Happy New Year
Well, let's see. What's to say on this journal's subject? Not nearly as much as there used to be, that's for sure. Used to be 10, 20 times a day I'd have to open this up and write out what they were doing in order to keep from losing my mind, but most of what they've been doing lately are just the subtler and less-aggressive things. The day before new year's eve my sister came over with my nephew and niece so that gramma and grampa could dramatically act out their feigned love for their grandchildren, and as I sat in my room while they were over here my mother went into a short-lived counter hammering and cupboard slamming frenzy. As has happened many times before, the thought crossed my mind that the storyline between my parents and sister about why it's desirable and acceptable to bombard Richie with explosions while he's in his room is that it makes him afraid, and so by doing those things my parents and sister are protecting my sister's children from me, The Evil Richie - the only person in the family who isn't a violent abuser and a pathological liar. After my mother had finished her bombardment I waited about 5 minutes and then came downstairs to see what the cover story might be. There was no cooking or cleaning going on in the kitchen at all, it had just been counter hammering and cupboard slamming. I got a cup of coffee and then came back upstairs and then it was Tracy's turn in the kitchen. She went to directly below where she and my parents knew that I was sitting and started slamming the cupboards up near my chair as hard as she could repeatedly. I got up immediately and went downstairs and walked up behind my sister and said, "please don't slam the cupboards like that". she turned around quickly and said, "what!", as though I had committed some horrible act by asking her not to do it. I repeated myself, "please don't slam the cupboards like that.", and the sociopath who was sitting on the floor a couple of feet from where we were answered on behalf of my sister as though he were training or teaching my sister the appropriate way to speak to me and he said, "okaaaaaay", in a sarcastic way. I quickly responded to what he'd said with, "shut up psycho", and my sister heard me but he didn't and I turned around and walked back upstairs. Naturally as soon as I'd returned to the computer my sister began slamming the cupboards a couple of feet below with even greater force and I began yelling, "stop it!", and started picking up my desk and slamming it against the floor directly above where she was. The cupboard slamming stopped and didn't start again, and that was the end of it. Since then the sociopath has taken to grunting at my door as he walks by - he truly thinks that it's terrifying to me to hear his voice and to hear him clearing throat and grunting as though he's a big frightening monster. It's so bizarre sometimes. Other than that it's been reasonably calm.
On New Years Eve the psychos from next door, my parents only friends, who aren't actually friends came over for dinner. My mother and father got wasted pretty fast during dinner and when they had finished the sociopath and Ken sat at the dinner table talking and my mother and Irene paraded around the house spewing idiotic fake-friend banter to one another with my mother explaining over and over how "exquisite" her new granddaughter is, proving in crazy lady fantasy world that she is the greatest grandmother ever. I went downstairs to see what kind of leftovers they had and immediately when she saw that I was in the kitchen she rushed to where I was and dramatically offered to make me a big elaborate plate of food in front of Irene. I think I must have answered no at least 6 times before I realized that this was how she was trying to use me as a source of narcissism - displaying her self-effacing martyrdom in front of the neighbor. When she wouldn't stop begging to do things for me in front of witnesses I left and went upstairs. Other than that I managed to keep away from them all night, and took off at around 11 PM to have a few beers by myself in my van to watch the fireworks over Lake Washington and listen to the radio. It was delightful. When I returned I found all four of them sitting in the living room watching a movie together with my father narrating for the group which parts of the movie were funny or interesting. It was so sad to see them there, understanding why they behave the way they do. Everything is fine.
On New Years Eve the psychos from next door, my parents only friends, who aren't actually friends came over for dinner. My mother and father got wasted pretty fast during dinner and when they had finished the sociopath and Ken sat at the dinner table talking and my mother and Irene paraded around the house spewing idiotic fake-friend banter to one another with my mother explaining over and over how "exquisite" her new granddaughter is, proving in crazy lady fantasy world that she is the greatest grandmother ever. I went downstairs to see what kind of leftovers they had and immediately when she saw that I was in the kitchen she rushed to where I was and dramatically offered to make me a big elaborate plate of food in front of Irene. I think I must have answered no at least 6 times before I realized that this was how she was trying to use me as a source of narcissism - displaying her self-effacing martyrdom in front of the neighbor. When she wouldn't stop begging to do things for me in front of witnesses I left and went upstairs. Other than that I managed to keep away from them all night, and took off at around 11 PM to have a few beers by myself in my van to watch the fireworks over Lake Washington and listen to the radio. It was delightful. When I returned I found all four of them sitting in the living room watching a movie together with my father narrating for the group which parts of the movie were funny or interesting. It was so sad to see them there, understanding why they behave the way they do. Everything is fine.