Nora, looks like I'll arrive 6/11?

Yay, smonster! I'm so excited for you.

So, the Lord works in mysterious ways.

I show up passive aggressively late, and my brother starts yelling at me. I stare at him for a second and literally (not really ;) ) lose my shit and start screaming at him in the parking lot about how he has no idea what I'm going through with my mother's shit. He stares at me with his mouth open as I storm off. I take a lap, come back. We start to get in the cars when my mother (who has not even bothered to look for the parking pass) realizes that she has forgotten her ID. So, I turn on the radio for my niece while she's upstairs fucking around. She finally gets back, I turn the key to go and . . . click, click, click DEAD BATTERY!!! Now, when I had the car in for work a few weeks ago, the dealership told me I needed a new battery. I wasn't going to get that shit at the dealership, but then I totally forgot about it, so it's kinda my fault.

So, after a whole lot of fucking around (including an attempt to jump the car, which is unsuccessful because the battery is so damned dead), they head off to Arlington while I wait for the tow truck. First, they send the wrong kind of tow truck (perhaps you recall this happening last time I needed a tow truck, despite the fact that I was vociferous and vehement about needed a flatbed), then it takes forever. Had to get a new battery installed (which took way longer than it should have, since the guy just forgot about the three of us in the waiting room. After over an hour, I went out to ask, and my car was ready, as were the three peoples' cars that I was waiting with). Finally to the house, and for dinner, which took forever, and finally home about an hour ago. I've been decompressing with bourbon.

The Lord seems to have a mean streak.

I had a fight with my brother too, today. But, seriously? Sitting in my kitchen bitching you have no time to clean your house? Makes no sense. Neither does stalking off and invoking the rudest name for women's genitalia when I say that. Then, my mom gets him back and I'm like "Seriously? Like we should beg him to eat our food, drop deuces in our toilets daily, without fail, and tell us part 9000 of his ongoing saga "Selling Insurance In A Recession Sucks"(Dude...we know. For three years now. And our father is the antichrist. Duh.) I was a lot kinder three years ago, honest.

I am so wiped out and am still working. I've got a big chunk of the first draft of my labor budget for Halloween Horror Nights into the spreadsheet and working, but I still have to get an estimate for a Christmas project out in Florida done before the end of the night since they need it by the end of May, and, well, that's tomorrow.

So much healing~ma to Typo Boy, and peaceful passing to Maria's uncle.

Wow, Vortex. I'm...sorry? I don't even know what to say. What a night. And Erika, I don't think kindness really plays into the situation you describe.

Smonster, packing is always terrifying, but I am SO EXCITED that you are moving to NOLA! We are going to have to get out there and visit you all some time. I loved that city the one time I went (for the 2005 F2F).

sj, YAY for an awesome weekend together! It sounds like you relaxed and enjoyed yourself along with seeing very cool things, which is the perfect combo.

I've been thinking of you a lot this month and wondering how you deal with it. This research trip is just a month; I really don't know how I'd handle it if he was gone more often.

Well...it's funny how things work out. If you remember back to when I first joined the board, my then husband traveled 180+ days a year, and I think going through that constantly (he was gone Sunday through Wednesday most weeks, so we never had more than a day or two when he wasn't either getting home or leaving) traumatized me pretty badly. Some of that was because it was the wrong marriage, but it also was just plain lonely. I wasn't single (and my single friends, who turned out to be NSM friends) had pretty much deserted me, but my couple friends were having kids and doing things as a family, which didn't leave me a lot of options for company. I felt like I had all the drawbacks to being married without any of the benefits. My ex is a very good man who tried to make up for it, but it was a recipe for disaster for me, especially in my mid to late twenties when I was really trying to figure out who I was.

Compared to that, Drew's occasional absences really aren't that bad. He doesn't tend to be gone more than a few weeks (and it's almost never those awful short spurts of here gone here gone here gone etc.), and I have girlfriends out here who aren't coupled with families and still want to spend time with me. They do tend to work theatre schedules, which is tricky, but it's not as bad. I also sometimes can tag along with Drew, like you did with your DH, and that helps a lot. Mostly, though, I think it's easier because I know this is the right marriage and I'm a lot more comfortable with myself.

Wow. That got really talky meat. Sorry about that. On my mind, I guess.

Dear erika's brother: go take a dump at McDonald's once in a while, and layoff the fucking burritos, champ.

Oh lord. Talked to my sister today and apparently the cousin intercepted the undertaker after he took off my grandma's jewelry (between the funeral and the cremation) and took all her rings. Including the gold claddagh ring my sister was hoping to give her daughter at her confirmation down the road.

Sooooo, we'll see. I may need to use the punchbowl to get the ring for my sister, because that's really important to her, moreso than the punchbowl is to me.

I also found out that the punch bowl is Waterford crystal and thus rather valuable, which explains why it is suddenly so desired by money grubbing relatives.

Kristin, I love reading things like this:

Mostly, though, I think it's easier because I know this is the right marriage and I'm a lot more comfortable with myself.

I do remember when you were with your ex, and I love seeing how much happier you are now. And I really am glad to know that you've got some good friends in LA; I'm glad of it for your sake but also for mine, as a reminder that it may take a while to make new friends, especially as an adult, but it *does* still happen.

Nora, I have no words for your cousin, just fists of rage.

Mostly, though, I think it's easier because I know this is the right marriage and I'm a lot more comfortable with myself.

Which shows, and I'm so happy for you both.

Sooooo, we'll see. I may need to use the punchbowl to get the ring for my sister, because that's really important to her, moreso than the punchbowl is to me.

No. No, you and your sister need to confront your scumbag cousin, tell her that you know that she intercepted the undertaker and took all the rings, that such behavior is appalling, therefore she will NOT be getting the punchbowl, AND she had better damn well give your sister the gold claddagh ring.

Does the rest of the family know the nonsense your horrible cousin is doing? Because if they don't, they need to know. That sort of behavior is awful and reprehensible.

(I wish I could come be the heavy for you in this family issue. I'd probably terrify your cousin, which only could be for the best.)