OH SPOD…..JEEZ!

Every year, since I met him, Christmas quickly became a bad thing…with Spod.  The rest of us would truly anticipate happiness and gifts and good food.  Not Spod.  About three weeks before Christmas, he would start getting kind of grumpy and somewhat short tempered.  Over the years when Monte was about 6 years old to 18…he would, at least once, be particularly nasty to him. It would end with my involvement and no matter who was arround an awkward inappropriate yelling match.  We all became a little wary as Christmas approached, and would do our best to avoid him.

This year I went to Spod and made a suggestion.  There was no one currently staying in the Maui condo.  I could get him tickets to fly there, and spend at least two weeks in quiet non christmas surroundings.  There would be no scary gifts, no fattening food, no happy grandchildren, no Monte, no me to nag him…he could do exactly what he wanted, when he wanted.  He said no.  And I said then you have to behave, right through Christmas, and we almost made it.  Almost.

Day before yesterday, Emily and Monte  and I were visiting in the living room.  Spod had been spending most of his time sitting in my purple room chair, which we had moved into the bedroom to make room for a blow up bed in Purple Room.    At one point I went into our bedroom (Spod was in the kitchen) to sit in my purple room chair and cool off.  Its so hot in the house but the bedroom is much cooler.  As I sat there I noticed a roughness on the arm of my precious chair, a chair I have gone to great lengths to keep clean and pristine.  Upon further inspection I saw sticky finger wipes from something and when I dug down in the chair I found parts of a butter tart.  A BUTTER TART….in my chair.  

I stormed out to the kitchen and told him in escalating tones to stay  out of my chair, or at the least no eating in it.  I was so pissed off.  I see this as a complete and total lack of respect.  Well, he basically told me to go to hell.  So I marched back in there and took the removable back off the chair and tucked it into a spot in purple room.  

A few minutes later, as Emily and I were visiting in the living room, we heard all this odd noise coming from the bedroom/hallway.  And there comes Spod, who can't move or move anything to save his life, dragging the other half of the chair out of the room.  I told him I couldn't put the chair away yet, not til tomorrow.  And he proceeded to yell, most rudely and loudly and embarrassingly, in front of Emily,  that if he couldn't sit in the f…..ing chair, then it had to come out of the room.  I reminded him that that room was mine too and I could keep it there if I wanted to.  And he swore and yelled and refused and left the other half the chair out in the middle of the room.  And…he was so belligerently ridiculous and nasty.  I told him fine, behave like a two year old.  So the chair sat out there until today.

Later he did the same thing about something else.  Just so stupid and nasty and not necessary.  And really really awkward for Emily.    He should have gone to Maui.  Really.  I will remember this next year…you can bet on that.  Mind you, he wasn't nearly as bad as he has been in the past.

I think they are right when they say people go full circle.  You start out behaving like a two year old and you end acting like a two year old.  I don't know, I am not there yet, but it probably is difficult to be getting older with all that that entails.  And I would cut him a giant break on that, but, he was like this when he was young.  Oh well he makes up for it in lots of ways…when it isn't Christmas. Hahaha!

We had a quiet new year's eve last night.  April played crib with Myles, Monte watched youtube car accidents in Russia, I played the piano and blogged and Spod was in the bedroom reading about the railroad and oil, and watched the ball drop every hour up until our midnight.  At 12 we watched the new year come in in Times Square and shared a glass of Asti.  Shortly thereafter we were all in bed.  

Today is hair washing day.  Seeing how this is the first day of 2014, I think I am seriously going to contemplate a new hairstyle.  As easy as this one is, on all the other than washing days that is, I think its time for a change.  Maybe what I need to do is tie it in with weight loss.  When I hit that certain size I can feel free to cut this mess off.  I will think about it today.  Such profound issues to start the new year!

Well, I am sorry people, I have nothing meaningful or purposeful to say here on this first day of the new year.  Just be grateful for what you do have and appreciate it.  Happiness is yours to be had and as Monte is famous for saying…"It's a choice!"  TTYL