He said, She said

So Eric and I get home last night to a message on the machine from my Mother-in-Law...

Evidently she had talked to Eric's older sister, Chris (not the one in the previous posting, but the one in California) who had talked to Curt (my stepson) who had told Chris that April (my stepdaughter) is planning on getting married sometime this spring.... did you follow that? Anyway, she heard in a roundabout way that her grandaughter is planning on getting married, and was a bit flabbergasted that nobody had seen fit to tell her. Eric, darling man that he is, talked to his mother on SUNDAY, but neglected to share this information, even though we have known about it for over a month. Men. Don't know what is really important - this is why they don't usually make good gossips!

So Eric tried calling her, and she was not home (out for a walk) and when she got home, she called back. Eric tells her that he does not have a phone number for his daughter. (Why would he want to have her phone number???) I say, of course we have her phone number, so Eric hands me the phone to talk and give the info. We of course talk about Eric and of course he did not mention anything on Sunday... he's Eric!

We also talked about the other sister, the one who is in town and WAS cleaning my house. I have decided that I just don't want to take the chance again with her, and will be asking for the key to the house back. In her younger years, she stole sporting equipment and other such valuables from her family to pawn to get drug money. I believe she owed so much money at one point that of the dealers stole her mother's car, while her mother was driving it. Basically just took her out of the car, and drove off in the car, leaving her mother at the side of the road. So it is not just any one isolated incident. After, she feels guilty and miserable and promises not to do it again, and you go a while to the point where you think things have changed, and it happens again.

Again, when she is clean, she is a great person. When she is using, it is another thing altogether. I really think she has underlying issues that she needs to deal with before she can put her life back together. It is just sad that she uses mind-altering substances to deal with her life. I know some of us turn to food, and that is also a form of addiction, but who really resorts to stealing money to get a twinkie fix?

And it also bothers me that because we have more money/posessions than they do, that they seem to assume that we will help them out and take care of them (Eric's sisters). Excuse me, but I have worked darn hard to have the things that we do - and I am not working so that my relatives can live off of my generosity.

I just hope Lisa realizes that I don't hate her. I think we need to have a frank conversation about how I feel about what she did, and that I am not going to "enable" her to do this sort of thing in the future.

Anyway - here's something else to ponder: Why do they have funerals on Fridays? I dressed appropriately to go to my friend's father's funeral at 11, but since it is "Casual Friday" everyone here at the office is asking me why I am dressed up. Then you tell them that you are going to a funeral, and they get all apologetic.

And of course, you want to know about the running. Yes I ran yesterday, 4 miles on the Treadmill. At the YMCA in Fargo. I got up early yesterday morning, and went looking for the exercise room at the hotel. I was told it was locked, and that the guy who could open it up was taking someone to the airport and would be back in 20-30 minutes. Yah right. Hellooooooo, I am wearing exercise clothes here... I am on a schedule, and really can't spare the 30 minutes to wait! So I rolled my eyes in exasperation, went back to my room, put on sweatpants and my jacket and drove over to the Y. Yay me. I did not use that as an excuse not to exercise.

And this afternoon, I will get in a 6-mile run. Promise.

ta!
~a