nothing like a little view of someone else's problems to make your own look minor :)
My fun thing of the week is some sort of huge backup in the kitchen sink. First one ever, but it's a doozy, which has resisted snakes, Drano and sulfuric acid. As a result of the latter we have had to replace all of the pipes under the sink. This has not solved the problem -- the clog is apparently in the wall somewhere-- but now we are having a leak from some improperly-screwed-in pipe down there.... It's been a fun week and the kitchen is a disaster area... I am considering calling in a nuclear strike and calling it good :) But your story now -- there is definitely someone who is having a worse week ;) Dana >I just need to share a little bit. First a little history. > >My mother is the second oldest of seven kids and has always felt some >responsibility for her siblings (both her parents died many years ago). > >My mother pays for a cell phone for two of her brothers and pays my aunt's >credit card bill. She sends lavish packages and cash. My parents really >don't have that much money. My father makes a good living but they're >saving very little and they juggle credit card debt. > >Nothing I'm pleased with but also not much I can do about. > >My Aunt (my mother's only sister) has always been pretty hard up. She's >twice divorced and now lives with her daughter, her son-in-law and four >grandchildren. They all survive on her son-in-law's salary as a short-haul >truck driver. > >My mother and father live in Houston in a two bedroom apartment. They've >lived down there for about nine years now. My father travels for a living >so my mother is alone for most of the time (perhaps three weeks out of >four). > >My aunt and her daughter (along with most of our family) live in Western NY. >They just bought a house recently ($20,000 - much different market than >Boston!) and generally seemed to be doing well enough (with continual help >from my mother). > >Now here's were it gets weird. (Understand that I'm getting this story >third hand from my mother). > >My cousin (my aunt's daughter) recently left her family. She was "seeing" >(my mother's word) another woman. Now as this story continues lets also >remember that there isn't a person mentioned (other than my mother) who >isn't at least 250 lbs. > >So, she's seeing another woman. Her kids get some bug (I never got exactly >what) that requires antibiotics. The dad calls to the house of this >girlfriend, apparently where the kids are, and says they need their >medication and that he's coming over to get them. > >So he comes over. Before he gets out of the car the girlfriend's sister, >named - I shit you not - "Porkchop" (I'm guessing this is a nick name) >starts beating on his truck with a baseball bat. She smashes his windows, >his grill and generally bangs it up (reportedly she's well over 300 pounds >so we can only assume she can put some weight behind a bat). > >He gets out of the truck. He's not a violent guy, "doofus" is probably the >best description, and I honestly doubt he had anything in mind other than >getting Porkchop off his truck. At this point however Porkchop and her >sister attack him and beat the living shit out of him. > >So, him and his truck are no both broken on the sidewalk. Porkchop goes >back into the house and calls the police. She informs them that he attacked >her and she was forced to defend her ample self. The police come, take him >into custody and he spends the night in jail. > >My cousin (his wife) bails him out the next morning. This REALLY pisses off >her girlfriend and Porkchop. They throw my cousin out and she moves back in >with her husband. > >Now here's where it gets weirder. > >Now Porkchop has a boyfriend - apparently one of the bigger drug dealers in >the area. Porkchop and her sister begin to harass my cousin and her family. >Porkchop tells her that her boyfriend is going to burn down their house. >She says that he'll kill her husband and her oldest son (who apparently >never warmed up to the whole situation). > >They call, send text messages, leave notes and so forth. They threaten to >sue for the "assault" and "take all their stuff". > >The police aren't able to help much although they're not taking the assault >charges made by Porkchop very seriously (apparently she and her family has a >reputation for false accusations). > >Now here's where things get personal. > >My mother, in a moment of sympathy (and perhaps insanity) suggests that they >all move down to Texas. > >So they do - but the husband has a court date at the end of the month so he >can't come. My mother furnishes everybody else (remember, this is my Aunt, >my cousin and her four kids ranging in age from 7 to 17) plane tickets. > >The idea is that they're all going to stay with my mother (remember, in her >two bedroom apartment) for "just a month or two" until the husband can come >down, find a job and get an apartment. > >They've been down there for about a week now. The kids were given all of >five days notice about this move - they're not happy. My mother, used to >having her space and an EXTREMELY clean person is going mostly insane and my >father is apparently just along for the ride. > >So, that's how a lesbian affair, a fat girl named "Porkchop" her drug dealer >boyfriend and lots of really stupid people resulted in my mother supporting >nine people in a two bedroom apartment. > >My mother says, and I quote, "it won't cost too much more - just food and >stuff". Of course food for nine costs just a little more than food for two. >However she's already taken them shopping and to rent movies and such (they >came to her with very, very little). > >Throughout all of this my mother is still (against my wishes and all >reasonable sense) pulling a $10,000 savings bond out early to give us as a >housewarming present. We don't want it - I want her to save it. But she's >insisting. > >I am so glad that our new house has an in-law - I've no doubt that my mother >will be ending up there. We looked specifically for a house with an in-law >or attached apartment for this very reason. > >Sorry for the length. Typing it out is therapeutic. > >Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:196665 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
