Day 26

Today, I am thankful that soon Ace and I will have our own place.

I am ready to be out of my in-laws house. I've been ready to be out since we moved in. I am trying to be patient, but I'm ready to go.

But, soon, we will be out of here and on our own. And that's something to look forward to.

Day 25

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today, I am thankful for smoked turkey.

Today, I am making a day trip to see my dad and step-mother. My dad smokes a turkey for Thanksgiving (he smokes a turkey and a ham for Christmas, but that's not for a month). It's wonderful.

And now, I must go to bed, so that way I'll be closer to eating smoked turkey. Enjoy your holiday!

Day 24

Today, I am thankful for my step-mother.

I don't talk about my step-mother much, except when talking about my dad. And that's a shame, because she's a special woman.

I met my step-mother the weekend before I graduated from high school. I don't really remember meeting her the first day we met, because I don't really remember much about that day (I was busy thinking about graduation stuff, I imagine). I remember that my first impression wasn't favorable, but it wasn't her fault. I'm pretty sure that at the time, I wouldn't have liked anyone my dad was bringing with him.

But, shortly after I graduated from high school, I got to spend some time with her (2 weeks). I started to get to know her. I think she was nervous about me coming there, as my brother and sister had started to slightly warm up to her right before I got there, but then they almost stepped backwards in any affection until they saw how I reacted to her.

She has treated me kindly ever since I've known her. She's given her love to my siblings and I, and to Ace too. She's never said anything mean, even when I have lashed out in pain (for which I've apologized). She's one of the best cooks I've ever met and she tries to make everyone feel at home in her house.

She's shown incredible patience with my brother and his rambling narrative on his video games, listening (or faking it well) for hours without telling him to shut up (something my sister and I have done). She's tried to give him extra attention, to a degree, since it's obvious that it's been something he's lacked.

My step-mother has made my father happy. If that was all she had done, besides being fairly easy to get along with, I'd love her and be thankful for her being in his life. But, she's also tried to fill some holes in the lives of her step-children where she can.

My step-mother, who doesn't have any natural children of her own, sees her step-children as her children. And I'm happy to call her one of my parents. She doesn't feel a need to add the word step to her relationship with us, and I only add it out of habit.

Day 23

Today, I am thankful that all the relatives I travel to see live within driving distance.

I'm happy to not have to go through airport security. I'm happy that even from Springfield, the drive to Tulsa and NW Arkansas is bearable. That we could drive to OKC from Springfield if needed, with a stop to stretch on the way.

Of course, living in Tulsa currently, the drive to Tulsa anywhere in/around Tulsa is short (10 to 15 minutes, in general). In roughly 2 hours, I can be at my dad's house or visiting my sister in OKC. We can make day trips to either one. And 2 hours alone with Ace is nice.

We have no question that one of us will be screened or patted down by driving. There are no screaming babies or kids kicking our seats (at least, none yet). We can leave our cell phones on and use other electronic devices (such as an iPod). If I take my shoes off, it's because I want to, not because I need to let them get x-rayed.

It's nice to know that we live close enough to drive, that flying would actually take us longer than driving. It's nice to know that our only delays are the ones we make for ourselves. Our privacy isn't invaded. No one checks our luggage/pats us down/x-rays us. We can buy whatever we want to drink from wherever we want to. And at the end of our trip, I'm not exhausted just from getting through the airports, so I can enjoy spending time with family or I can enjoy being home again.

So, I'm thankful for being within driving distance of my family. Because right now, the idea of flying somewhere isn't appealing.

Day 22

Today, I am thankful for naps, as I'm fairly sure I'm going to need one today.

Last night, I stayed up too late. I got caught up reading stuff online and found that it was way later than I expected. I got up to go to bed and realized that I was hot, so I stripped down before climbing into my bed.

Unfortunately for me, I have to be just right temperature wise to go to sleep, so sleep took a while in coming. Eventually, the fan (that was already on) cooled me off enough for me to sleep.

Roughly 2 hours later, I woke up feeling cold. I had to get up and get dressed in order to go back to sleep. I also turned the fan down so it wasn't moving quite as much air.

30 minutes before my alarm went off, I woke up cold again. I put a blanket on top of me and dozed for the next 45 minutes (I slept in, partially because I didn't want to get out from under my nice warm blanket).

And now, I think I may go take that nap I'm already thankful for. The bed is calling me, loudly, and I don't think I want to resist.

Day 21

Today, I am thankful for my sister.

Since Thanksgiving is coming up, I'm thinking of my family lately. Especially my sister. My sister has one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen. I've seen her give of herself when she didn't have to. She offered to help Ace and I last year when we had our big, unplanned move (in order to let us keep a few more things than just what we could fit in our car).

This offer was after picking me up and then dropping me back off at my old house so that all three of us siblings could go see our dad to see that he was fine after his accident (she dropped me off and then drove back to Tulsa from OKC the next morning after probably not enough sleep). This was a trip that she coordinated. She offered to let me sleep on the one free bed available when we got there too.

I wish she and I could spend more time with each other. We love each other dearly. I know that we get along so much better now that we no longer live together (especially since we don't share a room). We miss each other and both wish we lived closer together. My sister shows me what kind of person I could be, if I would just stop focusing on myself so much. She's one of my heroes, even though she's 10 years younger than I am.

One of my favorite pictures of my sister and I is from when she was 2 and I was 12. We're playing doctor. I'm all dressed up in a dress (probably for church) and she's still in her nightgown. There's a glare or something, it's hard to determine what without the physical picture. The picture isn't perfect, but it's just such a sweet moment in time. It's two sisters, despite their age gap, playing together. It's something I wish I remembered from back then. I wish I knew what happened next.

Day 20

Today, I am thankful for sex.

Ace and I don't get to have sex as much as we'd like. We are ready to be on our own, for the sake of our sex life if nothing else.

But when we do have sex, it's wonderful.

Day 19

Today, I am thankful for my new pillow.

Ace and I had been using pillows my in-laws had (fairly old pillows) since we moved in here in April. Recently, we decided that we could treat ourselves to new pillows (ones we'll probably take with us when we move out).

It's nice to have a pillow that's only been mine again. Ace and I, in our rush to move, forgot to grab our pillows (We kept the mattress, forgot the pillows. True story.). Before we bought these pillows, it had been over a year of using other people's pillows.

My pillow is a memory foam pillow. Our mattress, the one waiting in my dad's garage for us to come claim again, is a memory foam mattress. I miss our mattress and am glad that I can at least have a pillow similar to the one I lost last year. It's a small piece of starting to fully put my life back on track.

Day 18

Today, I am thankful for blankets.

My in-laws and I seem to be having a war over the thermostat. I keep turning the heat back on (because I'm cold) and they keep turning the heat to off or, worse, turn the a/c on. Most of my external heat is coming from wearing my hoodie and keeping covered with a blanket.

Have I mentioned that I'm looking forward to moving out of here? Because I am so ready to be out of here again. I'm ready to be able to know that the temperature will stay within a few degrees and that my body won't keep telling me that I'm freezing.

And after Thanksgiving (hopefully), I'll be even more thankful for blankets since I'll have my thickest, warmest blanket back.

Day 17

Today, I am thankful for good manners.

Actually, today I am thankful that I have such good manners, because otherwise I'd be saying extremely inappropriate things/throwing things a lot this month.

I'm not sure why, but everything seems to be getting on my nerves lately. My in-laws watching TV louder than I'd like, I'm trying to refrain from rolling my eyes and throwing something. Ace wants us to do something that deviates from my plan and I'm trying to remind myself that I love him and he's not really annoying.

I think my hormones have gone nuts again. Or there's something up with the food my mother-in-law is making and serving that is seriously jacking with me. There's something off, and the only reason I can tell is that I'm annoyed at things that don't normally bother me.

Nicely, I have good manners. They are what's truly helping me keep my mouth shut. They are keeping me from doing or saying something I'll regret. And for that, I am thankful.

Day 16

Today, I am thankful for laughter.

Ace and I had a stressful, long, one-thing-too-many kind of day Monday. It didn't seem to want to be on our side. Everything seemed too much, too loud, too big to effectively deal with.

But I've spent some time finding things to laugh about. Things to help me feel like I can make it through this week and this month and the rest of this year. The laughter helped me drop some of the weight that I seemed to be carrying. It soaked into my mind and left me feeling better about life.

I may have felt like a few things were too much at one point, but it was just a point in time. It passed and things, while not necessarily tons brighter, are livable. I don't know what the day might bring, but I know that I can handle it. And that makes all the difference.

Day 15

Today, I am thankful for chocolate.

Chocolate is one of those bright things in my daily life. Ace and I keep some chocolate on hand, and have for a while. It helps make living with my in-laws more bearable. It helps lift me up when I'm feeling blue.

Yep, thankful for chocolate.

Day 14

Two weeks into this month and I'm still finding things to be thankful for, something that doesn't surprise me in the least.

Today, I'm thankful for access to a hot tub.

Sometimes, my back hurts. It gets worse when I play World of Warcraft all day long (something I rarely do, a fact that Ace mourns some days). I need to get a better, more supportive chair/seat. Since that isn't an option today, I need something that will help alleviate pain.

I will admit, I took pain killers in addition to getting in the hot tub. I needed more relief that just hot water could provide. I'm still extremely grateful that I have access to a hot tub. It is one of the perks of living with my in-laws (one of the few).

And now, I'm going to go lay back down. Sleep is calling me and I have no reason to stay up. Hopefully a good night's sleep will finish helping my back feel better.

Day 13

Today, I am thankful for emotional releases.

An odd combination of things led me to an emotional breakdown a little while ago. I cried, sobbed really, for a few minutes. Ace was concerned and slightly annoyed at the timing of my emotional outburst (he was doing something semi-important and my crying was distracting).

Once he finished what he was doing, he came and cuddled with me. He allowed me to talk for a bit, to explain my emotions and why they had popped up. He tried to get me to laugh. He said supportive things. He hugged my legs (the only part he could easily get to). He showed tons of patience and understanding. He let me express my pent up pain and helped me build myself back up again.

In the end, I felt better. My emotions had been cleared up quite a bit and the pain of dealing with them was minimized by having someone who cares so much being there to support me. He reminded me again why I feel he'll be a great dad. He pulled me through my emotional release much more quickly than I would have on my own.

But, I'm thankful for the emotional release, because I needed to deal with those emotions. I needed to confront my feelings on a situation that happened in July so that it won't haunt me for years. I needed to give myself some closure on some things that have been waiting for roughly 4 years now. I needed to cry to help wash out my emotional wounds and let them start healing. It's time to start moving forward in my life again.

Day 12

Today, I am thankful for my dad getting a job again!

My dad was given an opportunity to explore new horizons in the extremely early part of this year (February or March, I think). He's been looking for a job ever since. He got called earlier this week with a job offer.

He found a job that will allow him to continue to live in his current house. He starts his job next week. He'll be able to finish up his degree where he's currently going to school too (I'm pretty sure he's getting his master's degree).

We are excited and celebrating the fact that my dad, who has probably been driving my step-mom a little crazy most of this year, will be working again. He's the kind of guy who will continue working as long as he can, because he likes to work. Hopefully, his new job will be perfect for him.

Day 11 Part 2

Today, I am also thankful for our veterans.

I will always support our men and women in uniform. They join the military, knowing that they may have to give their lives to keep us free.

Thank you, veterans and current military people. Thank you for your service for me and my family. Thank you families of veterans and current military people. Thank you all for your sacrifice.

Day 11

Today, I am thankful for belated birthday gifts.

My card from my grandmother arrived. She packed it in a box and sent a stuffed pig with it (I like pigs, especially cute stuffed ones).

In my birthday card was some birthday money too. I've now had 3 different birthday dinners and 3 different people give me the exact same dollar amount for my birthday. Turning 30 has been profitable for me.

I'm not fully sure what Ace and I will do with my birthday money (I'm thinking possibly dress shirts for Ace for work, but I haven't mentioned it to him yet). I do know that this was something that touched my heart and I need to spend a bit more time on the phone with my grandmother later since I have briefly talked with her to thank her for her generosity and the phone call wasn't nearly enough to express my appreciation or to talk with her about anything.

But today, I'm celebrating mentally getting a belated birthday greeting and the love shown in the thoughtfulness of the gift given.

Day 10

Today, I am thankful for nudity.

After we move (January, I'm waiting somewhat impatiently for you), I'll get a lot more nudity in my life. I'll get to control the thermostat, so I can get it warm enough to walk around in my underwear and an undershirt if I want to.

I'm not particularly in love with being nude, but the lack of an ability to freely move about our current location in whatever I happen to be wearing is starting to grate on my nerves some. Soon, I'll be able to walk around naked if I want and that thrills me.

Come on, January. I'm ready to move already!

Day 9

Today I am thankful for my laptop.

Without my current laptop, even as inadequate as it is, I wouldn't be able to get online. I wouldn't be able to read blogs, play WoW, or write posts for NaBloPoMo. Without my computer, I'd be frustrated with little to do to entertain myself between the time Ace's goes to bed and the time I go to bed.

I may want a new laptop, I may have needed one for a while now, but I do appreciate the one I currently have. It's much better than nothing.

Day 8

Today, I am thankful for Midol.

Cramps suck! Midol helps.

Note: Midol is not paying me in either money or Midol to say their product works. In fact, I have to pay to use their product. This also sucks, except for the fact that their product does work and I stop hurting, so I'm not too upset about it. I just though I'd make it clear that Midol isn't paying me anything.

Day 7

Today, I am thankful for Ace.

He helps take care of me when I feel bad (right now, my sinuses aren't fully sure they want to allow oxygen in through my nose seemingly because it's cold). He makes me soup and hot chocolate and is all caring about making sure I'm doing well and starting to feel better.

He makes me laugh, even when I feel like crying (even when he's the one who made me feel like crying). He brightens my day. He talks in silly accents randomly, just to make me laugh. He works good paying jobs so I can be a housewife.

He listens to me when I need to talk and even normally listens when I start babbling. He teases, but will back off quickly when he can see it's not getting the desired response of a smile. He puts up with my quirks well most of the time, and encourages me to be a better person.

He's perfect for me and I wouldn't trade him for anyone else. He's my other half. He understands me better than anyone else, I'm fairly sure. He's seen me looking my worst and still finds me extremely attractive. He's the kind of spouse I know I should be more often, and the kind of man who will be a wonderful father.

I love you, Ace. Thanks for being MY husband.

Day 6

Today, I am thankful for God.

I originally intended to wait until day 7 for saying that I am thankful for God, but it seems somewhat appropriate to appreciate God on the Sabbath, even if I'm not Jewish.

God has been the one completely stable thing in my life. He has been with me from the beginning and will be with me. He helped me live through all the crap my mother said and all her insanity that I put up with for years. He brought me Ace at a time I desperately needed something good to start happening in my life. Since I've met Ace, I've had two stable influences.

God gave me strength when I started realizing that I probably needed to cut my mom out of my life. He gave me strength enough to actually cut her out about a year and a half later, when it was obvious that my mother could never give me her love and approval in any sort of recognizable way. He helped me patch my broken soul back together afterward when part of me wondered what was wrong with me that my own mother couldn't love me.

Since I've decided to leave the topic of my mother alone (seriously, I've poked at that tender area enough to realize that there was nothing healthy to be obtained by continuing to poke at it), God has been able to heal me even more. I can talk, briefly, about her without hurting. My mourning for the relationship I didn't have has passed and I'm just wondering why I held on to the relationship I did have for so long.

Through it all, the good times and the bad, God has been there for me. Even when I wasn't looking for him because I was too busy just trying to survive mentally intact. I can look back and see God's blessing on my life. I can look ahead and see what God's Word has promised me for my future.

I'm done looking back on my own life. There's nothing new to learn there. I'm looking ahead to God's promises and I'm moving toward them. And I know that God will be with me every step of my way. And for that, I am truly thankful.

Day 5

Today I am thankful for time with Ace.

Since Ace is working regularly now, I'm having to adjust to not having him around as much. It's been a few months since we've regularly had time apart like this. This change, while odd, is a good one to adjust to.

The time we now have apart makes our time together seem even more special, since there is less of it. It makes me appreciate him more when he is here, paying attention to me. It gives me an opportunity to miss him when he's gone. It helps keep me thinking of all his wonderful attributes. It makes it easier to overlook his shortcomings.

And when he gets extra time off, time neither of us was expecting him to have, it makes the day feel extra-special.

Day 4

Today I am thankful for sleep.

I will admit, this is not just something I am thankful for. After I mentioned my plan to be thankful for something unique each and every day for November, Ace suggested I be thankful for sleep.

He's right though. I am thankful for sleep. Even on those nights where I'm noticing insomnia, the nights that signal some emotional struggle coming on my horizon, I still appreciate getting to sleep. It's even more precious when I've been missing sleep for any of a variety of reasons.

Speaking of sleep, I should get some soon. See you tomorrow.

Day 3

Today, I am thankful for pleasant surprises in the mail.

Yesterday, Ace and I went to get our mail. This undertaking was made more difficult because of all the construction happening around Tulsa (How many different projects are they working on here?).

After Ace got our mail out of our box, he asked me if I had been expecting anything since I had suggested we go get our mail. I hadn't really, although my grandmother is supposed to be sending me a birthday card (or so I've been told).

It turns out I got a surprise piece of mail that made me smile.

Day 2

Today, the thing that I am thankful for is libraries.

I love to read. If I could, I'd happily spend all day reading/wandering around/shopping in a bookstore. I could find a book in almost every section of a store that I "need", and several in the humor and fiction sections. Since I'm not currently financial able to splurge on that kind of shopping spree (except in my dreams), I have to find ways to fulfill my reading habit for free. While the internet is great, as my many hours a day habit surfing it can attest, there is nothing quite like holding a book in my hands and reading it.

Tulsa's library system allows me to not only check out an extremely ridiculous amount of books at once (as I found out a few months ago, when I ended up with at least 8 books checked out all at once and I was trying to read them as quickly as possible), but they allow me to request a book be sent to my local library from anyone in the system for free. Apparently, for a very reasonable $1 a book fee, I can check out books from outside the Tulsa City-County library system too, although I'm not currently interested in finding any specific book enough to request that.

I currently have 3 books out of the library. Hershey: Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams (a biography of Milton S. Hershey of chocolate fame), The Men Who Stare at Goats (yep, a book on the same topic as the George Clooney movie that's based on a real government program), and The Picture of Dorian Gray (Do I need to tell you what this one is about? Google it, if you don't know!).

When I checked them out, I was sure I'd enjoy The Men Who Stare at Goats and The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I wasn't sure about Hershey. So far, Hershey is the only one I've read on (since I checked them out yesterday), but I'm greatly enjoying it. The author is mixing in a lot of history of the U.S./the world in with the biography so that it's easier to understand what events were surrounding Mr. Hershey's life and decisions. It's fascinating and I'm extremely glad I checked the book out.

I'm thankful for libraries. What are you thankful for?

Day 1

Today, I embark on a tradition that I have done 2 years before this. Today, I start posting everyday for a month.

If I was saner, I'd do this in February, when there are only 28 or 29 days (not much savings of time). Instead, I'm doing this in November, because while I have at least one novel to write, I'm not going to try to write it in just 30 days. I'm not that crazy.

In addition to making a determination to post every day in November, I've just decided to push myself into posting something different I'm thankful for each day, hopefully with an explanation added to why I'm thankful for each thing (but that's not going to be a guarantee, because I have a feeling there will be at least one day I'm thankful that I'll be moving soon).

For day one, I'm thankful for an idea to tie this whole month together. Normally my posts are random from day to day, so it'll be nice to focus on something here for more than a day or two. It'll also be nice to focus on the good things in my life for a while.

See you later.

Who Says I'm Fully Sane?

I'm doing NaBloPoMo again. It's crazy, because I've been ignoring this blog way more than I should this past year.

But I'm going to post everyday in November.

What am I thinking?

It Only Takes One

I went to turn the light on, but nothing happened. Well, there was a flash as the bulb turned on, but it went off just as quickly. The light bulb was burnt out.

I head to the pantry to find a new bulb, since there were light bulbs in the pantry the last time I looked for one. After a careful search, there were no light bulbs there any more.

I move back to the bedroom, to try moving some wires to see if that will magically fix the light bulb. It doesn't. Convinced that I must have just missed seeing them, I head back to the pantry to search once more. There were still no light bulbs to be found.

Just as I'm about to give up on finding light bulbs and will have to wait until Ace gets home to have an overhead light in my room, I decide to check the garage (I've pulled the old bulb out of the socket to throw away, but for some reason I am carrying it around). I don't really remember there being light bulbs there before, but one never knows where they might find a bulb.

I look around the garage. At first, I don't notice the light bulbs, but they soon catch my eye. Triumphantly, I grab the package and tear the plastic wrap surrounding them and pull out a bulb. I walk back into the house, carefully keeping the new bulb separated from the old bulb so I can tell them apart. I return to the socket, put in the bulb, pull the cord, and I have light!

So Far, 30 Rocks

I know, I've only been 30 for a day, but it has been so cool. Last night, my in-laws took me out to a nice dinner (I got to choose a restaurant). Dinner was nice, it was really relaxed. We all enjoyed our food. Then, we had cake (that my father-in-law baked and my mother-in-law iced) after my in-laws got home from church.

Tonight, Ace and I are going on a date (something I'm hoping gets to be a more regular thing from now). We're going out to another nice restaurant (that I've gotten to choose). We're spending the night in a hotel, so we can have some alone time. We're planning on getting me birthday cheesecake slices to celebrate my birthday.

Then, on Sunday, we're taking a day trip to visit my dad & step-mom. So, my birthday celebration seems to just be growing some.

And now I need to go, because I've got a hotel to go check into.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my 30th birthday.

Instead of focusing on the past, as I've done far too often, I'm going to focus on the future.

In the next few months, I expect that Ace and I will be living on our own again, and will stay that way. We've found apartments we like, they are reasonably priced, and they come with a washer and drier in the apartment (something that seems rare for apartments).

In the next year, I expect that Ace and I will get a second car and will fix our current car's electric and heater problems.

In the next year, I expect that Ace and I will probably be getting ready for a baby (because I am an optimist).

In the next year, I expect Ace and I will start paying off our debts. Even if we aren't fully out of debt in a year, we'll be in a much better position than we are now.

In the next few months, I expect a new laptop and a new one for Ace too. We've needed them for at least the last year.

So, there you go. Those are my expectations for the next year.

Flowing with the Waves

I'm starting to feel a little ridiculous. People are talking pregnancy and babies, which is great. I'm not feeling jealous, I'm just feeling happy for them.

And then the crash of sadness hits me because I'm just finishing up my period. And I'm turning 30 in less than a week. And I still don't have a baby in my arms. And, and, and...

It's frustrating on one hand because I still have plenty of years in which to have kids and I know this. On the other hand, I've got my biological clock ticking LOUDLY in my head and it doesn't seem to want to SHUT UP!

So, I'm trying to find a middle ground between joy for others and sadness for myself (something that isn't helpful). I'm letting those waves of emotions wash over me and letting them go. I am being patient, again, still.

I'm discovering how many things bring up a random, confusing swell of emotions. I'm letting the emotions flow like waves. I'm learning how to focus more on my goals and plans than on my current circumstances.

Strained

Dinner, which I have finished eating, but no one else has, has been strained tonight. Ace is frustrated because he cooked the main dish, but his mother didn't trust him enough to make sides to go with it. Ace is also frustrated because cooking dinner was sprang on him this afternoon with no time to mentally prep for it. Plus, his mother wasn't exactly tactful on how she started fixing side dishes.

My mother-in-law is upset because she assumes that Ace was only planning on putting some green beans as a side dish for steak and her blood sugar would dip too low throughout the night if that's the case (she's diabetic, so this is a concern, but she's not going to bed for several hours so she would have plenty of time to eat more food). Also, her blood sugar was low before we started eating (but didn't think about having some of the orange juice she's got in the fridge for these occasions).

I ate quickly and am now hiding in the bedroom to avoid the stress of any arguing going on out there. I'm also trying not to take it personally that the only person I see on a daily basis who seems to remember that my birthday is coming up is Ace. After all, it's only the same day as my in-laws only grandchild.

I don't think there is enough chocolate in this house to make this evening seem better right now. If only there were someone else we could be temporarily living with.

News Bites

Hey, everyone. I'm still alive over here, I've just been distracted with things lately (like trying to figure out how the next few months are going to go). Things are still up in the air a bit. So, in lieu of a normal post, I'm going to give you news bites.

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The count of dead mice found in various parts of this house is up to 3. I'm so ready to be out of here.

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Today, Ace and I went to the Tulsa State Fair. I find the name ironic, since Tulsa isn't a state. It was fun.

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Ace and I looked at an apartment complex this week. We really liked the apartments we saw and are thinking of moving in there after the new year. Unfortunately, that's farther out than I'd like it to be.

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Ace and I now have a TV sitting in our room. It's on the desk, between our monitors. I'm happy about this, but it's going to take some getting used to. The whole TV thing was my mother-in-law's idea, which was really nice of her.

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I've been playing lots of World of Warcraft lately, which is part of the reason I've been busy and not posting here.

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So, yeah. That's where things stand. Sorry the first thing on my news bites was so gross.

How Much Do You Share?

I'm thinking about what things to share with my future kids about my past. I'm wondering how much I should tell them about why I don't talk to my mother (if I'm still not talking to her). How much do I talk about depression and it's various appearances in my life? Do I try to describe how I feel when everything feels so hard to do, even making a sandwich? And how do you describe something like that?

Do I tell them of my weak moment a few years ago, where I considered doing something stupid and dangerous because it seemed better than just talking to my husband and admitting that I wasn't up for what he was asking me to do? Do I let them know that it's okay to find that idea scary, because I still find it scary today when I'm in a much better frame of mind?

Where do I draw the lines? Do I talk about why I've been reluctant to ask for professional help? Do I admit that a big problem is that society paints needing professional help as being weak or wrong and their mother doesn't want anyone to see her as weak? How do I let them know that this is a human failing, as is the avoidance of getting help?

I know they need to know that depression does run in my family, that if I suffer from it, even occasionally, that they could suffer from it too. I know they need to know that it's a good thing to get help, to get diagnosed, to not just suffer. I know that I need to be a good example by doing the same. I know that talking with someone would probably help my anxiety and stress levels too, especially since they are all likely related.

I know all this, but what I don't know is how much of my past am I supposed to share. How much do I say before I'm placing a burden on them instead of sharing information that they need to help their world make more sense? Where are the lines? Unfortunately, I don't think there is anyone who can tell me that. I'll have to figure it out as I go along.

But if you have some ideas as to where to start drawing some of those lines, won't you help me out?

Somedays Are a Struggle

I'm finding myself struggling lately to do basic things for myself (like eating lunch when Ace isn't here to help me find & fix something). I'm not quite sure why I'm struggling so much, but almost everything seems so big and hard that it's hard to convince myself to do much besides surf the internet all day.

And it's silly, because I know that we are getting so close to being back on our own. Ace has an interview this afternoon for a job selling houses for the builders. I'm not sure what all the job would require him to do (other than work weekends), but it's something he would enjoy and should pay enough for us to be on our own.

Even knowing this, it still seems so difficult to not spend time either at my laptop or curled up in bed with a book and an opportunity to nap. I'm not sure I want to talk to a psychiatrist, because I'd rather not have to be put on drugs. But a part of me is wondering if I might need them, because I know things aren't supposed to be this hard and I'm not supposed to be this tired all the time. I'm feeling grouchier lately too, finding it easy to get upset by Ace making innocent comments. I don't like what I'm seeing in myself and I want it to change, while at the same time wanting to shut the world out because it feels like that would be easier.

Somehow, I have a feeling easier would actually be worse for me in both the long run and the short term than just getting over myself and getting some help. I'm less than thrilled to say that any professional help will have to wait for a while, until other more urgent matters are taken care of first. Which does not mean that I plan on allowing myself to wallow in laziness, it just means I need somebody to push me to do what I know needs to be done.

Control and the Lack Thereof

I know I've been gone for 10 days (What have I been doing? Um, not much really. Fighting off depression some, playing lots of World of Warcraft, taking a day-trip to OKC, and realizing I should never watch any shows called Hoarders because they depress and overwhelm me), but I've not really had anything to say. Sometimes, there just isn't anything blog worthy going on in my life.

Ace and I talk, a lot. Yesterday, we talked about control, a subject that is somewhat hard to talk about, but is important none the less.

I had to admit that sometimes I feel bits of my fighting themselves. There's the control freak, who gets frustrated by the idea of giving up what little control I feel I have sometimes. A big part of my brain screams at me that it's wrong to let that control go and relax, because what if x or y or z happens? What will I do then?

On the other hand, I've got that part of me that feels like telling everyone and everything to go bother someone else about all this stuff. I'm not in charge, nor do I want to be. I want to relax and be stress-free for a while. And that's all well and good until the inner control freak starts freaking out that I'm giving up control.

I think we've come to the conclusion that I need to start giving up control of some things in a controlled environment (reading that sounds like I'm doing things backwards, but it's probably the best way to relax more). The situation is more about trusting that I can relax and give away some control and things will still be okay. It's hard to explain, without getting into details that I'd rather keep private, but it's important that I learn to let go.

If I can start letting go in one area, I can start letting go in another. Then I can reduce my stress levels significantly, and when I sleep at night I'll feel rested. I can't keep doing what I've done in the past and expect different results, so I need to change something.

Things I'm Grateful For

1. A husband who loves me enough to stop playing his game and cuddle with me.

2. An iPod full of good preaching.

3. Solving my mouse problem without spending more money.

4. Having access to a hot tub when I'm sore and hurting (or just wanting to get in a hot tub).

5. Knowing that God has a plan for me.

6. That my in-laws did get Ace and I shirts while they were on vacation.

7. Finding someone else who doesn't like watermelon (there are at least two of us now, and I'm not quite as weird as I once was).

8. Getting a chance to realize that my father-in-law is pretty decent in general, he's just frustrated with his wife most of the time (I think).

9. My father, step-mother, brother, and sister all love me.

10. Going to church again, even if it is just on Wednesdays for now (girl's got to have some alone time with her hubby). Especially when I hear a message I need to hear, even if my metaphorical toes are a little squished afterward.

11. Getting reminded that I need to see myself with God's eyes instead of my own (or my mother's).

12. Praise and worship.

13. That God rocks, even if my socks stay on.

14. That being grateful for one thing leads me to being grateful for something else, until I have a nice long list.

15. That I've gotten to do some amazing things in my life, including helping build 4 different church buildings, go on a cruise, and get married to an amazing man.

16. Inside jokes. (jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj) (No, I'm not explaining that joke today, that's why it's an inside joke.)

17. Having a husband that can make me laugh, even when I'm feeling like crying.

18. Having a husband who will hold me close when I'm crying.

19. Stories about kids that make me laugh and daydream about the day I'll have those same kind of stories.

20. Having a place to sort out my thoughts and share them with the world.

In Which a Line Is Thrown

I struggled the past few days. I've been fighting off depression and doubts about myself that had been creeping up on me while I had been distracted with something else. They are sneaky like that.

Anyway, I had been trying to go to some services of a conference at a local ministry the past few nights. I skipped Wednesday night, because I was busy fight off cramps and trying to find center emotionally (my period seems to have arrived a week early, I think). It wasn't a time for trying to focus on my spiritual side. Thursday, Ace and I went to the service, and I started crying twice before the actual service started. We left before the actual service started too, and I cried part of the way home. After we got home I cried some more, and then Ace and I talked and I started to feel better.

Friday, I wasn't sure I would make it through the service. Instead, I stayed home and watched it online (something I didn't think about doing on Wednesday). I managed to make it through the whole thing without crying, so I had hopes for Saturday night. I did realize that I needed to go Saturday, no matter what. So, Saturday comes and we go to the services. We got seated on the end of a pew (which was nice because I ducked out once to try to get my emotions back under control). I had clearly been remembered (Who would forget the one person carrying a throw pillow?), since I was asked if this seemed like it would work better for me. Over all, I did well. I only cried once and didn't bother anyone when I cried.

At the end of the service, I talked to some people who greatly helped me start feeling better about life in general. One of our friends offered to put us up in their home when/if we ever go down to visit them (they live in Mississippi). In fact, they said all we needed to do was pay for the gas to get down there, so we're hoping to make it down there sometime before the year is over. Then, we talked to another friend who obviously was extremely concerned about how I have been doing. She recommended some things and I'll be taking her advice to heart.

After probably floundering around emotionally, draining both my spiritual resources and my emotional ones, I finally have a line guiding me back to the shore. I have a feeling that I got exactly what I needed from the services tonight. It helped to be reminded how much God loves me, from multiple sources. I may not be where I want to be emotionally or spiritually (or physically) yet, but I now know how to get there from where I am at. And that makes all the difference.

Swept Away by the Tide

Despite Ace and I planning copious amounts of sex while his parents have been gone, it hasn't really happened. Mostly because we are both kind of lazy at times. Also, it's hard to get in the mood when there is a ton of stuff around. The abundance of TV channels hasn't helped either.

Instead, I've ended up on an emotional roller-coaster. I've been fighting off depression, or something equally bad, for most of the past week and a half. I'm wanting to just lay around and not do much. Starting my period today hasn't helped either.

I feel like I've been unexpectedly swept away by the tide of my emotions. I'm struggling, trying to find where the shore is again. It's difficult to hold on to any hope when this happens.

So, I'm going to try to hold on for now and wait for my hormones to calm back down some.

Metamorphosis

One of the things I love the most about reading my cousins' blogs is that they say things that make me think. They talk their way through their thought process and occasionally say something that spark a desire for me to come here and post something where I'm working my way through my thought process.

One of my cousins is struggling with transitioning mentally between being true to herself and being a mother. She's trying to figure all of it out and is wondering if anyone transitions to motherhood painlessly (not talking labor here, just going from being wife to wife and mother). I think she's fairly certain that no one does.

It's got me thinking. I'm not sure that the metamorphosis has to be painful, but I think that most women find themselves transitioning somewhat suddenly. There wasn't a lot of planning or waiting for their children. It seems that, for me at least, the idea of being a mother and transitioning into doing what needs to be done in that role are things that are longed for, even when I know that there are things that I won't love doing. The person/people I would be doing them for make it worth it.

I hesitate to say that I speak for anyone else. It seems, based on things I've read elsewhere, that my desires are not isolated to just me. But just because I feel this way doesn't mean everyone else does. I think that while my cousin is struggling with her transition, I'm frustrated because I feel like I'm being held back from mine. I guess these differences are the type of things that keeps the world interesting.

New Day, Old Tune

Earlier (like over 12 hours ago) I started talking about stuff that I've talked about before. Ace, while patient at first, eventually got to the point where he wanted me to stop focusing on negative stuff.

It seems I have a problem from time to time where I want to go back over stuff I can't do anything about and talk/complain/analyze it all over again as if I'll find something different than I've found in the past. It's stupid and pointless and something I'd talk to a therapist about if I had one, but I don't because they would probably want to start with having me rehash all my past that is better left alone.

Surprisingly, I am much less stressed, despite rehashing old stuff. It was kind of helped me to see what characteristics the important people in my life have and what characteristics just hold me back. I don't need to spend a lot of time around people who tell me what they think I should do about my relationship with my mother. They don't realize that I've already grieved for my losses there and am trying to move past the regrets that I have for letting her hurt me as long as I did. They don't know that I'm doing the best I can to protect me and my family.

I've told Ace more than once that part of me wishes my mother had been physically abusive instead of just emotionally abusive. If she had hit me, there would be a lot fewer people who would suggest I endure/recreate a relationship with her, because they would understand that physical abuse is wrong. Emotional abuse is just as bad though. There are no scars to show, but that doesn't mean there are no scars. Emotional abuse is harder to get past, because you need people building you up to undo the tearing down. It takes a long time to start feeling mostly whole, and I still have days where I see my flaws more clearly than my attributes. Healing seems to be an unending process.

I feel blessed to have found Ace. He's so supportive and caring. He's being more patient than he feels like while trying to let me sort through everything. He's doing good at not just telling me to get over it, even though there are times I'm sure he'd like to. He offers constructive criticism to help me become a better person and offers solutions instead of just pointing out the problems. I recognize that I'm blessed to have not fallen into the trap of dating/marrying an abusive man, potentially thinking that I deserved no better for myself. I recognize that I was blessed with a strong spirit, to not survive but thrive in life despite the bad times.

I'm rambling and rehashing stuff again. I should probably be in bed, asleep, instead of sitting on a couch and writing about all of this. But I'm not sure I'd have been able to sleep without trying to get my thoughts on these subjects organized in such a way that I can acknowledge those thoughts and dismiss them, either forever or for another time. Now that I've done that, I think I hear a bed calling me.

Later.

Alone At Last

Ace's parents left about an hour ago. By 3, Ace and I had cleared off the couch and moved our laptops back into the living room.

I am currently relaxing wearing less clothing than I normally wear. Ace and I are cooling off before we do much of anything else. We have no set time frame for the plans we have. The most important part for us is that I relax and completely de-stress.

Ace and I are alone at last. The past two or three days have been LONG and SLOW. But it doesn't matter, because we are now alone.

Less Than 72 Hours, But I May Scream

It's getting close to nearly 2 weeks of alone time with Ace. I think I may be going slightly crazy waiting for them to get out the door.

Today, my brother-in-law came to deliver the iPad he convinced my mother-in-law she needed (and after playing with hers he wants one, which may have been part of his thinking process all along). Ace and I are pretty sure she would do better with a laptop (and it would be more useful after they get back), but whatever. Instead of dropping it off, visiting until my in-laws went out, and then going home, my brother-in-law stayed all day. And he kept unintentionally interfering with my plans. I couldn't shave shortly after I got up, because then I'd be forcing 4 people to use 1 bathroom. Then, after I shaved, I couldn't watch TV (my in-laws were out of the house) because he was taking a nap in the living room (and Ace and I couldn't have sex, because he was here).

To top off my frustration, when I went into the bathroom shortly before he left, he had left the seat up (because he's single and doesn't think about the fact that I use that bathroom too). It was stupid and not a big thing, except it was just one more thing that shows that he spent today thinking about himself for the most part and not the people around him. And since I'm already too tense waiting for everyone to leave, it was just one thing too many for me to want to deal with. I was feeling bitchy and sarcastic and annoyed by almost everything already, so you can see how I might be less than charitable in my thinking about him after that.

I've never been so happy to not be going on a trip in my life.

A Break

I have no real reason why I haven't been posting lately, other than I've been a little too caught up in my own head.

Everything has been jumbled up inside me for the past month. I'm not sure where it's going, but it's been keeping me fairly quiet everywhere lately. I think Ace is getting a little concerned about me, since I'm not normally this introspective. Something is percolating, but I'm not quite sure what it is.

I have made a decision though. I'm taking a break from Facebook next week, when my in-laws go out of town. I don't know how long the break will be, but I feel the need for two or three days away from there. Maybe some of the hurts that are still under the surface can heal with that break.

I just know that I've felt emotionally tired for most of the last month and I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of being on the edge of fighting off depression. I'm fairly certain a break will help a lot with that. Ace is, as always, supportive of my decision.

Hopefully, I'll have more to say as I take a break from FB and spend more time in the real world. If nothing else, it'll free up more of my day for playing WoW with Ace, something I know will make him happy.

The Garage Sale 2: The Quickening Part 2

Well, as it happened last time, I spent about an hour in the heat and then came inside because I felt nauseous from the heat (I sat where I was being hit most of the time by 3 fans, and I still got overheated faster than I would have liked). My body does not take well to heat.

On the plus side, all that teaching stuff is out of here and isn't coming back (or it will be out of here when the trash gets picked up/it gets donated/something other than it staying here). Ace made the big sale of the weekend of $50 for a bunch of books. If only my mother-in-law was getting rid of more than just her old teaching supplies.

In a week and a half, Ace and I get a 2 week break from the in-laws because they are going on vacation. I'm counting down the days in my head. I know that it's not that far away, but it feels a little like it is. Ace and I have plans for while we're alone (sex, cleaning out the fridge again, sex, cleaning out the pantry, sex, non-fried foods, sex, and did I mention we plan on having sex?). The timing should be really good for potential baby-making, which is exciting.

So, 10 more days until we're alone. I should have a big smile permanently on my face for most of those two weeks. And my stress levels should be extremely low, which is great for my health (mental, physical, and emotional). And 2 weeks of parking in the garage so our car isn't HOT when we get in it! Life is looking good.

The Garage Sale 2: The Quickening

Or My Mother-in-Law May Not Live Through the Weekend

After the last disaster of a garage sale, we're having another one (during the hottest month of the year). This one is happening right around the time school is about to start, and apparently that's helped greatly as it's already paid for the advertising for itself.

On the other hand, I may kill my mother-in-law before the weekend is over if she keeps talking to me like I'm an idiot (or, according to Ace, she may kill herself first, it's apparently a toss up there). I'm already frustrated because I'm really freaking hot and that seems to be lowering my threshold for my temper (not to mention feeling icky because I'm hot and my stomach doesn't like the heat).

So far, my mother-in-law was annoyed that I didn't get up and come help right away with setting up the garage sale (I slept about an hour longer than Ace did, even though I got up 105 minutes later), but chose to shave my legs like I had originally planned before she said she wanted to start setting up the tables at 8 am (they really needed it, plus I'm less hot with less hair). She made a comment (as I was getting out of the tub) about me not going out their and sweating like everyone else (because that's supposed to make me want to help, right?). Today, she seems to be trying to get on my nerves, which are close to the surface as I'm still struggling a little to get past the frustration of everyone expecting me to understand things all the time.

I'm trying hard to cool off, both literally and figuratively, before attempting to go back outside. Nicely, I have laundry that really needs to get washed today, so it does give me good reason to be inside some. Too bad I only have 2 loads of laundry to do.

(As for my first title, I figure it's better than calling this garage sale Electric Boogaloo. But you can call it that if you want to, I don't mind.)

I Think Ace Has a Point

Sunday, I had a fairly bad day emotionally. Between my hormones raging and my mother-in-law being selfish, I found it hard to find some calm middle ground. It didn't help that at a point that I desperately needed a little bit out of the house, Ace needed some rest because his mother wanted boxes moved to the garage for the upcoming garage sale (we're going to try selling off all her excess teacher stuff, which should work better since school is about to start/has started for the Tulsa area). She had originally said she wanted 3 boxes moved, it ended up being closer to 12 (because she can't count?).

Later that night, we went out. Ace and I talked some and he came up with a theory (also, he got us a chocolate shake). Ace's theory is that his mother is subconsciously trying to kill his father. It seems somewhat likely, since every time she seems to decide we need to do something that stresses me out is around the same time my father-in-law starts behaving in a friendlier manner.

Since then, we've remembered him telling us that she keeps dropping papers around her chair (at the dining room table) which he keeps slipping on. She also likes putting things on the step that leads into the house, which is a tripping hazard for everyone. Ace's mother also seems to realize that she does better with us when she asks us to do things and does them around our schedule instead of just on her own timetable, and based on our abilities instead of just her desire. Her own husband doesn't get that kind of consideration, apparently.

So, yeah. That's how it is here right now. Aren't you jealous of my life?

On Being Quiet

Lately (okay, the past three or four days), I've been not talking about what I really want to, even with Ace. It's not because I think Ace would be upset, I just don't quite know how to express the things I want to say.

I'm normally a fairly quiet person. I can spend lots of time being silent, or nearly silent, and be perfectly content with that. And then, as Ace can attest, I'll turn around and talk your ear off because I've been quiet and all these words have been building, and the dam I put up to hold them back can't hold them anymore and they all come spilling out. And after that, I'm content to be quiet for another few days, letting the process start all over again.

My only real problem with this cycle is when I can't seem to find the right words to express myself. Then I start feeling frustrated and flustered. And I start talking about other things, less important things, because I can find the words to express myself about them. Or I stay quiet longer and start to mentally fold into myself, which leads to fighting off depression.

I am quiet, but that is only one side of me. I'm still finding new facets of my personality and exploring what they mean. I guess that's something we're all doing (or avoiding doing). And in the end, I guess that as long as I am trying to figure out who I am and what I believe and why I believe it, I will figure out what it is that I'm supposed to be doing here on this earth.

And That's Why We Must Move Soon

Monday, I spent the day baby-sitting for my friend Karen (remember, she's my massage therapist/friend). Overall the day went well, with only a few brief problems. I was happy that it was to be a one day only affair (instead of something happening for the better part of two weeks). I got home that evening and was tired.

During the afternoon, Karen came back by her house for lunch. She invited us to go to a church with her sometime soonish. She's the second person to do so in the past month. She pointed out that it was probably God trying to get us to go back to church regularly, but understood when Ace pointed out that the only alone time we get is during church hours (he whispered it so that her kids wouldn't hear). She totally gets why sex is an important part of marriage.

But, I do agree with her. God wants us in a church. We want us in a church too (we even have a church in mind). We just need to get out of my in-laws house.

In Which I Am Alone

Oh my word, people! It's the quietest day ever over here. My in-laws are out shopping with my niece for back-to-school clothes. Ace is out getting trained (I think). I have spent most of my day reading about the 60s.

On the plus side, I'm feeling much better emotionally and much less like I'm going to snap at someone. On the minus side, I'm starting to feel a little lonely. I guess I could go watch some more TV.

Okay, I have a plan. I'll watch TV and read my book during commercials and try not to call my husband to find out where he is now.

"I Understand"

I'm beginning to get tired of a two word phrase in my vocabulary: "I understand."

It's not so much that I have a problem with this phrase as much as I have a problem with what it ends up meaning for my life. It means that despite someone telling me they would be somewhere or do something, it means they have some excuse as to why they can't/won't do it. It means they don't feel my time is as important as theirs is. And it's been going on for most of my life.

"We won't be coming because I don't want to upset your mother. After all, I have to live in the same town as her." I understand, but you don't know how much you hurt me with those two sentences. I've never gotten upset with you over seeing her, why should she get upset over you seeing me?

"X is sick." Okay, this is a legitimate excuse and thanks for not bringing a sick person around me.

"We're going to be out of town." Another legitimate excuse, told to me long before someone worrying about potentially upsetting my mother.

"We've got a cross-country trip this next week so..." 2 extremely young kids (one under 3 months old), okay it's kind of legitimate. Still painful.

"I've got so many people calling me for answers." And we're trying to help take that problem away, if you would just do the promised training!

I'm reaching an emotional breaking point, I can tell. And it's not anyone in particular who is going to push me over the edge, it's just seems like this whole thing is a never-ending demand that I just put up with one more person who wants something from me without finding out if I can handle it. I'm trying to hold on to my control, but I'm feeling it slipping some. I'm concerned that something innocent and stupid is going to cause a huge reaction from me that is totally out of proportion for the request and that I'll end up alienating someone who truly cares because my emotions are too messed up right now.

I'm doing my best to be patient and wait for the better times I see so close. I'm doing my best to drop my stress load. I'm doing my best, but it doesn't seem to be enough right now. I don't think my recent rash of reading tons of non-fiction books one right after another has helped any either. I think I need to finish the two books I currently have from the library and then Ace and I can have a talk about where I should go from there.

I'm tired. I'm tired of always being understanding, while at the same time feeling bad that I feel this way. I've been pushed too much for too long and I'm hanging on to the end of my rope. I'm practically exhausted emotionally, and I don't think I've got the space to express myself adequately (and I know I don't have the words). I'm tired and I'm hurting emotionally and no one but Ace seems to want to let me heal before making more demands/requests. I'm tired of people treating me like a doormat and deciding that "I understand" means "I approve" when it doesn't.

Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Express Your Frustration

The weekend was a success, over all. We had dinner with my siblings, my sister's boyfriend, and one aunt and uncle. I was fascinated throughout dinner with my uncle's tales and was happy that they had come. At the end of dinner, I felt like I had let my aunt (a different one) overstate how big the problem was. Things may not have been quite what I wanted originally, but they went well enough for what did happen.

On a completely different note, earlier Ace vented some frustration. Ace's mother was fixing dinner (tuna salad, which she felt needed boiled eggs for some reason) and needed some help with something (a common occurrence). Ace's father was too busy doing dishes to help her (they couldn't wait one more second, apparently). Ace got drafted to help, which was no big deal. Until his father decided to point out that Ace could have done the dishes. Ace got upset some because he's done the dishes several times with no recognition that he's done them from his parents. He's done several chores around the house without prompting, none of which have really been noticeably appreciated. I don't think the conversation was going to go anywhere constructive when Ace's mother called a halt to it.

Ace is a wonderful guy. He is almost as patient as the day is long (that is a phrase that I should look into sometime). There is, however, a point where he feels the need to get some recognition for things he's done (understandable, since we all get that way). It usually takes months of him feeling under-appreciated before he says anything to me (I'm working on being more appreciative). I think he has been pushed too much by his parents (especially his mother) the past few months. He's got good reason to be annoyed, especially since we've been eating out a lot lately so we haven't contributed to the most recent stack of dirty dishes for the most part.

I don't really know where to go with this, other than to say that I thought I would be the one to snap at his parents first. I'm getting tired of biting my tongue almost all the time.

Shaken

I have recently been trying to get back in touch with some of my family. In fact, I'm supposed to be having dinner with some of them Friday (tonight) and/or Saturday (tomorrow) night. Everything seemed to be going fairly well until a few hours ago.

One of my aunts and uncles went to lunch with my grandmother. She was excited about me coming into town and dinner. At least she was until she heard that my mother wasn't invited to dinner (she heard it from my mother, not my aunt and uncle). Then she got upset that my mother wasn't invited. I'm not sure my grandmother fully understands what's going on between my mother and I. I know that my dad had to tell her he wasn't part of it before she was fully okay with him again. I don't want to confuse my grandmother, so I'm not telling her what it's about (I'm not sure she would understand anyway).

Now, because of potential boat-rocking, my aunt and uncle are probably not coming to dinner. Sadly, this was only hours after they had determined that they would go to dinner with us (weird weekend shifts for my uncle mean weird sleeping patterns on the weekend, which meant they were originally not sure they were coming). My aunt is trying to play peace-maker and appease my upset mother (my sister told my mother, which got this whole thing rolling, but it's hard to get too upset with my sister since she is currently living with/dependent on my mother), and my aunt knows that I am much more forgiving.

So, instead of just being excited (and wondering why I haven't packed yet), I'm left feeling shaken because I didn't know my mother had the power to hurt me any more. I had thought cutting her out of my life would stop her ability to hurt me, and it has up until now. Now, she's managed to find a way to get to me because she's upset that I want contact with family again. I think. Who knows? Maybe she's just upset that I didn't invite her to dinner, which why would I?

Ace is frustrated, because there is little he can do to fix anything other than hold me while I cry and remind me that my mother hasn't shown any concern about finding out how I am from the avenue he suggested (apparently, she's getting all her news from my dad and probably my sister). He's trying to not get too upset with my family, but it's hard for him because he sees me hurting and they are causing at least part of it (inadvertently).

One of my cousins is excited to see me, so I know that I'll get to see her and my siblings. I'm trying to convince myself that if they are the only ones who show up, it's okay. Some of my relatives are/will be out of town and some have sick families to take care of. But even if others use lame excuses, at least I'll know there are some who really care about me and want to see me. And as much as I hate to think it, I'm fairly certain that this whole thing may damage some relationships that weren't on too stable ground already. Adding 5 years of not seeing/talking to/being around each other doesn't help.

I know that it would be easier for some people if I would just allow my mother back in my life. It would make them feel less in the middle. I'm not happy they are in the middle, but I'm not the one putting them there (I'm not asking them to choose a side). But I can't do something just because it would make other people's lives easier. I can't do something that I think is detrimental to myself to make others happier. I've done that enough in the past. I have to try to find my way and to do the things that are best for me and my family. Knowing that doesn't make things easier, but right isn't always easy. And I know I have to do the right things in order to make myself righteous.

I hope that people who know me know that I did not cut ties with my mother lightly. It was something I struggled with for a year. And there are times even now that I wonder if I should try to re-establish contact and ignore the past wrongs. But then I remember why that's not a good idea. I remind myself that it took me a long time to realize that most of my stress at the time was coming from that relationship. I've got to remember that I cut those ties for a reason. That I could not have a healthy relationship with my mother when she was so emotionally unhealthy.

I should probably go now. I've got to get some sleep before what's shaping up to be a few very long days with some pleasant patches thrown in. I'd like to look at least presentable for my cousin/siblings later.

Still Alive, Still Reading

I just thought I should pop on here to say that I am still alive, I just still have 4 more library books to read. After the next 2 I should be slowing down a bit more and might be able to post something here some.

See you in August!

Can't Post, Gotta Read

I've got 7 books to read (all from the library). I really should spend most of my time right now reading books, so posting will probably be sparse for a while (although, who knows? I could have lots to say tomorrow and post a long post about something).

Yay, books!

P.S.: I'll try to remember to tell you the story about not believing everything you read in your mail later.

Marriage Is Work, But It's Fun

Yesterday, Ace and I got to hear about marriage and how to build a stronger marriage (we love learning about how to strengthen our marriage). Nicely, we left feeling like we'd already figured most of the things we were being taught out before now and that our marriage was flowing fairly smoothly because of it. It did, however, inspire me to want to write about marriage some today.

One of the biggest things that seems to need saying is that no one can read another person's mind. If you are mad at me, there's probably a very good chance that I don't know exactly what I did to make you mad. Most people, usually women, get mad at their spouses and then won't say why they are mad. And that just complicates things for no good reason.

To be honest, I think the biggest thing that kills most marriages is that no one in that marriage is communicating clearly with their spouse. Ace and I occasionally miss what the other person said or have misunderstandings of the ideas trying to be communicated. But, instead of just getting mad, we try again to communicate with each other. It helps us communicate with other people better, because we are working on communicating within our own marriage.

As the pastor spoke, he mentioned that if the couples he would counsel would just communicate more (and be allowed to tell their spouse what changes they need in the relationship without anger being expressed over them), most of their problems would not exist. That doesn't surprise me. Ace and I talk a lot and we don't have many problems in our relationship because we don't let things fester. I don't continuously get onto him if he leaves his dirty socks out of the laundry, but I occasionally remind him that it really bothers me. He doesn't constantly tell me that I need to start doing X or Y more often (he has things for X or Y, but I'd rather not discuss them today), but he does remind me from time to time that he'd prefer it if I'd do them. We vent the frustration quickly and then we move on to other, more positive things.

Ace and I don't push each other's buttons when one of us is mad. We walk away from the discussion for a few minutes and calm down and then discuss it calmly and rationally (normally, I'm the one who feels the need to calm down, and I haven't needed to do that in years). There's passion in our conversations, but there isn't anger or hurt. We fix the cause and that pulls us closer together. So, for heaven's sake, talk to each other! Be honest and open, but respectful! This could help keep your marriage from being a negative statistic!

Now comes the exciting part of this post. I'm going to talk about sex. Men, if you want more sex, give your wife some non-sexual affection. You can go look up non-sexual now, we'll all wait. If you are wondering how that works, when a woman gets non-sexual affection, she starts to feel loved and cherished instead of feeling like she is just someone you want to have sex with. It starts making her want to return the affection, which leads to sex. If you try giving your wife non-sexual affection and it doesn't lead to sex within a week, I'll be happy to refund you your entrance fee for reading this post. Women, if you have sex with your husband, it will lead to more affection. I'm not sure how it works, but sex will somehow make your husband more interested in giving you hugs and kisses and holding your hand and all those other things he did when you were dating (if he didn't do those things, I'm not sure what to tell you, other than point out that if he does them, he'll get more sex).

While you are doing those 3 simple things, remember that while they may feel like you are doing a lot of work (and that it may only start out with one of you doing these things, because someone has to start the process), they quickly become easier until they become habits. And once they become habits, you should realize that they are fun. Sex is fun! Non-sexual affection is fun! Communicating is fun! Not needing to fight about things is fun. And more importantly, it helps you to have a more stable relationship. I know this, because Ace and I do this. We communicate openly and honestly, we show affection for each other, we have sex and both enjoy it. And we both want you to have all of that too.

Isn't a great, fun marriage worth a little bit of work? Especially when it saves you work in the long run?

Tomorrow

I've got things to talk about. Lots of words to type up and put out into the world. But not today. Today, I'm tired and I'm not going to write all these things while tired. I'm fairly sure I would mix my message up and everything would be all jumbled and not make sense.

Tomorrow, I'll go over my notes from earlier today. Notes about marriage and relationships and I'll write what I feel the need to say. I'll sit and write and tomorrow, I'll have a great post.

Today, I'm going to try to read on a book from the library. I'm going to relax and remind myself that all those things I want to say will come out more clearly tomorrow. I'll remind myself that I'll get my squishy piggy (that I sleep with) back tomorrow and that there is a reason why I don't normally take her on trips (I might forget to bring her back, like I did today).

Tomorrow should be another good day, as today has been. Tomorrow has a world of possibilities to it. I'm kind of looking forward to tomorrow.

I Don't Even Ask Anymore

Last Monday night/early Tuesday morning, I did laundry. When I went to move the clothes to the dryer, I found out that the washer had leaked. Of course, I found out the way I always seem to find out something is leaking, by stepping in the water and getting my foot wet (I really don't like my feet being wet, so I notice it right away).

I went to get Ace to check and make sure I wasn't going crazy (and to clean the water, because bending makes my back unhappy). He cleaned up the water and then went to tell his mom that the washer was leaking. I moved clothes to the dryer and tried not to think about it too much.

The next day, after my father-in-law came home, he was told about the washer and called up Sears (because they have a policy that Sears has to come out and fix things, but they will fix them for free, and will even order new parts for free, which is nice as long as you aren't in a hurry about having things like a fully fixed washer). It turns out that there is a small hole in the bottom of the washer that was letting a little bit of water out. The washer was bought in 1986 and they stopped making it in 1987. Since the warranty policy thing my in-laws have with Sears gives Sears up to two weeks to find a replacement part, we are currently stuck with a washer that can do half loads and needs a towel right there to soak up the water that will escape.

If Sears can't find a replacement part, I think they have to replace the washer (I'm not sure, I'm fuzzy on the details and we weren't here when the Sears' guy came and talked to them about it all). I get that a free washer is better than paying for a washer, but a washer without a hole in it is better than one that has a hole in it and a new washer could be delivered faster than a week or two while Sears searches for a part. But it's not my house and these are not my decisions, so I'm not going to ask about it. It wouldn't do any good anyway.

So, tonight I'm doing several half loads of laundry, trying to get all my clothes clean so that we can pack up and take a trip this weekend (we're going to Meno, OK, for a marriage enrichment seminar). I'm not sure it's going to be exciting, but it gets us away from the in-laws for 2 nights, so it's worth it to me.

I Breathe

At some point, a confrontation is going to occur. I know this, and hope that when it comes I'll have all the right things to say. That my anger and frustration don't overshadow my words. But that confrontation is for another day, so for now I breathe.

I focus on breathing in and out. I focus on closing doors, both mentally and physically, to give myself some relief from my almost constant source of stress. I remind myself that everything now is temporary and that I'm getting closer, so much closer to the place I want to be.

The pain is strong, stronger than I ever knew I could withstand. Right now my breathing is almost like a prayer. "Please God," I think. "Help me make it until the medications kick in. Give me a little relief." I try to focus on breathing through the pain and remind myself that soon I won't be hurting, I can make it, after it stops I can rest and let my body relax. I focus on breathing in and out and wait for something to take away the pain of cramps and backaches.

I breathe. I focus on breathing in and out because everything is too much and it's all louder/brighter/stronger than normal. I've been pushed too far physically and I'm just reminding myself that in just a few more moments I'll be allowed to rest, relax, and imagine that the world is kept at bay by a closed door. I'll be allowed to recover, physically and emotionally, with healing sleep so very soon, and for now I need to just breathe.

The past few weeks and months have been long and stressful. The only real word to describe them is long. Time seems to be almost slowing down. I'm struggling with holding myself together until Ace and I can get out of here. My emotional walls have taken a huge beating from me just trying to hold on for just a little while longer, to not be disappointed that perfect timing ended up with cramps and slight disappointment. I've been trying some to focus on just breathing more.

Breathe in, breathe out. Focus on breathing and nothing more. Don't think, don't move, just breathe. Find center again. Calm everything. Breathe in, breathe out. Ignore sound, ignore everything else, just breathe.

I Hope It Was Worth It

The grand total made at the garage sale: $1.50. They sold 5 books, and I took 10 more off their hands.

I hope my in-laws feel the whole garage sale was worth it. Because I'm pretty sure Ace and I don't.

The Garage Sale

Today is the day of the big, talked about garage sale. I don't think it's going well, but it's hard for me to judge since I'm inside, away from the garage sale (last I heard, 1 drive by and 1 guy trying to kill some time are all who've been here).

I tried people, I really did. I got up shortly after 7, I got dressed, fed, and outside by 8, and was back in the house shortly after 9. And I made a run to a local convenience station to get myself some Sprite in between going out to the garage and coming back in the house.

It doesn't help that my stomach has been somewhat touchy all week. Nor does it help that the donuts this morning were fine, but the energy drink made my stomach feel icky. So, I grabbed some saltines (which are still near me) and some peppermints (I'm currently sucking on one) and tried to will myself to be okay for the morning. As you can see, it didn't really work.

My stomach keeps violently suggesting that it would feel ever so much better if I empty it. I somehow doubt this is the case. I did let Ace know that he could come get me if they get a rush, but I'm not expecting to be needed, as no one seems to be interested in all these teaching supplies my mother-in-law has.

Hopefully, this means that at noon, Ace and I can go to our friends' house and help them with what they need and I can relax for the rest of the weekend (with a happier stomach, I hope). Hopefully, my mother-in-law will find another way to get rid of all this stuff (like donate it to a school) instead of keeping it here (this is probably less likely than my weekend relaxation plans).

On the plus side, Ace did apologize for making me go get my own drinks (he would have, but his parents didn't seem to understand that he should take care of his wife's stomach before helping with their garage sale). He was worried that I was pissed with him (I wasn't). That man genuinely loves me (not something I'm surprised about, but it sometimes needs to be said).

I'm off to find something else to look at while waiting for something exciting to happen.

Give and Take

After venting yesterday, I feel a need to point out that Ace is almost nothing like his parents. And the longer we live here, the more obvious that fact is.

Today, Ace needed us get a DVD player for him to get ready for Monday when he starts training at his new office. We got up, got dressed, and left to go looking for a good, used, portable DVD player (5 hours of some guy talking about leads, not something he wants to take over his parents TV or one of our laptops with). While we were out, we got breakfast for tomorrow (donuts, yum) and some energy drinks to help us stay awake tomorrow morning (his mother wants the garage sale to start at 8 a.m., most of this household is still in bed at 8 a.m. currently, so at least Ace and I will need something to help us stay awake).

After we got back, we found out that his mother cried when his father called to mention he would be a little late because we didn't leave a note when we left and she couldn't do everything on her own. She has our cell phone number programmed into her phone (I programmed it, so I know she has it, under Ace's name), but she never called us to find out what we were doing or if we could come back and help her. She just got frustrated and Ace got scolded as if he had done something wrong when he hadn't.

Ace spent most of the time we were gone trying to get something to start his training and thinking ahead and planning for tomorrow. His mother didn't use her head to remember that she had a cell phone with the number of the people she thought would help her (with only a little notice).

Last night, Ace and I went to the store to buy some ketchup (and get me out of the house for a while). We started discussing our plans on paying off our debts and potential investments. Because I didn't feel comfortable with Ace's first thought on how we would pay off our debts, he came up with another plan within 5 minutes that I was cool with and would help us not only be debt free (or nearly debt free) within the next 2 years, but would also allow us to start building up our net worth at the same time. A plan that made BOTH of us happy.

That's the kind of guy Ace is. He tries to find solutions that will satisfy more than just one person when possible. His parents usually end up only satisfying only one of them, which seems like it would be less satisfying to me.

And now I'm going to go. I've got things to do besides thinking about my in-laws (as if they would let me forget them right now!).

Later.

Sometimes I Just Need to Vent

This is a letter to my in-laws.

Hello,

I'm not going to call you dear anything, because at this point you aren't dear to me. I am daily trying to remind myself that you are being somewhat generous in letting Ace and I stay here while we are waiting on him to earn enough money to get us out of here. You are providing us food in addition to shelter, even if it's food we wouldn't normally choose ourselves.

I'm trying to remind myself that you do love Ace, somewhere in your hearts. That you see him (and by extension me) as something other than a servant to help you do whatever it is you want to do, but can't do on your own (and are going to do even if we have to do almost all the work). I'm trying to remember that you won't be able to decide to fill our weekends with stuff we really don't want do in just a short time, and that you aren't quite asking us to move the moon.

I'm trying to remember all of this, but I'm also trying to keep from yelling at you that you are driving your son away from you. You want to know why we don't visit? It's because you have a way of driving people away by making everything all about you. You've managed to do something in 3 months that my mother took over 20 years to do, I'm ready to cut you out of my life because you obviously don't really care that much about me.

It's obvious that you don't see me as someone you would have chosen for a son you keep telling, in words and actions, that you don't think is very bright. You probably think that I'm mooching off of your son and that since I haven't provided you with any grandchildren that I'm not really good for anything. I don't really care what you think of me, your opinions don't matter to me, it does sting a little that you have so little confidence in your son and his decision making abilities.

While Ace and I admit that we have some blame in our current financial situation, we also recognize that he has found not 1, but 2 well paying jobs in a fairly short time frame given the current job market. Both jobs have meant that I would have been able to not work, something that is fine with your son even if it's not fine with you. One of your other sons is still trying to find a job, while Ace has mostly spent the past few weeks waiting on background checks to be finished so he could schedule that test you thought he'd fail the first time around. He passed, of course, because he is good at remembering whatever it is he puts his mind to remembering.

I am getting tired of you planning my life for me while I'm staying here. I know you want to have your precious garage sale, and you have apparently decided that it will be this Saturday. Good for you. You didn't ask Ace or I if we had plans before you made these decisions, so why do you assume that we are free to help you (and that we're happy to help you for free)? It just so happens that we don't have plans, but that's beside the point. You are supposed to ask people before you assume they can do whatever it is that you want from them. Our schedules and plans aren't supposed to revolve around you, just like yours aren't supposed to revolve around us. But when you want our help, you should at least include us in the planning of such an event.

I'm ready to leave your house, and if I had my way I would never return. However, that is not purely up to me. Ace has acknowledge that I may get a month away from you before we potentially join you for lunches on Sundays. I'm still angling to only have lunch once a month, as that is way more often than I really want to see you, but we'll see. Ace is only pushing for twice a month, so you can see that even he is getting sick of your stuff and how your moods dictate everything in this house.

I'm going to go now. I'm feeling a little better, even though I know you'll never read this. Even if you did, I doubt you would recognize yourselves. But some of these things needed to be said.

M.A. Smith

P.S.: I wish I was making most of this up. It's really hard living here because it's true. Now to just make it through Saturday and maybe next week will be a much better week.

Huge... Tracts of Land

Today, I went and got fitted for a bra. It had been over 5 years since I last got measured. I am now wearing a 38G. It's a jump up on band size, but now "the ladies" as they are called (they are too big to be girls) are sitting where they are supposed to.

We also ordered 3 more bras (we've only bought one for now, as our finances and the store's stock dictated), which we should be able to get over the next two months, and will probably order more after that to get me enough to last a full week.

I'm sure that there will be a time of adjustment as I get used to the new location of the ladies. My back will have to adjust to feeling less stress (yay!). I'll have to adjust to the tightness of the band (I can still easily breathe, but it is snugger than my old bras are). But all of that is worth it, especially since these bras are affordable, in my size, and come in some colors besides just white (nude, black, red, and mocha... I've ordered another white, a nude, and a black for now).

Ace is ready for some alone time, I'm just ready for my body to be adjusted to the new sensations. But, now I know my current bra size. I know where to go if I lose weight and need new bras, or get pregnant and need nursing bras. And I know that they can work with me on ordering bras and paying for them as my finances allow, which is wonderful for now and hopefully won't be needed in the future. And I feel comfortable enough with them to come back to Tulsa for new bras when we eventually move back to Springfield.

If you live in Tulsa and need a bra, head to the Bust Stop. (I did not get paid anything for this, I'm just really impressed with their service. Although, if they do want to pay me in bras, we can work something out.)

A Brief Moment of Levity

Today has been an up and down day. Ace passed his test, which is great, but his dad ended up being in an accident (the guy tried to blame my father-in-law, but he was at fault, as the witnesses said). We got to see a friend and he helped fix a few things about our room to make it better while we're here, but Ace's mother decided that plain leftovers from yesterday weren't good enough and ended up making something with some of the hot dogs that I didn't like for dinner (again, which makes me feel a little like she's trying to slowly starve me to death). And I managed to burst some blood vessels in my tongue trying to drink a shake, so it was a really mixed day.

Anyway, after all this, Ace and I needed something light hearted today. And it came when we were talking on the bed.

Me: Congratulations on passing your test.
Ace: Thank you.
Me: And on getting a job.
Ace: You're welcome.
Me & Ace: (copious amounts of laughter).

And then, about 5 minutes later, after some other randomness, I said, "You're welcome and thank you." And then we laughed again. Then, "This is going on my blog."

Good News and Odd News

Ace passed his test!!!!! (I'm a little excited, does it show?) He starts training next Monday, but he goes in to the office Thursday to meet everyone he'll be working alongside/with. I'm now married to an official insurance salesman.

The only other thing on my mind right now is my mother-in-law's FaceBook status last night. "Had the family over for lunch today. I really did enjoy it. We ate in the tea house. it was a little hot, but we had a fan." A little hot was not fully taken care of by a fan, and that was made obvious someone (me!) feeling ill before lunch was over. It's not really a big deal, I know, but it is at the same time, for a variety of reasons.

It's July, Of Course It's Hot!

Today, we had the cookout. Technically, it's not over yet, as there are still people here who came for the cookout, but all the social aspects have pretty much petered out.

Because this was all about my mother-in-law, we had to eat outside. When I get hot, I stop eating (because my stomach tells me it's full, even when it's not, to avoid emptying itself). My father-in-law has a heart condition that gets aggravated by the heat, but he was in charge of grilling outside before we all ate outside (which was probably a bit much, but he seems to be doing fairly well).

Not surprisingly, before I was finished with the food on my plate (a hamburger and 3 deviled eggs, so not much), I was done. Before Ace was finished with his food, I was ready to come back inside (he had a bite of his hamburger left, I let him finish before making him move to let me out). I then stretched out for a little bit on the couch (with fans on) before realizing that I should move to the bed to be more out of the way (instead of taking up the whole couch when there is limited seating in the living room).

Nicely I've cooled off. I finished my hamburger. The only one besides Ace to show concern that I wasn't feeling well was our niece (although, my father-in-law did ask after I got up this morning how I was doing, which was nice of him).

My mother-in-law thought that one fan would cool everybody off enough to eat outside in July. The air from it never felt particularly cool, just less hot. And while the heat alone would not have been bad, the humidity added to the heat was more than my body could handle. If I had been fine yesterday, I would probably had done better today. Probably.

Basically, no one (but my mother-in-law, and maybe my niece) really wanted to eat outside, but we did anyway (to please my mother-in-law). And now I'd like to torch her tea house (but I won't) to keep this from ever happening again (which it probably will, adding to the list of reasons why I don't like celebrating anything with my in-laws).

And now I'm off to do something elsewhere that will hopefully lead to less whining on my part.

Try Again

It's been a little slow lately. Okay, that's not the full truth. I've been moving slow lately. I've felt kind of icky the past 24+ hours. My head has been a little light headed. My stomach has rejected most foods for most of that time (until about 6 pm, when my stomach decided to be fine overall).

I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring. But I know that it will give me the opportunity to try things again.

Ace has been studying for his test. He has been taking practice tests, and is doing better each time (with studying the parts he's been missing between tests). The last practice test he passed. His main frustration is that on some questions, the answers he's giving are probably right, but they are marked as wrong (one was totally right and marked as wrong, a situation that's messed up).

Tuesday, he'll take the real test. If he doesn't pass (not very likely at this point), he'll get a chance to try again.

Hopefully tomorrow the time will go by much faster and Tuesday Ace will pass his test with flying colors. If not, we will both get a chance to try again.

The War at Home

Earlier, I was laying in bed, trying to take a nap. It wasn't happening, much to my chagrin. I asked Ace to check to see when dinner was or if we needed to feed ourselves. The next thing I know, Ace doesn't seem to be coming back and I think I hear my mother-in-law saying something about volunteering to cook.

Feeling tired but curious, I wandered to the kitchen to find out what was up. It turns out that apparently Ace (and I, potentially) should be volunteering to cook dinner from time to time. Forget the fact that it was never mentioned that it would maybe help ease tensions if we would before this or that Ace is currently studying for a test (he takes it next Tuesday) to get a license to get a job.

The probable cause of all of this happened earlier this week. Ace's mother decided that we all (my mother-in-law, father-in-law, oldest brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, Ace, and I) should celebrate the 4th of July on the 5th of July (since my brother-in-law is off, because that's more important than Ace's test to my in-laws) with a cookout. None of the men that are supposed to be here like to grill, but we're going to have the typical fare of hamburgers and hot dogs, because my mother-in-law wants us to. My father-in-law is less than thrilled, as it has been too hot for him outside lately and now he has to cook in the heat to keep his wife happy. Ace and I are supposed to make sides, but who knows what will happen at this point.

Basically, my in-laws are a fight waiting to happen, but it'll probably ignite on the 5th, when everyone is here. Until then, Ace is apparently their scapegoat for any frustration and anger. I don't think they realize the damage they are doing to their relationship(s) with their son, but if they keep all this up he won't want to keep in touch when we move out. You would think they would have learned their lesson when they didn't see us for a year and didn't know we had moved, but apparently not.

Oh, and Ace got in trouble for all the stuff put on the dining room table (Where else were we supposed to put the candles? Outside?). They had just cleared the table off, and we covered it with their stuff that was in their guest room (currently our room). My sympathy is at zero, since they should have gotten rid of a lot of stuff long before now (and because my mother-in-law still doesn't see her problem, even though she knows she doesn't have anywhere to stick this stuff).

And now that I've expressed all this, I think I'm going to try to get some sleep. After all, I've been tired all day (I took a nap after dinner). I think that maybe I'll be able to get a full night's sleep now that I've gotten all this off my chest (so to speak).