moderator · 8/13/2025 6:46 am

AgedOut wrote:
Aniki-Moderator wrote:
Meh. Sitting here in the doctor's office. Never a fan. I think I deserve ice cream!

Very cool beans!

I'm hoping people will copy/paste things from the other site that they deem helpful or relevant!
I hope you got your ice cream.
We had baseball last night again 1pm game today then Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday ..off Monday then we do it all over again. Minor league baseball, we're season seat holders.

I did NOT get my ice cream - had a glass of Zinfandel instead!

I like baseball, but haven't been to a game in years.

AgedOut · 8/13/2025 9:02 am

Aniki-Moderator wrote:
AgedOut wrote:
Aniki-Moderator wrote:
Meh. Sitting here in the doctor's office. Never a fan. I think I deserve ice cream!

Very cool beans!

I'm hoping people will copy/paste things from the other site that they deem helpful or relevant!
I hope you got your ice cream.
We had baseball last night again 1pm game today then Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday ..off Monday then we do it all over again. Minor league baseball, we're season seat holders.
I did NOT get my ice cream - had a glass of Zinfandel instead!

I like baseball, but haven't been to a game in years.

A few years back we had gone to a game or two but higher up in the sections. I asked if we could sit down in the premium seats just once because I loved that they all were like a little family. We did, there were seats available in our section and we never left. We sit third base side, and now we own the seats right at the dugout so it's pretty cool. The two week home stands like the one we're in now really do start to make us a bit loopy. August tends to get pretty hot.

stepcreaturesonly · 8/15/2025 9:56 am

Me? Average. But about to sleep and not setting ANY sat morning alarm. Mmmm. Sleep in….

Merry · 8/15/2025 9:57 am

Hi! I like our new “home.”

All fine here in the Merry household. I might even leave the house today. I’ve become such a recluse since retirement and I alternately love it and hate it.

Aniki-Moderator · 8/15/2025 10:40 am

Merry wrote:
Hi! I like our new “home.”

All fine here in the Merry household. I might even leave the house today. I’ve become such a recluse since retirement and I alternately love it and hate it.

I've become much more unsociable since the pandemic. TBH, it was actually a relief to not have to attend gatherings.

grannyd · 8/17/2025 5:37 pm

Hello, my Dahlinks! I'm very excited about our new site and can't wait to engage with my old pals in a new way. Ani, may we swear a little bit, without getting warned or banned? Just asking, Heh, Heh.
I really love the new auto-correct! Wow! The new smileys are also grand. Oh, Ani, you are such a STAR!

Aniki-Moderator · 8/17/2025 6:44 pm

grannyd wrote:
Hello, my Dahlinks! I'm very excited about our new site and can't wait to engage with my old pals in a new way. Ani, may we swear a little bit, without getting warned or banned? Just asking, Heh, Heh.
I really love the new auto-correct! Wow! The new smileys are also grand. Oh, Ani, you are such a STAR!

A little swearing won't hurt anyone!

StandingStrong · 8/19/2025 8:31 pm

Hey!! So glad to have a new home!!! All is well here. Hot as hell but that's about it.

Yesterdays · 8/21/2025 9:31 am

Everything is good here. Happy to have a new site set up to continue venting on. My daughter is off to university soon and hubby's kids are in the city already settled in and of course DH is waiting on some info from them before he can figure out all the financials. My daughter is also being painfully slow..

Heading on a road trip soon to northern Quebec hope to see the northern lights!!

Aniki-Moderator · 8/21/2025 9:41 am

Yesterdays wrote:
Heading on a road trip soon to northern Quebec hope to see the northern lights!!

I hope you get a good light show! Not too long ago, we had such a showing of green, that it looked like an alien world. It was really cool!

ClassyNJ · 8/21/2025 2:31 pm

Helloo!! Thanks Aniki!!!

Have to take time getting used to new format

Aniki-Moderator · 8/21/2025 3:29 pm

ClassyNJ wrote:
Helloo!! Thanks Aniki!!!

Have to take time getting used to new format

Happy to see you here, Classy!

StandingStrong · 8/22/2025 1:46 pm

I can say, doing great!!! So glad we have this new site...thank you, Aniki!!

We had our rental property destroyed by tenants. Have finished the remodel and put it on the market. Under contract in FIVE days! Everything should go smoothly so that headache will be removed from my life shortly.

No SK issues to report and I doubt there will be much in my future. I've made a couple attempts to take the "high road" and they were both rebuffed so I'm back to "civil and superficial," and only having contact with DHs kids when they come to see him.

Happy weekend to all!

Tryingjusttrying · 8/22/2025 1:49 pm

Good time for a check in thread. Glad to see the usual suspects.
Thanks Aniki for this site. I've read a few threads, this is my first post. Going back and forth between here and there until there is no more there...

Merrigan · 8/22/2025 2:26 pm

Woooooooooo!!!! I made it!

caninelover · 8/23/2025 9:01 am

All is good, and I made it too 🙂

Aniki-Moderator · 8/23/2025 10:07 am

I'm so happy to see everyone!

TheAccidentalSM · 8/28/2025 5:22 am

Hi all. Glad to be here. Life is fine. Just back from a trip with DH. We had wine, amazing food and culture plus shopping 🛍️. Bliss

PetSpoiler · 8/28/2025 9:37 am

I’m cold but I’m not complaining. I live in the southeastern US so I am loving the break from the heat. I think I’m getting a cold though. My son is still so generous with his germs at 15 years old. He missed two days of school because of it so I hope I’m not getting what he had. He’s very good about going to school so for him to stay home, you know he was miserable.

I’ll be looking for a job next year and I’m not sure how I feel about that. Part of me wants to because I see the financial benefits of it but the other part is like nope. I have enjoyed being home and my husband has enjoyed it too because I take care of everything here. I’ve enjoyed not dealing with people too much and being able to nope out of being around them. I also worry about being able to find someone who will give me a chance that isn’t a restaurant or retailer. I want to avoid those places. Either way it will be time, as my son will be getting his license and hopefully we can get him a car, which is part of the reason I’ll be looking for a job. Insurance is ridiculous! He will probably get a job too but I’m not sure when. He may wait until marching season is over next year. After that he will be expected to work for sure. He turns 16 in March. He has his permit now and if we go anywhere, he’s driving. He wants to. My car is a stick shift so he’s acquiring a skill that a lot of people his age and even people my age, don’t have. I’m rather proud of him. My husband teases me about having a chauffeur.

I’m sitting in my daughter’s room with the guinea pigs. Princess Chatty is in heat and being obnoxious. She’s absolutely tormenting Princess Two Face especially, but the Stinkeye Queen is getting it too. I wish we all had things as easy as these spoiled rotten guinea pigs do!

WanderLustre1066 · 8/28/2025 3:13 pm

I am doing...OK and it's good enough.

Thanks for asking <3

Clove · 8/29/2025 12:52 pm

Ive been going out during the weekends with friends - live music draws me. The anxiety has been there but it goes away eventually. And the company has been great. I still cry and miss him, but Im as they say "doing the time"...

Aniki-Moderator · 8/29/2025 1:04 pm

Clove wrote:
I still cry and miss him...

When you miss him, remember the horrible things he did and WHY you're alone and safe.

Sitka00 · 8/29/2025 1:44 pm

Yeah! I made it!! So happy we still have a place to vent and gather great feedback! I wish I had this when I first started my journey as a smom 6 years ago. Man! The things everyone has taught me have helped so much! Very grateful to still have this community.🥳🥳

Last edited by Sitka00 (8/29/2025 1:46 pm)

luvmylife · 8/31/2025 12:45 am

The newbie wave👋
I lurked on Steptalk for a good while, but found the format confusing so I was just a reader.

I’m a 32 & 1/2 year veteran of this step life. I was a lucky one whose DH’s children were grown when we started dating and then married. No child support and no contact with exW. His son was and still is a titty baby, but was always polite and my DH’s daughter was and still is awesome. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding and 31 years later I consider her one of my best friends. We do girls trips and family vacations together and socialize often with her and her husband. Luckily his son lives a few hours away and remains a titty baby (and lets his sister do all the taking care of their aging and unwell mother). He is a non factor in our life and except for 2 or 3 phone calls a year to my DH to talk about sports we really don’t hear from or see him. I like it that way and DH seems to be okay with it also. The last straw for DH was when his son’s grandmother (my MIL) he claimed to adore died and he couldn’t bother to leave his vacation 1 day early to attend her funeral. I really used to love his wife but she played a big part in them not coming to the funeral and I haven’t spoken to her in 2 years, nor do we talk to their grown daughter. I’m pretty easy going, but when you hurt my DH I’m not going to be quiet about how I feel about it.

We are in the process of downsizing/selling our house and building a home on the gulf coast. We sold our business and have been retired for about 10 years now, hence my name, luvmylife. I’m have a grown son who travels for work so don’t get to see him often which can sometimes be a good thing because we butt heads a lot, but I love him. He’s 46 and thinks I’m abandoning him because I’m moving 6 hours away. He and my DH have a good relationship and DH always tries to be the peacekeeper. No ex in the picture for me. He passed 13 years ago and even then we all had a friendly relationship as parents of a grown child.

oh well enough about me. Just wanted to give a little info because after lurking so long I feel like I know y’all.

Last edited by luvmylife (8/31/2025 12:45 am)

Aniki-Moderator · 8/31/2025 5:14 am

luvmylife wrote:
The newbie wave👋
I lurked on Steptalk for a good while, but found the format confusing so I was just a reader.

Welcome!!!