Angels And Devils

This was SUPPOSED to be posted yesterday, but half the damn planet had Blogger problems, so just read it now and quitcherbitchen.


Regardless of my physical woes, I have been incredibly busy lately. Lots of appointments and phone calls, etc.

The principal of my daughter's school had contacted social services about some of their "issues" with me. The latest is that I'm not feeding my daughter breakfast. Funny thing is, the worker stood up for me. Take THAT you butt-head bureaucrats!

Now, they DID contact me first this time, mind you. Oh, yes. The teacher sent a note home: "[Your daughter] arrived having not eaten breakfast at home or here at [school]. She was given school breakfast at 8:30." Not a question. No. This was a clear assumption that they were right. Not a thing to do when I'm in pain and feeling quite bitchy. Here's my response:

"[My daughter] DID eat at home. She had cereal. She also ate at home TODAY. Please contact ME with questions about [my daughter] BEFORE making assumptions such as that she might not have eaten. Thank you."

I got another note today: [Your daughter] had a very cooperative day." Hmm... Think I got the point across? Yes, yes I think I did, thankyouverymuch.

Then while checking my email, I got a note from an incredibly sweet person who'd sent me some help through Paypal. Which for various reasons I was not able to accept, no matter how badly I wanted and needed to. They needed a bank account, and I haven't had one in three years. Minimum balance? Heck, if I HAD the 5 bucks to put in there, I'd end up needing it for gas or diapers or something. I'll try to open one next week, if the child support gods are feeling generous. It was a really nice thought, though. Thank you over and over for it.

Our first stop was to take my youngest (one-and-a-half) in for her shots. This is never a fun experience. Now take that already crummy situation and multiply it by one three-year-old Tazmanian Devil who just won't quit. While I was hugging the baby and holding her arms as she screamed pathetically (and trying not to sob myself), HE was using the examination table as a diving board to jump down onto the chairs next to it and trying desperately to open every cabinet and disconnect the computer (which they thankfully have behind plexiglass doors with "invisible" child locks). *Sigh*

Next on the agenda was to pick up my kindergartener and go to my worker's office to fill out some paperwork for my daughter (the kindergartener). Now THIS was an interesting experience. This time, the ornery little bugger I call Gus-Gus (he's got a weird little giggle that sounds like the mouse on the Disney movie "Cinderella") decided to try to pull the fire alarm, kept pushing the auto-open button for the doors and dove from chair to chair until I finally held him in my lap wrapped in one arm and one leg while I wrote out the paperwork with the other arm. Did that stop him? Nope. Not even close. He still managed to grab the ceramic lamp on the end table I was sitting next to and yank it to the floor, where it promptly smashed - in half. By this time, I really wanted to duct-tape him. Unfortunately, I have been informed that's illegal. Darnit.

Now we had to go to the gas station. For this, I get to leave them in the car for 3 minutes of peace while I pumped the $5 dollars in gas (with the gift card I got from the workers because my ex lost his job and isn't paying support) and went in to pay. Relatively mundane and uneventful, right? Well you'd think so, but....

Ever had one of those friends that was so great you felt separated at birth? So did I. And this one was truly a great friend. Except she had (has?) a boyfriend who (I thought) treats her like crap, but mostly behind her back. At one point, another friend of mine had been on a job with him and actually heard him saying he wanted to screw some other girl. When this guy asked the boyfriend about his sweet girlfriend, the guy made a crappy off-hand comment about her and nonchalantly dismissed it. Nice.

A few years ago we had a fight and haven't spoken since. I had seen her boyfriend being a jerk (I won't go into the details, but it's pretty bad) and called her. This was one of those situations that I knew she might get mad at me, but damnit, I thought she needed to know. Little did I know, but he was right there next to her when I called. And neither of us have seen or spoken to each other again. Politics like that suck. But I've missed her ever since.

Well, when I went into the gas station, guess who was working there? Give up? It was her. We went back and forth a little about what happened, and I told her "I want you to know that regardless of what you think of me or what happened, you were one of the best friends I ever had and I still love you." She simply replied, "Okay. Bye." It hurt, but at least I got what I needed to say off my chest.

Ever had one of those decades?

One a better note, the utility company called to make payment arrangements and I explained the church and county resources I'd been in contact with and my plan of action. This lady was SO unbelievably cool. She actually commended me for being on top of things and wished me luck! WOW.

Thanks for praying, I know it's helping somehow.

Update: My old friend somehow found my number and we talked a long time last night. I really need to get this butting-in thing out of my system so I don't lose any more good friends....