Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Fantastic. Fan. Tastic.

4th of July was nice, I suppose. Nobody could make it this year, so I just got to hang around people I didn't know very well and get drunk.

But did I actually do that? Of course not, because I don't like hanging out with people I only vaguely know while getting tipsy. Sure, the alcohol takes the edge off and keeps me in a good mood, but I don't like depending on it for that when I can help it. Instead, I had a decent reason to disappear for a few hours.

Which was waking up Kyle after his standard all-nighter-fridays. That ALWAYS takes a couple of hours and I honestly don't mind hanging out in his room, because it's filled with all sorts of books and comics. I've read #5 Scott Pilgrim, #10 Invincible, A book titled "How to be Evil" and started up on Watchmen over the last week. He seems to think I'm bored, but it's really a win-win for me. I have a whole bunch of material that I don't normally have time for during school, AND I get to make fun of him for his hilarious sleeping habits.

So I decided to do that. Took about three hours to finally get him out of bed. In fact, at 4:00 pm I left to get some coffee to place in front of his nose and slowly coax him onto his feet. Didn't really work, but it was worth a try. It was the summer heat that gave him the final push, since he has zero heat tolerance. I still like to think that I tried, though.

That was a pleasant relief, but we soon had to part ways, being that his family was also partying at a pool with alcohol and he was required to join.

I show up around sunset and finally grab some Mike's hard lemonade to get me started and listen to the semi-bad music playing on our speakers. Everything was nice and I conversed with Catherine's friends since they tend to be pretty cool. Fireworks were started, lots of "Ooh"s and "Ah"s. I made sure to jump into the pool fully clothed at just the right time during triumphant music to appease the crowd that would have likely thrown me in soon enough. It was all good fun.

No, it was really this morning that turned me over, chucked dirt in my eyes and kicked my stomach roughly while I was down. I was once again reminded that literally NOBODY in my entire family actually knows what I do and/or thinks it is a valid career.

Interesting story, actually. You see, my old grandparents that I've had virtually zero contact with over the last year came to visit us (they're still here, in fact). Turns out, grampa pulled out some visa gift cards for a few of us if we were nice. I end up staying on the phone with Brittany for over an hour and I am told he wants to talk to me. After hanging up, I finally grit my teeth and look for my favorite of the elderly relatives, knowing that its not going to be very pleasant.

--Perhaps I should explain. Sadly, grampa has finally reached that point in his older years where he's suddenly not the same person you would have remembered as a child. He's become irritable and demanding of time with his family that we simply cannot provide to his liking. Because of this, he seems to be getting even more upset with us over each passing year. I've been unfortunate enough to have missed one year of contact, so I was clearly NOT fully prepared for what I was about to run into.--

Instead of the usual conversation, I'm suddenly attacked with accusations, rather than questions. He instantly states that I must waste hundreds of hours on the phone with all of my friends, because I was clearly chatting for SO LONG with a friend who only lived in town. Next thing I know, he starts saying I'm just sitting on my a** around here, not doing anything and wasting my time, rather than picking a career and getting any headway.

It doesn't take long for him to whip out a visa gift card, saying that it has my name on it, but that I don't seem to be worth any investment. He says it'd be awfully risky of him to spend any money on me whatsoever. And, of course, now he is practically waving the card in front of me like a piece of meat, expecting me to give.

I try to clarify what he's talking about, so he says, "You should be picking a career instead of wasting your time!" I didn't even bother to raise my voice and told him, outright:

"I have chosen a career. Its Graphic Design."

I would have shouted back at him if I wasn't so shocked to hear him raise his voice like that.

So then he just says "fine," and hands me the card. I leave the room, because he starts bitching to dad about the same thing, which I'm sure dad gave little to no help. I make it to the kitchen and suddenly realize "I don't want this money..." so I pitch it onto the counter and find another place to be.

Since the grandparents still haven't left yet, I don't intend to start anything until they leave. I don't want his bullshit and I don't want to have to deal with ANYONE for hours afterward, so I'm going to give him back his card when he leaves and tell him that he can keep his money if he thinks I'm "not worth it." I don't care how much I would love some extra cash right now. I DO NOT WANT THIS.