Aw, kids leaving home, that must be bittersweet

My Mom was born 100 years ago today, well not really, but it is the day we celebrated her birthday. Remembering her warmly and being grateful that I had her until she was 95.

You guys, what the fuck. There's more nonsense afoot involving my dad and his guns and him being really fucking crazy. The thing is, every time that my brother and I have talked to Dad in the past...year? I think? he's been completely lucid and not at all crazy and/or loopy on meds. (Quick backstory: he had been hallucinating, the geriatrician took him off Ambien, and the hallucinations stopped; separately, his PCP stopped prescribing him opioids, and without those, there's nothing that makes him all loopy.) So this is totally out of the blue for both of us.

In a really weird coincidence, the guy (Wally) who lives across the hall from my dad went to high school with my SiL. So Wally sent a FB message to SiL saying he needed to talk to my brother about Dad. Bro calls Wally this morning and finds out the following: (1) Dad is seeing hallucinations again (he has not mentioned this to me or my brother); (2) Dad told Wally that some nights he sits up in his recliner (which is in front of the door) with his shotgun (!) because he's afraid someone will break in; and (3) one night this week, Dad called the police at like 3 a.m. and told them people with guns were trying to break into the building to get him, which led to 10 (!!!) squad cars on the street at 4 a.m., AND THEN apparently Dad slept through all of that??? And the cops didn't try to go in and talk to Dad??? Which I guess is good, because if he had a shotgun pointed at the door they would have shot his stupid ass.

(I'm really confused about how #3 went down; hearing it thirdhand from my brother, who heard it from the neighbor across the hall, is really confusing. Like, I kind of doubt that there were 10 squad cars there. And I don't understand why the police wouldn't try to make contact with the person who called them. But the overall point is that SHIT IS FUCKED.)

So neighbor Wally talked to downstairs neighbor Mark, who is the landlord's brother (got all that?). And Mark said, look, if Dad is crazy, that's one thing, and being crazy will resolve itself one way or the other, and he pays his rent on time. But he CANNOT be crazy and possess firearms. It sounds like Dad needs to get rid of his guns or he's going to get evicted.

Brother calls me, tells me all of the above, asks me if I think he would take his guns to our aunt's house, because she should have a gun safe, since our uncle (who passed away a few years ago) had a ton of guns.

I said it would be easier for Tim and me to just go get the guns from Dad (WHY does he own a shotgun??? fucking hillbilly) and keep them in our attic, or, preferably, dispose of them for him, because I don't like guns and would rather not have them in our house.

So I'm waiting for Tim to wake up (he's still on second shift BUT -- yay! -- is back to first shift starting Monday) so I can ask him if he's okay with us taking Dad's guns and keeping them in the attic or disposing of them. (My brother thinks Dad has the shotgun and 2 handguns. If he has more than that, I'm going to lose my damn mind.)

AND THEN I have to call Dad and calmly explain to him that if he doesn't give us his guns he's very likely to get evicted. AND THEN if he refuses, I have to lay down an ultimatum that goes as follows: "You don't have to give up your guns, but you will get evicted if you don't give them up. And if you get evicted, I WILL NOT lift one finger to help you find a new place, pack, or move." And that's going to suck, so I really hope he just gives us the guns without any fuss.

Holy shit, you guys.

That's scary, Steph. But better the family get him to give up the firearms, than the police take them forcibly.

Two complications come to mind.

1) For "It sounds like Dad needs to get rid of his guns or he's going to get evicted," I think you need to get that directly from the landlord, and preferably in writing.

2) Is the eviction moratorium still in effect? I haven't been keeping track. That may affect the landlord's willingness to co-operate and/or your Dad's willingness to co-operate.

Holy cow, Steph! I literally have no advice whatsoever, but I wish you the best in figuring out what definitely sounds like a complicated, scary sitch.

Crap, Steph! That is scary. I don't think you can talk to him over the phone. This sounds like an in person thing. I would try and get first person info from both the landlord and the police because 3rd person info can be way the hell off. No matter what though, it sounds like you need to lay down the law and remove the guns.

Yeah that sounds tough Steph! But in person does seem easier in some ways, I’m picturing him hanging up the phone and going to yell at the neighbor or landlord!

I'm so sorry, Steph.

I think it’s likely than not that your Dad has found another source of opioids that he isn’t telling you about.

Holy hell, Steph. That is so much. That sucks so hard and is so scary, it's hard to fathom.

I think it’s likely than not that your Dad has found another source of opioids that he isn’t telling you about.

I was thinking (1) he kept the Ambien prescription and has started taking it again, and/or (2) he's been smoking pot and not telling us (which in general I wouldn't care about, except for how it could impact his cognition). I did not consider him getting illegal opioids, but that could be a factor.