Home and Away

Today I'm flying back to California. It seems like every time I visit the family is a unique and odd visit, so I never really know what to expect. I guess this is no exception. I haven't been home during non-snowy weather in several years, so the heat is something I'm not used to. And the tornados, hail, and lightning. Anyway, as much as I eventually settle in to how things are here, I still miss my real life and the things I actually chose to have in my life. I saw some friends from high school, which was weird. I haven't seen them since the actual day we graduated, so it's a little strange to 'catch up' after this many years. One of them told me she had a coke habit in college and nearly died. Another has MS, and yet another hasn't changed a bit. I feel a little strange telling them about my life because I know that it sounds so much more glamorous than it really is, mostly because I don't have a bunch of kids or an ex-husband, or a job that I hate. Plus I don't tell them about the not-so-great stuff, like living at the poverty line. But in the end, I don't really know what they're thinking. They probably think I'm a giant bitch.

I also am always surprised at how much my family annoys me, even though it's nothing new. I used to live with these people, and they're not really that different than they used to be. I'm just in a position in my life where I don't have to put up with their bullshit anymore. I can leave at any time. No one gets to boss me around. I am a little bit worried about my dad, who seems to have taken to blurting out random things without really thinking it through first. Things like "NASCAR is the most ethical sport there is" or "I know how to stop underage drinking". Or he states the painfully obvious "That's an orange car" or "The mountains are on the west side" or "The speed limit is 40". Yes, we all caught that, Dad. Thanks for saying it, too. Sometimes I wonder if it's because he has a habit of not paying attention to things other people say, or if he's really losing it. I've also noticed that if I talk quiet enough, he won't hear me. And if I don't repeat myself, he gets mad, even if I wasn't talking to him. Typical. He's always been kind of a nosy guy. I've also realized that he won't do anything new by himself (go to a new doctor, drive to a new place, etc).

Lastly, my dad has become overly concerned with conserving water. I'm still unsure as to whether it's an environmental thing or a financial thing, but I had to nag him to turn up the heat on the water when I got here. After 2 tepid attempts at bathing, I finally had enough and threatened to go stay in a hotel. According to my mom, he's trying to 'save water' by keeping the heat low. Our water is heated by solar power. My mom also told me that he 'saves water' by 'watering the plants' instead of using the bathroom in the house. She also has to nag him to shower, and she practically wrestles dirty clothes away from him. It's like he's suddenly six years old again. Who does that? It's not like he's checked out; he's just become some sort of water miser. I don't get it, and it has practically driven me crazy this week. It's the first time I've ever threatened to stay in a hotel when I've been at home.

Anyway, it won't be long before I'm back at the ocean, where we don't have wind, or tornados, or hail, or horses or bighorn sheep or gigantic trucks. Yes, I will miss it. But it will be nice to be home.