by Mary Adkins
All of which is to say, I was thrilled when Todd and Chad, the founders of the site on which your sister wrote, said they are interested in using her blog as part of their upcoming campaign for the site! Has Smith talked to you about that? Jeez, hopefully it isn’t too late. I think they were under time pressure. We will have to check with them to find out if it’s even still an option. Fingers crossed! I’ll reach out to them today and keep you posted.
Carl
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from:
[email protected]
to:
[email protected]
date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 10:40 AM
subject:
no subject
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Smith,
I don’t know what’s going on, but we need to discuss this ASAP.
Jade
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 10:49 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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Still Carl. You emailed me by accident. Can I help?
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from:
[email protected]
to:
[email protected]
date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 10:52 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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Please have Smith email me as soon as he is available, thank you.
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from:
[email protected]
to:
[email protected]
date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:05 AM
subject:
Thanksgiving
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Hiya Smith,
I was wondering, given that it’s just about four weeks from Thanksgiving, if you might try to come down for it this year. Each of the past three, we’ve had a very good time enjoying a full holiday spread cooked by the lady parishioners of Sun Prairie Methodist. Your mom has threatened to skip this year due to she claims there’s nothing interesting there and she’d rather nap. I would hate for her to miss it, though, especially since it’s been such a challenging fall for her with the move into the same room as Martha.
Speaking of which, that does seem to be going better since we Facetimed with you last week. I think it helped her to understand that it’s a financial decision you will remedy if you can, and that she will need to be patient and make the most of it if she doesn’t want to upset you. Or maybe she was just happy to see your face, even over video.
Let us know. I can’t vouch for the turkey because I’ve gone vegetarian, but the pumpkin pie last year was out of this world.
Wally
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from:
[email protected]
to:
[email protected]
date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:48 AM
subject:
no subject
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I can’t believe you went behind my back.
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:49 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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Hi. Is your phone dead?
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:51 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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Yes. My mom fried it. But it’s not like I could talk to you without screaming, anyway.
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:52 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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What? How did she fry your phone?
Why screaming?
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:52 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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Don’t bother feigning cluelessness. You have been pitching her book behind my back. I told you I’m not okay with it. I was SO clear. I COULD NOT have been clearer.
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:53 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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I only put out some feelers. I figured we could talk if I got a bite. Can we talk on the phone please? Don’t you have a landline there? Or a phone you can borrow?
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:53 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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Feelers?? Well, it sounds like you got one. The Dying to Blog guys, Smith? Seriously?
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:55 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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Carl told you about that. That—we should talk about that. I am ambivalent about it, too, to be honest. I think I would much prefer us going with my friend and the press where he works. Can we talk about this in person when you’re back?
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:55 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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“To be honest”? Is that what you’ve decided to be NOW? That you’re CAUGHT?
WE HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS.
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:56 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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You haven’t even read it! How can you be opposed when you haven’t even read it?
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:57 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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Another lie. I told you I’ve read it!
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:57 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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You said you’ve read “most” of it. Months ago, when you found it on her computer while snooping.
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:58 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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YOU are criticizing ME?
Reminder: You betrayed my trust. I haven’t done anything wrong here.
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 11:58 AM
subject:
re: no subject
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I didn’t lie to you. I just didn’t want to ignore the one thing your sister asked me for before she died. And I figured you would come around. I’m guilty of that much, sure.
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from:
[email protected]
to:
[email protected]
date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:00 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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She had CHEMO BRAIN. What she came up with while she had CHEMO BRAIN doesn’t COUNT. What SHE wanted was to open a bakery. Which is why that’s what I’m doing!
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:03 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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I don’t think it has anything to do with her being on chemo. I think you don’t like the parts about you. You don’t like how you come across. That’s why you stopped reading. And you know what’s ironic about that? If you actually finished it, I think you’d feel differently.
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:08 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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Are you kidding? Do you know when I stopped reading? When her cancer came back. Because it was fucking devastating. I’m glad to know you think so highly of me, though, a person you claimed to be dating. Why would you even want to date me if I were actually that narcissistic??
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:09 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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Ha! Claimed! I did, yes, until you clarified that we aren’t.
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:11 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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I said I didn’t KNOW if we were dating.
It doesn’t matter. Betrayal is betrayal.
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:12 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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Since we’re being frank, I will say that I find the idea that you, in fact, are the one executing her wishes to be a stretch.
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:14 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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EXCUSE ME?
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:16 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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Will you stop shouting? To say that you’re dragging your feet on the bakery is an understatement. You spend all your time traveling back and forth to Virginia to parent your mom, and researching this “malpractice” claim that isn’t going anywhere.
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from:
[email protected]
to:
[email protected]
date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:18 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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What do you know about the malpractice claim? We haven’t even talked about it. You know nothing about it. And things in law move slowly. Everyone knows that.
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:19 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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I think you don’t actually want to open the bakery. She wanted it, and so you feel like you’re supposed to do it. But you don’t actually want it, so you’re stalling.
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:19 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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Armchair diagnosing me now!
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:20 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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You hate desserts!
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:25 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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Well, I think you’re a jerk for not going to see your mother.
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:26 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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I see. Okay.
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from:
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to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:30 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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I think it bothers you that I “PARENT” my mother because it makes you feel guilty!
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from:
[email protected]
to:
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date:
Thu, Oct 22 at 12:33 PM
subject:
re: no subject
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Anything else?