Beautiful day in LA today so it should be a nice bike ride.

This morning, my mom randomly texted that she loved me. I texted back that I loved her too.

It's sweet, but heeeeeere's the subtext: she's desperately trying to hold on to one son since the other has clearly forsaken her. As you might expect, my brother's girlfriend is not welcome at our home for Thanksgiving (I still don't think they've met her). So my brother has said he's not staying the night anytime this weekend; he's not going to leave her alone and spend the night in a house where they pretend she doesn't exist.

He also tried to use the pet excuse, saying that he can't leave the cat alone. My dad said, "What is with these responsibilities? You don't need this dog and cat responsibility." My brother said they made him happy. To which my dad responded with the immortal line: "CAT makes you happy?" As if it were the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard, as if he were completely unaware of the ability for an animal to make a human being happy. Seriously, how is he a psychiatrist??

And then he said, whatever, it's no use arguing, you're coming for Thanksgiving, goodbye. (I should note that we don't Do anything for Thanksgiving. It's not an Occasion with a Special Dinner.)

In retaliation, my brother has invited my sister and me to Game Night at his place Friday night. (My sister was initially angry at him for not staying for Thanksgiving and hung up on him, but then she called back and was a Good Sister.)

SO MUCH DRAMA. And there will be more drama in the future, if/when it gets out that instead of going to India with everyone, I am spending Christmas...with my brother and his girlfriend. Tickets bought, so many video games and board games to be played, so much yelling about my bullshit excuses to endure.

P-C, you clearly already know this, but it bears reinforcing.

You're a grown-up. You're living on your own, supporting yourself. You have the right to decide how to spend your time and who to spend your holidays with.

(For what it is or isn't worth, you don't have to tell your parents how you're spending Christmas.)

"CAT makes you happy?"

Jaw, meet floor. Floor, jaw.

eeep, P-C. Family-sanity~ma.

"CAT makes you happy?"

Ahahaha, my cats make me so happy it is crazy. Well, your dad might diagnose it as such. Maybe other people would too! Taz and Marley are MADE OF AWESOME.

ah, nuts, I missed out on seeing smonster's message till after getting back from lunch (obviously much longer than 45 minutes.)

When I was on a business trip to Philly and called home, I had to talk to the cat because he was missing me so much. Yes, cat makes me happy.

When I was on a business trip to Philly and called home, I had to talk to the cat because he was missing me so much. Yes, cat makes me happy.

Whenever we go on vacation, we talk about the dogs and how much we miss them. (Even the dalmatian.) And when I say "talk about" I mean EVERY DAY.

my sister used to periodically have me sit on the phone - long distance - so her cat could "say hello" (facepalm)

P-C, I've pretty much decided not to go up to be with my mother and sister at Christmas ... which for them IS a big deal. I get the whole "Christmas is for families! it's so important for us to be together!" and then they pretty much ignore me until I'm leaving. The aggravation, cost, and physical and emotional discomfort just isn't worth it.

In better news, my hair is RED. I have a new colorist who not only matched the color, but improved on it. My mother's mother came from a family of redheads (German, by the way) and I'd periodically longed for red hair. Once my hair had gone mostly white, I took the plunge. And haven't had many regrets. It requires upkeep, but between the red-depositing shampoo and conditioner (Aveda, fyi) and the fact that the white hair grabs the color and holds it, it stays red.

"CAT makes you happy?"

Cat makes me very happy. And sometimes very annoyed. You know, like living things do.

Cass is smart.