Melanie called just before noon today asking if I could come in earlier than 1:30. I got in an hour earlier and boy did she hurt me! She had to put a lot of pressure on me and it didn’t tickle. I think I’ll forget about getting my bottom teeth straightened out.

She had her hair in a French braid, and she had a hell of a tan. She said she just got back from Mexico. That explains why she didn’t call me last Friday. She sure gets around. She definitely has no kids, as my vibes told me.

While she was working on me, I was aware of someone standing in the doorway. I thought it was another staff member standing by in case she needed their help like before, but when I got up to leave, I could see it was definitely her sister. It had to be. Her face was just about a carbon copy of Melie’s, only her hair was short and wavy. Not long and curly. She looked to be younger than Melie. Perhaps she was in her early 20s if not late teens. And I know she has a sister, too, cuz when we were talking about the things we like to do, Melanie said her sister draws, too.

After seeing Melanie, we went to the grocery store. I got a couple of samples of ground coffee. One’s vanilla nut crème, the other’s chocolate macadam. We also grabbed some other odds and ends we needed.

Since having two meals a day, I have felt so much better. I have more energy and I’m not starving my ass off nearly as much. I woke up a pound heavier today, but Tom said that’s to be expected. Like I said, if my weight doesn’t stay right around where it’s at, I think it’ll go up, but I’m ready to accept it and just live with it if it does, cuz I don’t miss feeling sluggish and hungry.

I spent about 3 hours changing and cleaning the mice, rats, and pig cages.

When we left to go to see Melanie, we saw people working in the freeloader’s yard. It’s not the same people with the blue pickup. It’s different people with a white pickup. On the way back, they were still there and they had a canteen of water on the block wall that’s in between their carport and the bedroom side of our house. I joked about going over and knocking it off. So are these people gonna be regulars? Are they gonna come every Monday?

Later…

The nerve of that brother of mine! Yes, I definitely did the right thing by ditching Mom, Dad, and Larry. As I knew they would, Mom and Dad went crying to Larry about our latest little dispute. Larry sarcastically thanked me for the postcard. Now he knows what it’s like to get dumped and I guess he doesn’t like it. It’s only OK for him to dump someone. I told him I got angry at Mom and Dad and perhaps I took it out on him, but then when he said to me what he said next, it left no doubt in my mind that I did do the right thing by cutting him off, too. He told me I hurt Mom and Dad unnecessarily. (like he hasn’t hurt them too, and like he has a right to judge me? Like he’s the boss of the family now or something)?

He also said something about not saying anything to certain people about his feud with Tammy so as not to cause conflict between us. See, he’s got the wrong idea. He thinks my dumping him is connected to Mom, Dad, and Tammy. It’s not. What he does about Tammy or what his opinions are about Tammy has nothing to do with why I cut him off. I cut him off simply cuz I felt it was best.

Then, to my surprise, he said Bill was a wonderful person and he may have hit the kids once or twice, but that’s it. I thought he hated Bill cuz he wouldn’t give him custody of Lisa. And it’s OK if you hit your kids once or twice, but any more than that is a no-no? Whatever. The point’s the same - I don’t care what he, mom, or dad think, say, or do. It’s their right to do what they want just as it’s my right to do what I want. I just don’t have to be associated with it if I don’t want to be.

So, as soon as Larry had told me this, which took about a minute, I simply said, “Why don’t we just not have anything to do with each other?” He said “OK” and we hung up. I am, however, gonna give him one last piece of an explanation and it’s his to take or leave. I’m sending one more postcard setting him straight on the fact that there’s no connection between Mom, Dad, Tammy, or Bill and my cutting him off. I told him he did nothing wrong, I simply felt it was for the better, and I wished him, Sandy and Jen the best throughout their lives. He can choose to read the postcard or not to read it. He can choose to think, believe, and feel whatever he chooses to about it and everything else from here on out.

Meanwhile, he and my parents are a part of my past and my past only. I cannot take any more stress with them. I don’t need it and neither do they. Let them live their lives to their contentment and I’ll do the same.

I started to email my folks so they could relay the message to their beloved son, but not at all to my surprise, they changed screen names. So I sent Larry the news directly and like I said, he can read if he wants to and he can do as he pleases with the info.

If Lisa should ever have any contact with Larry, I hope she’ll always have a mind of her own, as far as anything he may say to her regarding me. I hope that anything he says will remain separate from us, but I love Lisa and therefore, if she called me up tomorrow to tell me she no longer wanted anything to do with me, I’d accept it and let her have her way if it’d make her happy.

Later…

I called Tammy and told her of my little chat with Larry. She said she hoped my dumping mom and dad had nothing to do with her. I assured her it didn’t. How typical of Larry, though, to go back and forth. One minute he’s bitching to me, or someone, about how he’s pissed at Mom and Dad, and the next minute, he loves them dearly.

Later…

Just a couple more things in regard to Larry - he also said something about me sticking my nose into things. Like he’s not sticking his nose into things? I can’t believe some people and their hypocrisy! It’s like a fat person ranking on another fat person as if they weren’t fat themselves. People just make no sense with their practicing what they preach. I never should’ve bothered calling him back.

Also, I’ve decided not to send him another card explaining that there’s no connection between him and me and other family members cuz I don’t owe the bastard any explanation. He’s just not worth it. He and my parents can live their own lives without me in it and sink or swim for all I care.

Oh and also, Larry said something about Tammy being in big trouble. How can she be in big trouble if she got a letter from the state saying that her case was closed, just like with 99% of the parents they investigate?

Later…

I went and had myself a good cry and boy did it help! It wasn’t cuz of anything in particular or cuz of any emotion in particular, it was just everything combined. All the emotions, stress, anxiety, frustration, and anger due to this family shit. But this is why I’ve cut these people out of my life. So I don’t have to go through this on and off like I have been for 32 years.