Post 499

According to the stats kept by the blog host, this is my 499th post since I began this blog. I've been applying pressure to myself to come up with something good for the 500th, but that's probably not going to happen. Unless I get snowed in up here in Big Rapids.

It was sunny throughout most of my drive up, but as I got into Big Rapids, the snow began falling. I unloaded the car at the apartment and was going to stay there to have a bite of lunch. It was cold (61 degrees), so I turned on both of my space heaters and promptly blew a fuse. Fortunately the landlady had given me the number of the maintenance man, so I called him. He came right over and flipped the fuse switch so I once again had lights and could nuke my Lean Pocket for lunch. He was still banging around on the boiler in the basement when I headed off to campus. I'm hoping that I'll be able to return to a warm, cozy apartment later today. Just not too warm, not like last week's Easy-Bake Oven Apartment.

The weather folks are predicting a major winter storm for later in the week. I'd rather not, thank you very much. Now that I'm not in a garage, I prefer not to have to stand outside for half an hour scraping ice and snow off my car, nor do I like risking life and limb walking around on the icy pavement. It wouldn't hurt anyone's feelings for school to be closed for a day, but that probably won't happen this late in the semester.

I'm fighting a headache, likely due to my difficulty sleeping last night. I kept thinking about the situation with the relatives. I wish I had the kinds of sisters and brothers that I could actually talk to. They think all I do is tell them what to do, but they aren't the kinds of people who can have a philosophical discussion. If it's not about "he said/she said" gossip, then there's little to be discussed. I spent time I should not have spent this weekend trying to compose a letter to be sent to the Jena group, but for all my effort, I won't send it. I can't explain the difference to them between my belief that they (and everyone else) have a right to whatever opinion they desire, and my equally held belief that if they want me to take them seriously or to be persuaded by their opinion, then they have to have more than "Glenn Beck said it" or "Fox News says." I can't discuss literature with them. They don't read. I can't discuss religion or politics or national events with them. I can't discuss anything except sports (Saints and LSU only).

My niece told me that her brother had blocked me on Facebook because he didn't like things I said, such as "That vitamin-selling business you're part of sounds like a pyramid scheme to me." (I had not brought up the topic. Another person had, and I simply agreed with her. Of course, I got the brunt of the blame, nevertheless.)

I've got myself convinced that I should simply sever ties with most of my family, but that's easier said than done. It's just really hard to take that giant step back from them, knowing how horrible their lives often are. I guess what I need to remember is that their lives will be just as horrible with me being part of them as they will be if I'm not. They probably won't miss me, that's for sure.

I guess I ought to get busy. For some reason, I seem to recall that I had someone to meet here at the office today, but I don't have any notes left to myself about it. Oh, well.