With the start of a new year, it's time to start with a fresh page. Life can be so very complicated; sometimes it's hard to stay on the good path but when fog comes along you might stray from that good path and then life has a way of leading you by the nose.

I'm trying to take that good path, but the fog is god-awful thick right now...

One other note, if you're looking for a blogger who updates every day religiously, you're in the wrong place, this woman has a life to live and with so much going on in the world, the blogging will reflect the highlights, the rants, the occasional mid-life crisis, but not the every-day, writing-just-to-write-something meaningless paragraph.

Hope you understand, please comment freely, I'm an open book -sorry, couldn't resist! ---catty

Okay, now I can see that I had that backward. It looks like it's her way or no way. Personally, some of that stuff is trivial. She could have tried some of your cake. I had an ex who if I made pudding, I had to use canned milk instead of whole milk. One day I made some, but didn't have any canned milk to I used whole milk.

Do you know that he wouldn't touch it. I ended up dumping it down the sink. Why? Because I was hurt that I did something nice and he had to say thatt. We had company at the time, and they saw what a jerk he was, and tried to stop me but I was really too upset.

Of course, later he'd take that out on me too. He wouldn't like me to get mad about it. It was like my feelings didn't count.

Anyway, hmm. Well your mom in law should be thankful. Maybe nobody else could put up with her. What you're doing is a blessing, whether she realizes it or not.

Aww. sorry. She sounds like she's a bit obsessive compulsive. You know like Monk on tv. She also might be a tad (pardon me for saying this if I'm wrong) crabby. I can see she is rather set in her ways, but she has to realize it is your home, and was your home first. It is hers too but still, what if you came into her home and did that?

I'm having my own stuff going on here and not liking it. I fixed steak dinner, and used leftover combination fried rice for the starch part of the meal. I thought my 21 year old son would be happy, but what did he do?

Keep in mind that he's high functioning autistic. Here is a bit of the conversation we had.

"I thought you were fixing spanish rice. This isn't spanish rice," he said.

"I didn't. Not tonight. I made you one of those steaks you like so much."

"I'm not eating this."

"Why not?"

"I want spanish rice. You didn't cook. You lazy butt."

Abut this time, I'm sitting on the edge of my seat, and almost growling at him. "You like steak, remember? You also like combination fried rice. There's nothing wrong with it.

"I don't want it," he said.

"Oh well. You'll eat what I fix and like it or not eat at all. I don't care." I skipped right passed feeling hurt for all my efforts.

He goes into the kitchen and heats up a 50 cent burrito and eats it.

What he doesn't seem to understand that if you complain to the cook, the cook won't be as likely to fix meals that you like, because if you're not going to eat it, what's the sense? I keep cereal and milk on hand too, just in case.


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Absolutely...we moved from California out to Texas just to take care of them. Now, we have lost our privacy, our "own" identities...

It's very rough. Thanks for your comments!

I feel for you. What are you to do? Staying is a pain the ass and one that can seemingly only end in one sad way or another. You are giving over your lIVES and she does not seem to appreciate it. If you leave, then you will fill guilt and look like a b*tch to the rest of the family.

Congratulations! I knew you could do it!

Oh, sure, give me something else to worry about!!! Yeah, I thought I was smart, but having to prove it at my age is just embarrassing as hell.

Thanks for the comment Sherri.

Holy cow! That's like finding out the pastor that married you and your spouse wasn't ordained on your 25th anniversary!

Education is good, but I've found there's no substitute for good old street knowledge that you get in the school of hard knocks. Once all of that knowledge is in actual practice, everything changes. Unfortunately, life does not hand you documentation for wisdom.

Good luck to you!

I'm sorry for your losses this year. I just wanted to thank you for writing about Kalaya. She was on the Flight for Life that went down in Vegas. She was a childhood friend whom I met in Jr High. We dated for a bit till I moved to Washington, my dad was in the Air Force. We met again later while I lived in Colorado Springs & while she attended the Air Force Academy. We lost track of each other after she left the Academy. I found out about the accident a couple years ago. I'm glad to know that she was happy & sad knowing she didnt get to enjoy it longer. I wish I knew a way to reach her mother, but I have been unable to find her. Thank you again, she is still remembered and missed.

-Chris

AAAAhhhhhhh! Noooo, we're moving on, we're moving on!

I have a 28 year old, potty trained, that I will send to live with you. I'm concerned for your being alone.