Oh. Joy.
Just as life seems to begin to settle, when things seem to begin to go right.... then the real shit hits the fan, and you're reminded of the simple fact that all you can do is react, scramble and pray. That's what life's been like for the past two days for me.
My son's decided to take off to God alone knows where, again, for the past couple of days. He's grounded, of course, since the stunt involving his younger girlfriend during Apple Blossom... but damned if that's going to stop him. He's been suspended from school for the remainder of the school year.... but hell, he brags about sleeping in to his friends, who seem to think he's some kind of hero for being able to get out of something they can't. He only had to endanger his entire education to do it, but of course he doesn't think about that.
Last night, and the night before..... he'd taken off, spent the day bumming around town with friends. Then, when it was too late to catch a bus home, he'd call me from somewhere across the river - of course, after construction started for the night on the bridge that spans that river - and beg me to come pick him up. When I lay down stricter punishments because he's again just fucked off and done as he pleased, he only stays out later, then calls me to come get him again. Well, last night sealed the deal - I can't come get him anymore. The driver's side back tire went POOF as I drove out to go get him last night... and since he's drained our bank accounts until making the rent is iffy, I've had no funds to get those all weather tires for my car; it's still got studded snows, which, I know, are illegal, this late in the year. So... until I get the money together, somehow, to pay for four new tires.... my car sits. I can't use it, because all it has is the spare (that damned donut tire that'll serve well enough as long as you don't drive very far on it) in the position that used to have a tire, and taking it in to have the tire repaired? No good; they won't let me off the lot with illegal tires on my car. So, effectively, he's just caged me into the same restrictions he was supposed to have - no festival (grounded me there, clinging to the phone and praying, while he took his girlfriend out, supposedly to run away to Everett with her.. so I never got to go to the festival - the one day a year I can sit back and enjoy without problems, come what may. My only real relief from the constant strain and nerves; it's only one day a goddamned year!, and he took that from me), no leaving the house (without transportation, I'd have to rely on Rendal, again, until God alone knows when; sticking to budget, we might have the extra funds by winter, if I'm lucky), no allowance (he saw to that with the hundreds of dollars in phone bills he ran up, and now, the extra couple hundred for tires). The only things I have that he doesn't, right now, are phone, internet and television priveleges. I'm effectively grounded, with no allowance and no stress relief, for the forseeable future. Way to go, kiddo.
Forgive me if I'm depressed, and can't see any way to alleviate it. He's bankrupted me, and now I'm restricted to the house, again. No money and no way to leave, until God alone knows when. And a kid that just doesn't give a shit. What the hell did I do to deserve this?
My son's decided to take off to God alone knows where, again, for the past couple of days. He's grounded, of course, since the stunt involving his younger girlfriend during Apple Blossom... but damned if that's going to stop him. He's been suspended from school for the remainder of the school year.... but hell, he brags about sleeping in to his friends, who seem to think he's some kind of hero for being able to get out of something they can't. He only had to endanger his entire education to do it, but of course he doesn't think about that.
Last night, and the night before..... he'd taken off, spent the day bumming around town with friends. Then, when it was too late to catch a bus home, he'd call me from somewhere across the river - of course, after construction started for the night on the bridge that spans that river - and beg me to come pick him up. When I lay down stricter punishments because he's again just fucked off and done as he pleased, he only stays out later, then calls me to come get him again. Well, last night sealed the deal - I can't come get him anymore. The driver's side back tire went POOF as I drove out to go get him last night... and since he's drained our bank accounts until making the rent is iffy, I've had no funds to get those all weather tires for my car; it's still got studded snows, which, I know, are illegal, this late in the year. So... until I get the money together, somehow, to pay for four new tires.... my car sits. I can't use it, because all it has is the spare (that damned donut tire that'll serve well enough as long as you don't drive very far on it) in the position that used to have a tire, and taking it in to have the tire repaired? No good; they won't let me off the lot with illegal tires on my car. So, effectively, he's just caged me into the same restrictions he was supposed to have - no festival (grounded me there, clinging to the phone and praying, while he took his girlfriend out, supposedly to run away to Everett with her.. so I never got to go to the festival - the one day a year I can sit back and enjoy without problems, come what may. My only real relief from the constant strain and nerves; it's only one day a goddamned year!, and he took that from me), no leaving the house (without transportation, I'd have to rely on Rendal, again, until God alone knows when; sticking to budget, we might have the extra funds by winter, if I'm lucky), no allowance (he saw to that with the hundreds of dollars in phone bills he ran up, and now, the extra couple hundred for tires). The only things I have that he doesn't, right now, are phone, internet and television priveleges. I'm effectively grounded, with no allowance and no stress relief, for the forseeable future. Way to go, kiddo.
Forgive me if I'm depressed, and can't see any way to alleviate it. He's bankrupted me, and now I'm restricted to the house, again. No money and no way to leave, until God alone knows when. And a kid that just doesn't give a shit. What the hell did I do to deserve this?