September 12th is planned as my next trip to LA.

That said, I take my roomie to SFO on August 16th where she departs for Mexico. After that??? I'm kinda open to suggestions.

Why do people ask for your help or guidance on an issue and then argue with you about the guidance or help you offer?

After long experience that I generally end up forgetting about when it would most help me, I'd say the answer is because when most people ask for help or advice they don't really want help or advice. They want sympathy or reassurance.

(And you realize the nature of your question means you can't argue with any answers?)

Thank you Alex. I was truly wondering why someone would come up to me and say "I was wondering if I could get your guidance... I am going to be doing xyz training and I don't know what I need to do to set it up..." So I told her to 1) make sure our training dept is in the loop and 2) send in a request for the equipment for the date you need it. Which she promptly started arguing about not needing to let training know what she was doing and why she didn't need to request the equipment.

/rolleyes.

Because it is fun.

A lesson I have actually learned. Sometimes, what I do instead is ask questions. I've learned to be careful in making sure my questions aren't too leading to any conclusion. I find that once people can have the stuff in their subconscious brought into their conscious (I know, so Freudian), it really does go a long way in others solving their own problems, finding their own support or even changing their mind. I try to do that while remaining supportive.

Because, yeah, most people really don't want to get advice. It's why few people will ever hear me ask for advice. I only ask when I really need it. If I need to vent, I spell it out and let them know that I just need to get it out. What's irritating is when I don't want advice, specifically request that none be given, and then hear it anyway. But, I guess I have to recognize that by even venting - I am inviting (in a way) anything that might come.

But that's why few people ever hear me vent and even fewer are sought out by me for advice.

ETA: Sorry if this is disjointed or not making much sense. I'm in class and being bad on teh intrawebs.

Does this look infected?

Let me taste it and I can tell for sure.

How pathetic do you have to be to ask us to reimburse you for airfare we paid directly on your behalf?

Because it leads to a greater understanding.