Family Vaca

Well I came back yesterday and I went to the game store to have lunch with my bestest friend…
He took one look at me and declared that I looked happy and thus MUST NOT have spent all that long with my dad.

And that is the ever loving truth.
My Dad blew me off for his wife. This is NOT the first time he did it, it won’t be the last but I know I didn’t really give a damn. Or to be more exact- I was sorta pleased that he blew me off because it meant I didn’t have to see him and HE has the guilt of canceling on me instead of vica versa. Though that said, I don’t think he has any guilt about blowing me off- because if he did- he wouldn’t do it so often.

What happened is I arrived at my sister’s place on Sunday night; where my brother, his finacee, my niece, my mom, and my sister’s family (her hubby, and two sons). We had planned to go to the Bronx Zoo on Monday. Now as we were getting ready to leave, I realized that my winter jacket was too heavy but I wanted a jacket as rain was predicted. So I left my coat and borrowed a rain coat from my sister.
While at the park, my brother checked his voice mail and said that there was a message from our father. That our dad was trying to get in touch with me because our father had decided rather then meet with me for dinner on Wednesday, he was going to go with his wife on her book signing trip.
I rolled my eyes and thought this was typical. I had made plans with my Dad to see him on Wednesday night for dinner, and he was ditching me because his wife batted her eyes and asked him to change his plans at the last minute.
I realized that since I had left MY jacket at my sister’s- I also left my cell phone. I asked to borrow my mom’s cell but a) she only had my dad’s cell phone number (and HIS phone doesn’t work at his house) and b) ‘All lines were busy’. My mom says that sometimes she can’t get a connection with her phone as her provider’s circuits are often busy. So I felt, my dad tried to get a hold of me… and wanted to cancel Wednesday, and I was having a good time with the other side of the family so I was in NO rush to call him back.
I found out about my dad’s call about mid afternoon. I then had a nice time at the zoo with previously mentioned: mom, brother, brother’s gal, niece, sister, brother in law and two nephews… My mom cut out a bit early due to the rain- taking my bro, his gal and their daughter, leaving me with my sister, her husband and their two boys. We took our time at the Zoo and then went to a pizza place for dinner. I knew in the back of my mind that I needed to call my dad back- but I was in no hurry because he was canceling on me. I called him around, perhaps, 8 pm and told him that if he wanted to meet me Tuesday BEFORE he and his wife left for her book tour- that would be ok with me.
My dad was ALL apologetic when I talked to him Monday night… He said how SORRY he was… and how he’d make it up to me… and I just nodded my head and told him I understood. I was slightly amused about how he blamed his wife for this change of plans- because suddenly SHE got nervous and wanted him to help her with the driving… So I thought even his apology showed he had no balls- as he couldn’t even man up enough to admit- she asked me and I decided to drive her around then spend time with you or ‘my grand daughter’.
I add my niece into this equation as my brother and his wife felt VERY slighted by the amount of time my dad made for them. They traveled all the way from San Fran to spend time with ‘the family’, and they spent only a couple of hours with my dad- most of which was at a book event for my father’s wife new book. Yeah- she had a party for her book on Sunday, and my brother brought his fiancée and daughter to this event… I didn’t go because I work at the game store on Sunday. So my brother, and his family, go to this book signing- and then they go to my dad’s place for like a drink before heading to our (step) sister’s house. So originally, my brother and his girls were going to join me and my dad for dinner on Wednesday…. That way I had a bit of a buffer between me and my dad, and I could maximize the time I spent with my niece…. So by canceling on ME, my dad also canceled on my brother, his fiancée and the baby.
I ended up merely changing parents and having dinner on Wednesday night with my mom, and my brother’s group… glad that I got a few more hours with my niece… and I was a happy camper- as stated at the beginning of this blog.
That said, the rest of the family- brother, mother, and brother’s gal are pissed at my dad for putting his wife above the rest of his family. I try to look at it this way- My dad made his choice and HE is the one who’s going to miss out. My niece has two parents who love her, two sisters who adore her, two cousins who are about her age, four uncles who think she’s cute (and three aunts), two grandmas and a ‘step’ grandpa… so I think my niece will be covered with love… My father however is the one missing out on her cuteness… which is Mighty Mighty cute.
Maybe I’ll talk more about the rest of my vaca later- and I HOPE to put a few pics up on facebook… but I just wanted to share the fact that I got all worked up and nervous about seeing my dad for nothing.
Oh and my mom was SO PROUD of how I looked that she gave me a brownie without ANY sort of digs- about how the brownie was like a ‘special’ treat or how I should make sure I go to the gym when I get back to ‘work off the brownie’…. She just gave it to me as a treat, and the lack of weight comments made me appreciate the brownie all the more.