April 2008
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I'm not sure how I made it, but this blog entry is proof that I got through last weekend. My son and my wife began the weekend amicably enough, but by Sunday noon they were at each other's throats. I was hard-pressed to keep order. More than once I had to separate them and talk them down from making a real scene. It didn't help that my wife is in her rag week, and my son is a hotheaded 18-year old with no focus.
Part of the trouble is that my wife is the unforgiving sort. Once she forms an opinion about a person, that's the way she thinks about him. After six years of living with and trying to raise my son, her view of him is fixed and unflattering. She expects, and therefore gets, the worst from him.
The other part is, of course my son. His mother's influence has taught him to lie, BS, and exaggerate incessantly. It's almost impossible to get a straight answer from him about anything. He will say and do anything he can think of to escape blame, even when there is no blame to place. Because of that, he comes off as shifty and untrustworthy. He can unflinchingly lie, but he cannot keep track of his lies and therefore gets caught up in them. We were making good progress with him and his treatment, but all that came to an end when he turned 18 and chose to go back and live with his mother and half-brother. Now everything we had accomplished has been undone. He has no structure and no direction. I'm afraid he will become a leech on society, just like his mother.
Well, enough of that.
At least we finally know when the movers will arrive: Wednesday at 7 AM. My wife and I have an extra day to prepare.
Break's over! Back to work!
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Current Mood: exhausted
Added on: 04/28/08 16:28
Comments (1)
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I can't believe it! We're bringing my son back to help us again this weekend. My wife actually suggested it. It would seem that after all the work the two of us did this week, there is still too much yet to do. I advised my son to really try to stay within the manners he was taught while he was here, and to not rise to the bait when he is teased about anything. (My wife loves to tease him about things, and he responds which eggs her on.) I may have to separate them. Children!
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Current Mood: tired
Added on: 04/24/08 21:37
Comments (2)
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Happy Earth Day!
This past weekend we brought my son JP to help us prepare for the move. On the way to pick him up, we saw that the tollway had more than doubled its tolls! Very civic-minded, our local governments. Here we are in an economic recession, fuel prices at an all-time high with all other prices rising along with them, people can't afford to live in their houses, and the politicians squeeze the general population by raising sales taxes and tolls. Pretty soon no one will be able to afford to drive around here.
When we got there, it was obvious that JP's mother is over-feeding and under-exercising him. The boy (18 years) has gained at least 20 kilos since he went over there last December. I kid you not. He's big-boned, but he looks about 7-8 months pregnant! He claims to work out, but I fear his program consists of shoveling food into his face.
JP says he's in constant conflict with his mother, and I can believe it. They both suffer from RAD, and you can look that up on the Web, gentle reader. Suffice it to say, they are both self-destructive and anti-social. It is very stressful to be in their company for any length of time. He has forgotten the social graces and the house rules we taught him. Now he dresses like an idiot, with his jeans hanging half off his ass.
We got quite a bit done last weekend, even though the tension was very high. My wife is Polish, and she holds grudges a long time. While JP lived here, he was constantly at odds with her, and last weekend was just more of the same. By the time we returned him to his mother's house, we were more than ready to see him go. We have one more weekend to prepare, but my wife doesn't want to have JP back to help. I don't blame her. The stress levels were very high, and the move is stressful enough.
I know I could use some stress relief about now. Sure wish I had the time and money.
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General Blog Category: None
Current Mood: stressed
Added on: 04/22/08 14:25
Comments (2)
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Moving Day approaches, and it looks like there's even more to do than when we started! I imagine everyone feels this way, especially when it's been awhile since the previous move.
What's amazing is the sheer amount of crap I've accumulated over the last 15(!) years here. I thought the house was getting smaller, when all the time it was the pile of stuff getting bigger! Upon the suggestion of a friend, we contacted a church youth group which does rummage sales to earn money. They will take almost anything we want to donate! That will help clear out the house. We will be divesting ourselves of most of our stuff. That way, we will have room for new stuff at the new house! ;)
We just met with the realtor, and we think things will go well. We're listing at well below market price for a quick sale. Anybody in the market for a good real estate deal? lol
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General Blog Category: None
Current Mood: chipper
Added on: 04/14/08 15:52
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Hello Everyone!
Things have been going on, so much so that I haven't found either the time or the energy to write here, until now.
Thanks to all of you who posted comments. Some of your insights were greatly appreciated.
Since my last post, my son withdrew himself from the local high school and went to live with his mother, who promised him many things but has yet to deliver any of them after 4 months; our dog Max had to be put to sleep, but we got a Chocolate Lab puppy we named Cadbury to fill the resulting emptiness; my father-in law passed away, and we went on a 4025 km (2500 miles) round trip to take care of matters; property taxes rose so high in my area that we are forced to move to Southern Indiana to live. That takes effect as of May 1st.
Eras end, and others begin. Life goes on.
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General Blog Category: None
Current Mood: contemplative
Added on: 04/06/08 12:21
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