My parents' cat wanted to play with a wire string and I didn't want him to swallow it or walk away with it so I held on to it while he played with it. Dec21 said that was a good idea because then the cat can "play without swallowing". Oh the wonderful hidden meanings in that sentence.

Grrrrr I hate it when I get lectured by my mother. I hate it even more when she uses guilt trips and alleged facts that are so distorted it should be a crime.

My father continues to refuse to take a class or something to learn to use the computer. Instead he asks us to show him how to do EVERYTHING over and over and over again!! Not to mention his timing sucks. He'll choose times that we want to do something like watch tv, eating or whatever. It doesn't matter to him. Yesterday he called early in the morning to make sure we didn't forget to come over to redo the settings on his e-mail that didn't need to be done for another week. *sighs* Tonight was no exception to his constant need to be told how to do every little thing. He did it while we were trying to eat, while I was trying to watch a tv show I had been waiting weeks to see. I was getting so damn frustrated. Not that my father needed help..but that he asks how to do the same thing over and over again and wants it done at the worst possible times and doesn't even seem to want to learn how to do it, just to have someone else do it.

Well I thought I'd vent to my mother a bit. God knows she vents to Dec21 and myself a lot. Well I got bitched out by her. She went on to say "Your father does SO much for you." Yeah sure..what planet is SHE on?!?!? I hate when she says that. Not only is it not true but she says it just about ALL THE TIME. Find a new line mom!! Then she goes on saying I should be grateful that I'm useful to my father. Useful?!?!? Useful?!?!?!?! EXCUSE ME?!?!?! What the hell does THAT mean?!?!?! I'm not sure whether I should feel like a kitchen appliance or that if Dec21 and I didn't help my father with the computer, does that mean he'd have no want or need for me. Should I be offended, confused or feel inanimate??

After that my mother did the age old speech that I should be glad my father is still alive to use me whenever he wants. He said "Think about John Ritter's kids. You still have your father and I bet they would love to be able to help their father and be useful to him. They can't anymore. Your father won't be around forever. Think about that." Okay I NEVER said I want my father to die or that I curse the day he was born but is it too much to ask to be a little appreciated and only given attention when my father needs something!?!?!? I told my mother that my father will only say thank you when he's encouraged to or it's hinted at. She didn't think that was true even though she has in the past had to remind him to say thank you. She also says he doesn't have a great memory and that this is the person he is and I have to accept it. Oh wonderful..I have to accept a father who only seems to know I exist when he wants something, who can't remember anything unless it has to do with sports or one of his hot shot friends and refuses to say thank you for anything. This is a joke right??

So let's see..I can't really vent about my father. Well I think my mother shouldn't be allowed to vent about work!! I told her she vents about work and the people there, why can't I vent about my father?? She said "Well I may (MAY??!??! There's the understatement of the month) vent about work but I'm still grateful I HAVE a job!!" Well there you go...I vent about my father but I'm still grateful I have my father. Talk about my mother throwing a double standard at me.

*takes a deep breath* Okay I'm calming down now....I think.