clearly, it has not been my week

It started Sunday night as we were driving home from my dad's. I tell Larry I want to take the boat out on Sunday, he immediately groans, "Don't we have something planned on Sunday?" No, we don't. And if you are not going to take it out, we need to sell it. This is where the fight starts. Larry has a very bad habit of talking to me like I am an idiot. He starts berating me telling me we can't sell it because we would have to pay about 8 grand to sell it. This pisses me off, not what he was saying, but how I tell him, keep it up Larry, keep it up. When you have lived in an abusive environment, you are hyper sensitive to these things.

Fuming, I sit in silence for a few miles, then ask, what year is the boat? I will look into selling it. At this point, taking it out three or four times a season, it is a very expensive rental. Then, there is the fact we may not be keeping the Tahoe, so what will we pull it with? ARGH. Larry & I rarely fight, after almost twenty years we know each other pretty well, and we have settled in nicely to our relationship, but those little flare ups still happen.

Monday, I find out we are out of paper at work. I log on to our ordering site and order the paper, Staples usually always delivers overnight. In the meantime, I have to drive to the Copperfield store to borrow some. I also have to pick up rate plans as everything is on hold due to the impending "Day One" as a new company. I also find out our new Regional Manager will be in on Tuesday.

Ashley called asking if she could come by and get some stuff she needed on Tuesday. She was acting very pleasant, surprising me. Hannah will be there, you can go when she gets home.

Tuesday, my host calls in sick, I have two people at merger training and Jeff is off. Looks like I will be the host all day, no problem. Except the new regional coming out. I know I do not have my name tag on, I keep trying to get a break to go out to the car and get it, no such luck. Since I am short people and a host, I was ringing up a sale when they walk in. Strike one -- No host greeting them, Strike two -- A manager in a transaction, Strike three -- No name tag. They stay all of five minutes and leave. OK, we made it through that quick visit. Tuesday at work comes and goes, no paper. Crap.

Tuesday night Larry is going to open house/meet the teacher/orientation at Hannah's school. I am off with Hannah to discuss travel arrangements for she and Stephanies demanding schedule. This is how it works for the next four weeks --

Monday - School @ 6:30am for cross country practice
Stay after school for Cross Country practice (2:30 - 4:15)
Leave at 4:15 for lacrosse practice (4:15 - 6:30)
Leave lacrosse practice at 6:30 for Driver's Ed (7:00 - 9:00)

Tuesday - Same as above but no cross country after school, this is where they will stay after if needed for tutorials

Wednesday - School @ 6:30am for cross country practice
Go to the park to run the district meet course (2:30 - 4:15)
Leave at 4:15 for lacrosse practice (4:15 - 6:30)
Leave lacrosse practice at 6:30 for Driver's Ed (7:00 - 9:00)

Thursday - Same as above but no cross country after school, tutorials if needed.

Trish (Stephanie's Mom & my co-parent) decide in our infinite wisdom the girls are overextended and will burn out, quickly. We decide that three nights of lacrosse is too much and cut the Wednesday practice. No way will the girls be able to make it after running two miles before and after school, then lacrosse, then driver's ed. And oh by the way, where is the homework time? How are you getting from school to lacrosse? We have already decided Trish will pick up from lacrosse and take to driver's ed, Larry will drive them to school in the AM, then we will pick up from driver's ed. The schedule is not set in stone at this point. I tell Hannah, you need a planner, and you will need to keep it up. No more writing homework assignments on your hand.

I get home from Stephanie's, Larry gets home from the school and we head up to Wal-Mart. This is where Tuesday starts getting really good. We get the few items we need and head to the check out lane. I decide to go in the one lane that sells cigarettes because I am out (yes I smoke, yes I know it's bad, yes I am planning to quit). The checker is an older man, being very snippity to the customer in front of me. We get to the lane, I ask for the pack of cigarettes, he ask for my ID. Now, I may not look my full age, but I certainly look over 18, even 27 which is their "we id" age. I don't have it, I say, you can look at his meaning Larry. The smart ass says, no, I can't sell them to you, you will have to get back in line and have him buy them himself.

OK, that makes a lot of sense. If you know he is buying them for me, and he is getting back in line, why not sell them to him now? The guy is rude at this point, says he will not sell them to Larry, he would have to wait for him to get off that register. Now I'M pissed. What is your name?
David
What is your last name?
I don't have one
You don't have a last name?
Not for you I don't

WHOA -- Hold the phone. The lady behind us gasped in as much shock as we were.

I want to speak to your manager, like NOW.
I already called her. He is busy ringing up the shocked lady behind us at that point.

The manager comes over and I tell her exactly what had happened, the lady behind me vouches for his rudeness. She apologizes and sells Larry the cigarettes, asking for his ID. Larry makes a point of covering up his last name. Whatever, I'm going home, I am exhausted and ready for bed.

Not so fast Kimmy, you have one more phone call to take. Ashley has been calling Larry, one of the last times she asked for 200 and something dollars to fly to see Chanell and to see a concert. Larry politely declined to oblige her. Then she had called me on Monday, very nicely asking to come get some stuff. She did come get it, then left me another very nice message thanking me for setting it out.

Now, here comes what I believe the real reason she wanted to come by. She has no money, she wants to go to a payday advance place with a blank voided check to get a loan for the plane fare. This is what I believe she was looking for. When she didn't find the temporary checks, she calls me back.

"Where are those checks?"
Why?
I need some quick cash and I need the checks.
You are planning to go to one of those loan places so you can fly to see a concert?
Yes
Ashley, that is ridiculous
(Larry in the background) Do not lecture her, let her make her own decisions
Ashley, I shredded them a long time ago.
More arguing. Larry again, let her go, do not argue with her. He's right, good luck, goodbye.

I finally get to bed, my head spinning from the conversation, this is when I realize what she really wanted to come over for, why she called with a thank you because she didn't find them. Once again, only when she wants or needs something do we hear from her. I get to sleep, slowly.

Wednesday morning, on my way to work, my phone rings - "This is Kim" I answer.
Hey, it's Ashley, did you really shred those checks?
Yes, I really did, four months ago.
Screaming, "You had no right to do that! Those were MY checks, you can not do that!"
Ashley, you are a grown up, figure out a way to get there.
Screaming, "I had a way and you just ruined it! All they needed was a voided check!!!!!!!"
Ashley, I am not arguing with you about this.
"This is just one more way you have ruined my life" she continued with lots of cussing, screaming and crying.
Goodbye Ashley, 'click'

I call Larry and inform him of the conversation. This is Ashley, she is so addicted to Chanell, she hasn't seen her in ten days and she is starting to unravel. I imagine there are new cuts on her somewhere today. She is obsessed, enmeshed, co-dependent, sees her self worth in Chanell, who clearly does not do the same. If Chanell wants you there so bad, let her pay for the ticket.

With Ashley acting so manic I can only imagine what the scenario is. Maybe Chanell just mentioned the concert. Maybe she is going with Mark who she spent so much time with last time she lived in MD. Maybe Ashley is afraid she is going to lose her. The point is we don't know. We have never been allowed to know when it comes to Chanell. We are only punished when we don't help.

All this drama and it's only Wednesday, 11am at that. Go in, still no paper, crazy customers already (see post below)

Today I am off, I think it may be best if I stay inside, far away from the outside world.