Family.....ugh family.
FIRST, THERE IS A STORY
So last Friday a friend and I from work went to a book signing in Denver for one of my favorite authors. (I HATE DRIVING IN DENVER) After we got our books signed, took pictures with a disposable camera that apparently no one uses any more, and accidentally insult him, we proceeded to Ihop for coffee with two other friends that we met up with at the signing.
from Ihop we were suppose to follow them onto I-25 to get home. Well, we ended up on E-470, instead and didn't realize it until we were WAY past the airport. (which is an accomplishment in itself because if your familiar with DIA, you know its in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE). I don't have a GPS, and by this point no phone service either. Eventually we come to an abandoned intersection, and my friend gets a few bars.
I proceed to call my mother (it's about one o'clock at this point). It takes TEN TIMES for some one to pick up and when they do I'm greeted by my sister in law. We hate each other, and that would take a while to explain why so just accept this as a fact for now. And it is important to note, that for no apparent reason she had been staying at my house for three days already (and will continue to stay for a week). The conversation went something like this:
"Hello?"
"WHY DID IT TAKE YOU SO LONG TO ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE!" (I get really stressed when I'm lost, so sue me)
"I didn't recognize the number."
"OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T IT ISN'T YOUR PHONE! Look, I am lost in the middle of nowhere, I need you to get on google and tell me where this intersection is."
"But every one's asleep."
"NO ONE IS GOING TO BE STARTLED AWAKE BY THE CLICKING OF YOUR KEYS ON THE COMPUTER!"
".....well.....I just don't want to disturb any one."
(long threatening pause) "Put my mother on the phone."
"Oh, but she's sleeping I don't think I should wake her up for this."
"PUT MY MOTHER ON THE PHONE."
"But she's-"
"THIS IS NOT A REQUEST! PUT HER ON THE PHONE!"
"I know your stressed but-"
"THIS IS NOT A HEART TO HEART CONVERSATION! PUT MY MOTHER ON THE PHONE OR I SWEAR WHEN I DO GET HOME, IF YOU ARE STILL THERE, I WILL TOSS YOU OUT THE FRONT DOOR MYSELF!"
Needless to say she went to go get my mother. Who took fifteen minutes just to figure out how to use google maps. Eventually I did get home.
My siser in law, has always tried to get me in trouble.
For example: I'm sitting in the front room while she is watching T.V., but I am reading my book instead. She starts to cry and tells my mother I am ignoring her. mother yells at me (ARGH!).
Example 2: I am doing my homework in my room because if I do it in the living room while she is there I will get in trouble for ignoring her. My mother comes into my room and yells at me for ignoring her (ARGH!).
Example 3: For some reason my mother took her shopping with us, argh, and she is manipulating her into buying her and my big brother all sorts of things. My mother's response: I know, but their family.
That is my mother's excuse for anything my siblings or their partners do!
Mom, sis promised she'd go see this movie with me but ditched at the last minute to see her friends. Mother: Well, you shouldn't be angry at her, she's family.
Big Bro just took little Bro's car because his is in the shop. Big Bro total's little bro's car.
Mother: He doesn't have to pay for it, it was an accident, he's family.
Annoying brother in law just ran the car over the weedwacker.
Mother: Don't yell at him, he's family.
While I love my mother, I disagree. Their is a fine line separating what you can get away with as family, and when the family needs to beat the crud out of you. Recking your siblings car and not even offering to pay = crud beaten out of you. borrowing a book and accidentally dropping it in the sink, ruining it = you're family.
"Will you bail me out of jail?"
"No."
"But we're family."
"Yeah, but you were the idiot who went streaking downtown. There's a lesson to be learned here and I'm not going to interrupt it."
I obey this line to a fault and will tell family when they are taking advantage of each other. "But we're family," is not a liable excuse for a lot of situations. Of course this makes me very unpopular but I am sick and tired of people constantly taking advantage of each other because they are family! IT IS WRONG. What kind of moral upbringing did you have anyway? Oh, that's right, the same as me. yet we are still completely different people in these regards aren't we?
Family Advise: SET BOUNDRIES, even if it makes you unpopular.
That felt good to rant about. The only people I really don't get along with in my family are the in-laws, and for good reasons. My siblings and I get along very well.
On a Much Lighter Note
This week was the 75th anniversary of THE HOBBIT!If you hadn't noticed yet, I am a huge Tolkien fan. Love him to bits. An incredible author. not a lot of people these days appreciate Tolkien for the brilliant man that he was, I mean, he created languages! CREATED LANGUAGES! If you think about how long it takes a language to evolve from it's root language to become a second entity (which is hundreds of years, hundreds) then you can appreciate how incredible making a language, let alone multiple, in one lifetime is; it would take a brilliant, educated, gifted man to do such a thing.
This weekend, be sure to take sometime to honor Tolkien in some way. You can post your favorite quote on facebook/twitter, make a video blog depicting a favorite scene! Recite your favorite poem of Bilb's (DB if it's done in another language ;) ). Or for those literature fanatics, write an Essay on how Tolkien's writings were impacted by WWII. Who wouldn't want to read about that!?!?! Book Lovers: I would highly suggest reading: The letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, it will give you a whole new insight and respect for the man.
Or for those who never read the books but appreciate the movies: all day marathon, extended editions.
Below is an independent movie that is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings, which I think is done very well. It's called Born of Hope and is you haven't seen it yet, watch it now.
Long Live Tolkien and Have a Great Weekend!
Avent-Garde
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