The Angry Blogger

I thought the Angry Blogger was gone. After 3 years of separation/divorce, I figured it would just be...well, just Be.

How long can one person be a jerk to another?

Wait that was rhetorical. Obviously.

So that whole thing about not needing a blog because not needing to bitch about the big D? OK I lied.

Last Monday calling Daughter's health insurance to check coverage:

Me: her number is blah blah, id blah blah this is her mother.

Health Care: Sorry, she is no longer covered by us. Her coverage changed. You should have gotten a new card. You'll have to call Other Insurance Company.

ME: WTF???

ME: Call to Ex during work: "Can you talk a minute or is this a bad time?" [I always ask that question first Always.]

EX: This is fine.

ME: "I just tried to call Daugther's Dr but she has new coverage? AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME? [angry but not yelling]

Ex: Well Maybe you should talk to your Daughter. [who is a MINOR]

ME: No maybe when my Minor Child has her insurance changed, one custodial 50% parent who is in charge of said health insurance should inform the other said 50% parent of an important change like a CHANGE TO HEALH INSURANCE.

dialtone - he is not on the phone. he hung up.

So I called him back. But he refused to answer. So I got Daughter out of bed and she bitched about it and I said, "Maybe if your father would talk to me instead of hanging up on me, I wouldn't need to wake you up. Sorry." [I never say stuff like that to them but now I. Am. Done.]

Then I emailed him - let him know he's childish and hurting his Daughter, not me. Let him know if this had been an emergency it would have cost HIM a fortune for not telling ME about the health insurance.

Then he emails me back - claims he "had to take a call from a jobsite" and had to disconnect. Like he didn't really hang up on me? Who the F*** disconnects without a quick, "Hey gotta run" or something? No one. And I always ask if it's a good time - I know he's at work. I wouldn't even have called except I needed to talk to the Drs about her health issue. What. A Freakin' Jerk.

I have not attempted to communicate since. [Oh by the way, this was after ignoring at least 2 of my emails about paying for college. I had to resend them twice before he "responded" and then he never truly responded. Apparently we are not going to discuss the mutual funds and college savings plans and decide together how to go about paying for college.]

Today Son said, "So how are you, dad and me getting to orientation at my College Wednesday?"

ME: I don't know - your dad will not speak to me. So I am not going to bother him at work. If he doesn't call me, you and I will get in the car Wednesday night and go. I have the hotel room booked. [which Ex is supposed to share - another blog post all its own if I could even figure that out. His idea]

If he doesn't want to talk, then we won't talk. My kids do talk to me. I have computers. I am not stupid. I do not need him to help me figure out all this college stuff. It would be nice to do it together. But apparently he has yet to figure out two important things:
1) I do not need him. for anything. At all. ever.
2) When he's a jerk, it only hurts his kids. Not me. Oh he makes me angry, but moreso because he hurts his kids. And blames me.

I'm hoping by blogging, the Angry Blogger can crawl back under her Rock and the Happy Me can return.

Preparing for LiftOff

For the past two years my blogging has helped me to look at life, to vent, to examine, to get feedback, to achieve vindication. When I started blogging, my divorce was raw, fresh, and constantly on my mind. I blogged to give family and friends a break from the constant complaining and sent my venting on the world, where bloggers could read or skip.

Right now, though, something else is all consuming and constantly on my mind, but I cannot face it and so I have not blogged.

I can't think about it without crying (like I am doing right now).

My head tells me it's a good thing. My heart however breaks.

Millions of parents go through it every year. It's a part of life.

It still breaks my heart.

Yes we are preparing to send the Twins to college. Two different colleges, one 250 miles away, one 550 miles away, both starting within a day of each other (at least the two schools are both south of home and therefore only 380 miles apart). There are medical forms, physicals, meal plan choices, cell phone upgrades, dorm room outfitting, budget talks, financial aid decisions, laptops, books, classes, schedules, transportation, hotels...the list seems endless. Multiply times two, add a divided household where Ex still refuses to talk, communicates when it suits him, emails but doesn't answer emails, and generally is an annoying jerk, and yeah, it's not really fun.

Add to that the kids are trying to get in their "last visits." Daughter will be gone for 2 weeks - one trip with high school friends, one trip with childhood friends. So this is my last week with her. I can't deny them their friends. But I want to say, "BUT THAT'S MY WEEK AND YOU CAN'T GO." Of course I won't say that.

And so I have nightmares of dropping them off and being alone.

I sit in my car and cry because I don't want them to see the tears.

Yes I am happy for them. Yes I am thrilled they are doing so well. Yes in a most twisted way I want them to go away to school, meet new people, travel new places.

I can't even type more at the moment....

Let me just say, I'M JUST GOING TO MISS THEM SO DARN MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enough to make me Ride the escalator

I'm a walker - a fast walker.

Sometimes I smash into people accidently bump people in my hurry to get from place A to B.

I am an avid Metro (i.e. Subway) rider and there are rules about the escalators - "Stand Right, Walk or if you're TGND, run Left" yes, that's me running up the escalator - in heels.

But some lucky mornings there is one thing that makes me Stand Right and Ride.

At the top of the escalator just outside the Metro station are two gentlemen - probably in their 50's - who entertain me. I hear the melodies from far below in the station long before I see them. Instantly, a smile crosses my face and my day just got brighter.

One plays the violin, one plays the electric bass guitar. It might seem like an unlikely pair, but it works so well. And these guys are NOT making up the same ol' few lines over and over. They have music. I read music. I know complicated 16th notes when I see them. And these are very complicated runs, played beautifully.

And so, when I hear their music wafting down to the depths of the metro, I pause, Stand Right, and listen. When I reach the top of the escalator, I pause, watch for a moment, drop a dollar in their bucket and tell them how excellent they are. They always smile appreciatively as they play.

Someday I might even pause long enough to find out who they are and why they are there. Until then, I will enjoy the moment.

A whole new meaning for "PIP"

Twice in 2 days I've been called a PIP.

Something like this:

OR maybe This:

Images are not mine - found through Google images at denver dog. and Fondos.images.

Yes, My new nickname is PITBULL IN PINK. one client (a friend) called me that and one partner (female and friend) called me that. I don't think I'm offended. I'm pretty sure I think it's hilarious.

Today I'm all in black and professional in my sheath (no I'm not going to a funeral wise a$$), but with adorable Betty Boop shoes. A girl has to be a girl after all. Even if she's a pitbull.

LOL!

Graduation means....Painting the Furniture?

The Captain came up the morning after the Prom and was promptly put to work. Yet another step into our relationship and another endearing quality. He scrubbed my Patio for 2 hours. Then he helped me paint the lawn furniture. This was a white table that I bought with Ex, oh, 18 years ago?

Ex and I also bought about 10 pieces of Wrought Iron furniture - used - about 5 years ago. We painted it all . Some are pictured below. (the magic of spray over rust paint I love it)

All the chairs were wet so we dragged some kitchen chairs outside for dinner....
(I had painted the table the previous year so it just needed touchups and we could eat on it)

And gave a toast to a job well done!

Whew. Oh yeah, and we did some gardening first....Told you he was an awesome guy....

The Tears They are a Flowin'

It all started just a few short years ago, or so it seems. Although perhaps their 4th year of life seemed like an eternity. But alas what started in 1995 when they were three years old in Spain....their First First Day of School.....has now progressed.

Those wild twins (ok one was wild and the other just had wild hair) have turned into THESE - and here is their Last "Last Day of School" photo. I cried that morning. I cried when I took the photos. I cried when they left. I cried when I uploaded them. And now. yep. sobbing like a baby.

I had better bring a truckload of tissues to graduation.

Yes, I'm proud of them and happy they are going on to do great things. But Damned I'm going to miss them.

And This Is Why Sleep Is Optional

Yes it's Senior Time at the House Next Door and we've been busy. Prom was last Friday. Dinner for 17 turned into dinner for 17 and a party for the parents when the dinner got delayed because kids were late and the hairdresser was slow. OH well, it was fun!

That's Daughter on the right in the top photo, in the blue.

Yep three tables (and if you counted ok there were only 16 or something because one date went to the wrong house? " I dunno" as the kids say)

Here's my baby Girl with her Prom Date who used to be her boyfriend but now they're friends (yes that's OK by me AND her!)

Son made a quick appearance with his date so that I could take a photo then it was off to his place of dinner (that was a potluck so I made a tortilla espanola for him, too). No I didn't think to take a photo of Son and Daughter together. Things were a little hectic....

They posed as I took 99 photos. Yes. 99.

Then the limo bus "Chariots for Hire" showed up with the REST of the group.


Someone said there were 26 in all. I didn't have time to count.....

Now I'm uploading photos from the last 17 years onto my NEW laptop. The one Son cannot get within 10 feet of or he will be shot on sight. And when the photos are uploaded, I will work on graduation gifts. (What did Son do you ask? Click HERE)

What's that you say, Graduation is Friday? Yeah that's why I'm up at 2:30 am.

Sleep? Is overrated.