Saturday, July 31, 2010

I am a Fringe Person, Too!

  • Kim went with me to Horsefly’s 39th birthday party last night.  She was so nervous about finally meeting all my family and Charlie’s family.  “They are going to think I am so fat!” she told me.  “They will just adore you,” I told her.  Things went fine and Kim was soon welcomed into my family as a new member. “She’s cute and has a good personality,” dad told me at one point pulling me to the side. “I am happy for you.”
  • “Why aren’t you close to your brother and sister?” Kim asked on the drive home from Charlie’s as my  sister was there and we didn’t interact much. “I would love to have siblings.”  “I am a fringe person,” I told her. “They are extremely mainstream so we don’t have a lot in common.  My brother and sister rarely talk to my mother as well treating her with contempt for when she was very mentally ill years ago.” “That’s sad,” Kim replied. “Your mother is a wonderful person. I just love her to death!”  I sadly grew quiet in contemplation thinking about it as I took Kim home.  She remarked on my quietness saying sorry she brought the issue up.  We have a strange family was my conclusion.  We are just not a close concentric family like most others.
  • Charlie is on a mission today to find me a new area rug for what was my old computer room.  The room looks so bare now that I have moved my computer desk into the den.  I am so excited as to what he will find today.  I have been very keen on getting my house looking better both inside and out.   He always has a few spares tucked away in some of the houses he owns in which he stores antiques and things.
  • I bought five work shirts and work pants today.  I love khaki “Docksider” slacks as they are so comfortable.  Blue jeans are just too hot for right now at work.  Today will also be laundry day as I have a pile of it to do.  I will be busy washing, drying, ironing work shirts and pants today.
  • Charlie is going ahead with buying the house next to mine where the former drug dealer lived.  He said last night he has already got the ball rolling.  Dad commented last night that it is going to be nice to extend my fence to that house to give Maggie more room to run.  Charlie said he is going to install a dog door in that house as well so Maggie can see him when he is over.  It reminds me of those elaborate hamster habitats we are building for Maggie.  She is going to have all kinds of new places and environments to explore.
  • I had another wonderful day yesterday mentally.  It truly is a marvel to behold.  I haven’t really haven’t felt better in years and it bears repeating.  Last night, at Horsefly’s party, I was so calm and collected.  No anxiety what so ever although I did take two Klonopin before going just in case I would have an anxiety attack. Kim says I am a natural socially which is ironic.  I told her I am “good at getting on stage, but I feel awkward.”
  • I still feed Joyce’s cat, Lucky, everyday when I get home from work.  He is waiting on me patiently every morning for his daily can of Tuna.  I’ve been leaving my basement door cracked and Lucky has been sleeping under my house these days where it is nice and cool during the heat of the day.  He wanders the neighborhood at night marking his territory I surmise.
  • I am sadly losing momentum as far as my yard card business is concerned.  It has been so hot here lately and I absolutely dread getting out and knocking on doors to drum up business.  I should be out right now pulling my mower around to neighborhoods looking for work.  I now have eight regular customers, but I need many more to make it a viable business.  It doesn’t help that I have been a voracious book reader lately just consuming books one after the other.  My cool house, a book, and my Lazy Boy beckons every hot afternoon.
  • George wrote today that he got into a vicious fight with his cellmate.  Apparently, his cellmate didn’t go to breakfast the other morning choosing to stay in the cell and drank several of George’s Cokes.  George said he as irate as he can only get six a week.  George wrote that all the other prisoners got to whooping and hollering, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”   Ah, prison drama.  It just never ends.
  • Mrs. Florene calls me everyday almost.  She is so excited for September 9th to get here.  She asked me this morning if I thought they would parole George.  “With prison overpopulation and the relative minor-ness of George’s charges he should come home,” I told her optimistically.  I really need to get over to Florene’s house and see about George’s cars although George won’t be able to drive ever again unless it is illegally.  I am already envisioning scenarios where I will be George’s chauffer when he arrives home.  And what will George do about work with all those felony charges?  Mrs. Florene is going to have her hands full when he finally does get home from prison.
  • One of my biggest disappointments in getting digital cable was BBCAmerica.  I was so looking for interesting British programming like they often show on public television.  I was sad when I realized Georgia Public Broadcasting had more British shows than BBCAmerica.  No Eastenders.  No British comedies. Nothing.  Just Top Gear and Star Trek:The Next Generation.  It has so much promise, but the almighty advertising dollar wins out over quirky and interesting British programming. 

15 comments:

kristi said...

I am so glad you had fun at the party and that Kim was liked by all!

Syd said...

Sounds like Kim was a hit with the family. It is really hot here as well.

Gulf Coast said...

Post a picture of you and Kim.

Happy you are getting your medications regulated and under control. Love to read how your father is coming around. It would not surprise me if your father has been wondering if maybe your previous drugs were too many since you are dealing with life much better now. You sound like you are finally living a normal life.

Gulf Coast said...

Post a picture of you and Kim.

Happy you are getting your medications regulated and under control. Love to read how your father is coming around. It would not surprise me if your father has been wondering if maybe your previous drugs were too many since you are dealing with life much better now. You sound like you are finally living a normal life.

This IS The Fun Part! said...

If George is fighting in jail, that could be a problem with his parole couldn't it? Hope nobody important noticed it!

Give this weather a few more weeks and it will start to break up a little. You have about as much patience as I do, LOL! If you get out there in this heat and do too much, you'll have a heat stroke!

Sounds like Lucky is just about your cat now - I'm glad. Everybody needs to have someone.

Glad the party was a success. Glad Kim was a success, too! That will make life easier with dad now that he's met her.

Charlie buying that house is great. You won't have to worry about drug dealers moving in next time! Sounds like it might just end up being Maggies private party house!

While you're doing laundry, would you please come get mine and do it too? I'd really appreciate the help, dear!

I think you are over estimating how many close-knit families there are! My husband is the oldest of nine children. Out of all of them and their children, only 3 of the families are close at all. There is usually only one 'gathering' a year and it's rare that everyone comes - and they all live within 30 miles of each other! I only have one brother - and we only talk on the phone a couple of times a year. We're only a year apart - but have never been close at all. He's in NC and I'm in FL - but even when we lived next door to each other, we rarely spoke. I know a lot of people who are much closer to friends than they are with their family.

I'm gonna go take a swim - and then become the laundry queen of Florida!!

Have a fun Saturday!
Grannie

LM said...

In continue to be in awe of how you have turned your life around, Andrew. There will be 'glitches' some days...but that's how life is for everyone.

What I find most amazing is the fact that your siblings are physicians and your father is a pharmacist...and YOU (with no medical training) are the one who realized something was very wrong with your medication regimen.

You are amazing and should be so very proud of yourself for what you have accomplished in the last month.

Lena said...

I got the chills when I read that your dad was happy for you and Kim.
All a parent wants is for their children to be happy.

So Kim met everyone all at once!

I am confused. I thought your sister lived far away? Is she close by?

Annabel said...

Don't worry about making the lawn care a full time business. You already have a lot on your plate at the moment. Keep the customers you have, get more when you feel like it. I don't think there's any particular rush.

It's great to hear that you went to a social event without anxiety. I think that is great and I'm glad you took Kim.

justLacey said...

Well, George could help with your lawn business. it might work out well for the both of you. We'll see what's up when he gets out. Maybe he could get a job at Walmart? You said they had trouble getting a second shifter.
Im glad your family likes Kim. I know they didn't care much for Rosa and that always makes things harder. I don't think your family is much different from others. Sometimes things appear all happy on the outside but there can always be turmoil bubbling underneath and I have found this to be the truth in most families I have observed.

reaganalabama said...

Hate to hear that about George. The fight could be a problem with the parole board. hope not. post a pic of you and kim!

best,
mark

Tee said...

I'm so glad thing went so well at the party! The hard part is over, they all have met Kim. I hope you dad can see how much BETTER you are doing! Maybe he's just in denial. Hopefully, he will admit you are doing well.

You family is not unusual. God gives us our family so we know how to choose our friends.

It is too hot for you to be out soliciting business or cutting grass. You could have a heat stroke. The weather service has issued a warning about the heat with a heat index well over 100 degrees. Enjoy your book and recliner.

Smitty said...

Been really hot where I am too and our grass is brown. Your internal life is good and growing. Proud of you!

Carol said...

Tess's comment reminds me of a similiar statement . . . friends are God's apology for giving us family.

Sharon said...

They said on Good Morning America this morning that this is officially the hottest summer on record. So I would say you have very good reason to back off on the yard care business right now! I'm so glad Kim went with you to the bbq and your family likes her. I don't know of any family that doesn't have some drama, I myself have a brother I don't speak with and I'm not close to my other one either. Life is like that in many families. Just because you share the same parents don't make siblings people you'd want to be friends with.

amelia said...

I can't live without my Britcoms. How disappointing for you that you can't get them. We have satellite so we get PBS. I guess it's part being English that makes me enjoy them so much. The humour is different!! I've been in Canada 36 yrs now and I'm a Canadian citizen but still a Brit at heart!!