Sunday, February 23, 2014

Awkward Family Dinner

I got a chance to see my fur brothers this weekend.  Here's one of them.


Click to enlarge and get a good look at his terrible dandruff problem.

I have become a crazy cat lady hobo-style, i.e. due to Ken's allergies I can't have cats so I have to take my show on the road.  I actually keep that rainbow ribbon in my purse to play with other peoples' cats.  Technically I only need it on weekends, but I like to carry it around with me all the time because seeing it makes me smile.

As soon as I pulled the ribbon out, my fur brothers flipped their lids.  They pounced all over it.  Even the lazy one (above), who spends most of his time begging for food and/or tummy rubs, actually got up and trotted after the ribbon when I pulled it to the other end of the house.

Thank goodness for the cats, because they made an awkward family dinner slightly easier to get through.  Ken and I have been at odds with my step-dad on account of his being involved in some shady business with some unsavoury business men, and because he tried to get us involved in his shenanigans.  I have to honestly say that I've been avoiding my step-dad for the past few months, because I just don't want to even listen to him talk about his schemes.  He's all excited about meetings he's had with people whom I consider to be obnoxious and hateful.

The truth is that I've lost quite a bit of respect for him.  He's focusing a lot of his energy on acquiring money and power, when he has enough money and power already to serve all of his needs.  He's intent on squashing some people he considers to be his enemies, at the expense of the people who he calls his friends.  He's not being nasty to his helpers on purpose per se, but he is being astonishingly thoughtless about other peoples' needs, priorities, and feelings.  I still care for him, of course, but my willingness to help him is at an all-time low.

Our dinner conversation was stilted, but we got through the evening, so that's something.  It's no worse than it used to be when I was a teenager, I suppose.  Actually, it's better, because I'm now an independent  adult who can go home at the end of the evening to relax...


... and pick cat fur off my clothes.

8 comments:

Vanessence7 said...

Poor kitty! I bet some extra fats and oils in his diet might help a lot with that. Dry Winter air is so hard on skin!

I'm so sorry about your step-dad. :( I suppose "squashing one's enemies" is a good thing, and I'm all for it ( ;) ) but not at the expense of friends and loved ones. That price is simply too high. I hope that whole scenario gets resolved soon - how long can a squashing take?

Praying for you, Spark. You make it look easy, but I know getting through such dinners is hard work. *hugs*

DarcKnyt said...

While I can certainly relate to a man's desire to squash his enemies, I'm sorry things have deteriorated so far with you and your stepfather. I assumed this was a relatively recent thing, when you posted about the confrontation you'd had a few weeks ago. (Has it been months already? Hm. I lose track of these things so easily.)

Anyway, I'll pray for the two of you and am glad you were able to enjoy the cats. A rainbow ribbon to make you smile sounds like a great thing to have for a Crazy Cat Lady Hobo-style.

Warped Mind of Ron said...

It's difficult with family sometimes. I hope he finds the right perspective soon. Until then {hugs}

Jenski said...

My aging lazy cat needs a rainbow ribbon!!

I'm glad you have your own home to which you can retreat from family stress.

Granny Annie said...

Oh yes I see the dandruff in the second photo. Too bad. Stay away from the shenanigans at all costs! It doesn't take much to get lumped in with the wrong doers.

Lynn said...

That does sound a bit awkward - I'm glad you had those delightful kitties to enjoy. What a neat idea - carrying a ribbon around like that.

G. B. Miller said...

That kind of bites with your step dad.

Good that you can temporarily distress by playing with the cat while you were there.

LL Cool Joe said...

Hmm that is a bad case of dandruff. Has anyone suggested Head & Shoulders?

That's very difficult with your father-in-law. I'm having some real issues with my mother at the moment and it really sucks, because you end up losing respect for them, and I think that often ends in a complete breakdown in the relationship.