Rough Patches
Other things may change us, but we start and end with family.
-- Anthony Brandt
Sunday, March 11, 2001
Two years ago: Fire and Sushi
What a weird dream I had this morning! I was exploring a big shop full of bridal stuff -- not dresses, but craft supplies and battenberg lace edged napkins. White damask napkins, too, that remind me of my mom's old ones. Somehow this blended into a bus trip, where my concern and fear
when the bus took a very steep dive (in typical dreamlike fashon) was mocked by the other passengers, darn them!
Jack woke and moved over to the futon with me, but his back didn't let that cozy cuddling last long.
I had some time online, but not enough to do any journal entries. Jack
keeps urging me to get caught up!
* * * * * * * *
Jack wanted to do more work, this day concentrating on his room upstairs. Piling and sorting, we got a lot done! I gave him lots of praise for anything that is gotten rid of. A--- did some pouting, screaming and tantruming, but finally did help carry boxes and such upstairs, and in from the garage.
But while she was still refusing to work (she'd be paid, by the way) she demanded that her father drive her downtown. Why? who knows, it appeared to be a random impulse.
Later, Jack would be driving to Seattle for a convention meeting (he's working
on the world horror convention). A--- wanted to come along, and his refusal
to bring her was another grievance for her.
I really don't like yelling and screaming. I don't suppose that anyone actually likes it, but I think it bothers me more than some other people. I need to make a practice of getting out of the room (out of the house?) when Jack and A----- are relating in this way. Since I
need to stay out of these disputes (me piping in on issues that are between Jack and his daughter isn't a good idea), trying to avoid them is a good thing.
I walked downstairs several times today while Jack and A---- were
"talking".
* * * * * * * *
Jack said he noticed that A---- and I get on each other's nerves. Vying for attention, I suppose! Plus, I've had
so much more time to build a relationship with H----, Jack's younger
daughter; A----- has been on the lam for most of that time,
with a few turbulent reappearances. I could just avoid, not speak
to her, and so on, but that doesn't seem like a good approach.
When Jack and I are married, we'll be in the same family!
The mess she creates irks me, even though it's Jack's house.
This only gets worse as I spend more time there. Her random
clothes and belongings -- I've been throwing them into her
room as they get in my way, but I'll try to think of another
approach. Fill up a plastic bag and hang that up somewhere?
I'd wondered if Jack would be able to stop by my place
after his meeting. I'd love some private alone time with him!
But he said he'd be too worried about what A---- was up to in
Bellingham, and he was thinking about not going to the meeting
at all -- too tired, and he wanted to keep working on his
home projects. I was disappointed, but it's understandable.
Too bad I don't see this situation changing in the near future!
* * * * * * * *
After getting home and taking a bath, I drove over to Jane's house. It's her fiftieth (!) birthday and she was serving a cake that
her folks bought for her. A nice gathering! I sat next to Jane's
stepmom and showed her some features of her electronic organizer that
she hadn't explored. This came about because I asked her if she
used it for lists or memos in addition to telephone numbers,
and she hadn't realized that her organizer was capable of doing that!
Everyone talked about the earthquake, and told stories about Jane.
I asked Luke if he was going to be part of the brides of March,
and he plans on being there.
I watched the Discovery Channel feature on Land of the Mammoth. The digital mammoths were fairly convincing, but the false suspense on whether they would discover the true cause of the mammoth's
extinction within two hours annoyed me enough that I kept switching
to Dale Chihuly on PBS.
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