Rob's Halfway House - #10

[Susie]

Hi Everyone!

As Tonise so nicely posted for me, I was offline over the 4th of July holiday and just got back last night. I know Marielle was wondering why the Lex was so quiet and that's because many people take vacation the week of the 4th of July, and in Minnesota, it's the time to head up north to "the lake" which usually means a cabin on one of our 10,000 lakes or to "the North Shore" which means the north shore of Lake Superior. I was at the latter - Lake Superior.

I have to tell you about a little bit of bad feelings going on in my family right now.

Warning - Rant Ahead:

My parents bought property on Lake Superior 18 years ago and we have spent almost every 4th of July there with them. There are 3 cabins right on the shore and 1 cabin on a hill looking out on the lake. My dad renovated 2 of the cabins and my brother did one of them. My family would get to stay in one of the cabins, and sometimes my brothers or my aunt and uncle or my cousin would come too. It was super fun having everyone together there. Now two of the cabins are being rented out continuously to vacationers, but my dad would always block out the dates we wanted so the cabins wouldn't be rented.

My parents are 81 and 83 and not making the 5 hour drive as often and they also were land rich and cash poor, so they sold the place for a VERY good deal to my brother. He deserves the good deal since he put so much sweat equity into the place renovating cabins. The problem is my sister-in-law (55 years old) who is not what you'd call friendly. We don't know why she is like this. You also need to know that my parents are the epitome of nice. My dad was always especially generous about letting people stay in the cabins for free. So when they signed the papers and finalized the deal, my dad said, "Let's go out to dinner to celebrate." and my sister-in-law just said she didn't want to go out. Sheesh! My parents felt very hurt by that.

Now the sale states that my parents can still have access to the property. The transition of ownership has been a bit abrupt. My sister-in-law just cleaned out my parent's stuff from their cabin with the exception of some dishes and bedding (most of the furniture was part of the sale) and left a very business-like note explaining the new "guidelines". My parents were so upset. If only my sister-in-law would have called and said, "So, how should we handle this transition?" So it was a bit of a bummer time on the 4th because my mom was especially out of sorts in a kitchen that was abruptly no longer hers. And my dad was a bit blue too - he spent A LOT of time there the past 18 years. You know what? I'm fiercely protective of my parents and I'm incensed that they aren't getting the respect they deserve. My brother is a good guy, but he lets his wife have a little too much control. And did I mention that we have no idea why she is so unfriendly? She used to be friendly for the first 10 years, and then who knows what happened. To give you an idea of the extent of her "issues", she is estranged from her own mother. This happened in the last 5 years and we have no idea why. Can you imagine refusing to have anything to do with your mother all of a sudden when you are about 50 years old? But I digress.

My parents had requested to stay at the cabin for the 4th of July a long time ago, and what do you know, my sister-in-law decided to come on the 5th with her daughter (she's 30), so my parents had to high tail it out of there the morning after the 4th. We stayed another day in the hilltop cabin and when we came back from our day trip to Grand Marais, we thought it only polite to stop by their cabin and say hello. If it had been my parents they would have invited us in and we would have chatted - they would have been welcoming to anyone passing by. It was cringe-worthy for us attempting to say hello to my sister-in-law and my niece. They were extremely unwelcoming and didn't invite us in.(All four of us were just standing awkwardly on the front step.) They just talked to us through the screen and seemed puzzled as to the purpose of our visit. To be fair, my niece's dog was a bit nervous, so they made it seem like that was the reason, but seriously. They weren't the LEAST bit friendly - no smiles. It made me feel like crying - to see that beautiful cabin once inhabited by the friendliest people on earth, with people who don't even welcome family. I guess I'm grieving the loss of the place too since as long as my parents owned it, I owned it as part of my inheritance - my dad always made me feel like it was all of ours.

I really want to have a chat with my brother about this, but it will be delicate. Anything I say to him will definitely be passed on to my sister-in-law. I'll have to use all the diplomacy in my being.

End of Rant.

Thanks. I needed that. Deep breath.

Sorry to be such a downer. I have read all of your posts and would love to respond to all of you, but I'll have to catch up with you tomorrow since I don't have much emotional energy left.

Bye for now!

[Jazz Girl]

Evening, siblings. Well, we survived soccer on another record-heat day. The temperature officially hit 105 in Indy and yeah, I didn't do so well with it. To start with, I was already feeling quite poorly given that I was battling a certain monthly phenomenon, the symptoms of which were horribly exacerbated by the heat which meant that I might have slept a grand total of 90 minutes last night. So, off we go at 7:30 am with me doing deep breathing exercises in the front seat in an effort to push through. Of course, the monkeys are already tapdancing with sparklers on my substantially shortened fuse. In an effort to stave off both the heat and the symptoms, I'm chugging water and downing Tylenol like both are going out of style. We ended up playing in the consolation game (for 3rd place) which was great for the team and bad for me. We finally left the fields after 4 pm. Now, on top of all of it, because it was so hot, I had no desire to eat anything. I managed some watermelon and grapes through the day, but by the time we left, my sugar was dropping quickly as well. Well, throw all those things together and, though I managed to get through the day, by the time I got home I was dizzy, wobbly, completely overheated and a little delirious. Oy, but I should know better. I'm not as young as I once was. Well, a slowly cooling shower and a few hours in front of the fans later, I'm perked enough to hop online and let you all know I'm okay.

Lynne~ I’ve honestly come to accept that some people are just ignorant and prove their ignorance with every word out of their mouth. So it will be with those continuing to belittle the tremendous talent that is Robert Pattinson. Meh, their loss. I will sit comfortably upon my seat on this amazing train ride, secure in the knowledge that I’ve been here all along and those who want to jump on this far down the tracks have some SERIOUS portions of crow to eat before I accept their presence.

Suzan~ You are not the only one who has struggled with reading Cosmopolis. It is a difficult read even for many literary snobs! I found it helpful to read the book aloud, honestly. Hearing the dialogue is a different experience, much as Rob has said throughout promotion. Yes, the possibility did come up of gathering for the final premiere, possibly in Nashville, where our fair Alphie and Pel can be found. We’ll see what happens.

Tonise~ Sometimes you just need a night in, so that sounds like a splendid plan. What did you end up watching?

Susie~ That’s just awful. It is especially frustrating when the people treating family badly are family. I’m sorry for the frustration and for the grief you are going through over the whole situation. Does your brother have an opinion at all on the way his wife has handled the situation?

Brenda~ Hi!! I see you!

For those of you who don't frequent, I recommend a trip over to Robsessed today. In preparation for The Saga's (and likely Rob's) final ComicCon, Robsessed is doing a retrospective on Rob's appearances at ComicCon. All of the panel videos from 2008 (back when no one really knew the insanity that was coming), 2009 (when Rob and Kris were about as subtle as a trainwreck and Rob was happy to let Tayter talk about his abs) and 2011 (with all the talk of wedding nights, feathers and vampire caesareans) are posted and they are hysterical to look back at. Ach, Thursday is going to be bittersweet, I'm sure. The beginning of the end... I'm so not ready for this ride to be over.

[Tornado]

Susie - I'm sorry that you had an unpleasant time for your 4th of July. Families can be tricky to navigate sometimes. I'm fortunate in that my own family and Hubby's family all get along well. However, Hubby's grandfather (my MIL's father) is nothing short of a tyrant, and always has been. He refuses to speak to his daughter these days, simply because she runs a successful business. He was fine when the business wasn't doing well, but as soon as it started doing well, he stopped talking to her, mainly because she was successful without asking him for advice, and because she was successful and she's his daughter, rather than one of his sons. So some people's ill temper is based on a hell of a lot of baggage from a lifetime of experiences (his mother was particularly cruel to him, I'm told), so your SIL's problems may have been the work of a lifetime. That may be why it is difficult to work out her problem! Or maybe she's just naturally unsocial.

Caryn - yes, I know that some people's minds will not be changed, but injustice (or what I perceive as unjust viewpoints) always makes me want to charge in and change it if I can. Hubby has tried to help me settle down and realise that I can't always do that, but I must confess he's prone to trying to change people's minds when he doesn't agree with them either, so in that way I think we are tarred with the same brush! And at least we know that, when Rob wins his Oscar (and I fully believe he will), we will be able to sit back and say, "No surprise there!"

[Chernaudi]

Hi everyone

The heat wave is about to break here, and we might even get some rain out of it.

I survived that ALMS and NASCAR races (Caryn might be happy that Smoke won tonight), and I have some interesting grocery stuff tomorrow, too.

I'll be back later

[smitten_by_twilight]

Hi siblings! In my heart, I am a better sister, who stops by more often. Tonight, I am totally tired but caught up with y'all!

Eh, maybe I overreacted about the campfire pic. Still, it irritates me a bit.

Congratulations to Jasper and girlfriend, and Welcome! to their little boy. The beginning of a wonderful journey.

The A/C is fixed yay!!! The girls and I slept in the living room for almost a week. Hubby boy braved the heat upstairs for the sake of a mattress and son's room is downstairs. Then on Friday he was supposed to come between 9-10 am ... yeah right ... he got there around 2. But at least it got fixed.

We enjoyed our Fourth although it was raining fiercely. My aunt and uncle stayed home rather than come out in the wet, so it was my family and my mother. We had a lovely dinner and then took the kids to the fireworks (there was a break in the rain) ... which hit a snafu and we came home early. Oh well.

My niece from Hawaii, who was out here a few months ago, texted me late one night and I called her back. She had come clean to her father that she had a drinking problem and wanted help and thought it would be best to come back to Tucson. So he is making it happen! She is coming back to Tucson in September, and planning on doing intensive outpatient treatment locally. She asked for emotional support from us and I was happy to say yes. It lead to a bit of an epiphany for me (which I seem to be having often lately) that my personal goal in life was to make my corner of the world a bit better, and I seem to be achieving it. This gave me warm fuzzies! It was never an ambitious goal, but I thought it was worthwhile!

Work is basically the same, and working this weekend again of course. Department manager keeps telling me she wants me to commit to the department and give up my other contracts and I tell her, offer me a salaried position and we will talk.

Amy - We will do BD2 in Phoenix definitely! Hopefully we can find a same-day all-day Twilight marathon to attend too. I never knew why my flight was delayed, and have flown too often to bother asking. It's so wonderful that you could have a date weekend away with your hubs, and even more wonderful that it was so nice, with so much conversation. I really feel like that is a mark that a marriage is basically doing well.

Austin - Dude! Stop by anytime. We love you (but not in a way that would make your wife worry ).

Caryn - I'm sorry for your work troubles, and more so the implications for home financial troubles. Agencies are awful with cutbacks. Thanks for your attention to my campfire irritation - I guess it is overblown, but it is under my skin for some reason. The situation with your SiL really does sound horrible, and sadly, ongoing.

Jaclyn - Congratulations on learning how to get your iron levels up! I am a mad lover of citrus, which explains why it was never an issue for me. You and hubs look very happy in your pics!

Lynne - 1500 copies is amazing! Will that be paperback? We will get the word out on the grapevine! I wonder about a rec at the Fictionators? Thanks for the review of Little Ashes. I have been hesitant to see it because I am not so into Dali either, but your review tells me I should give it a try. I'm a bit of a Johnny Depp fan and I didn't know he did Nightmare on Elm Street! I do remember watching him in 21 Jump Street and you could see his acting improving with every show, until by the time he left, he had completely outclassed the show. I often think of Rob and Johnny together, particularly in terms of how impossible it is to escape a label like "Most Beautiful Man Ever."

Marielle - Let us know when you decide on a tattoo! I loved meeting you too. Americans adore European accents, and don't fuss about speaking American properly since we can't decide on what proper American is anyway. You should try listening to a Boston accent, I'm not sure a Bostoner and Tonise could understand each other easily.

Sean - It sounds like you have had an excellent first week of work, even though it is rather dull. Well at least it will not be emotionally exhausting, and you will go home with plenty of energy.

Songbird - I'm so silly! Of course, the thread will be moving! I must have been confused with the kids changing schools - hope their end of year celebration went well. I will have to start considering what pics can be used for decor in the new thread. Of course the place is basically wallpapered in Rob anyway. And that last pic I posted is popsicles, and I think is a Kayla original (she is wildly multitalented). There is a MUCH more graphic version, with ... shaped and detailed ... popsicles, on the Gutter thread. I could probably track down the page if you wanted. We had 8 ears of corn among 7 people. I ate extra for you!

Susie - I'm neutral on chest hair. Personally, I like a small amount, but not a rug. The obvious problem with shaving is that you have to keep doing it ... plus nicking delicate skin.

Susie and Tonise - Kayla is a Twi teacher now too!

Tonise - Has your back improved yet? I am sorry things are over with Detective Scott, as he sounded like quite a good guy. But sometimes good folks don't match anyway. Will you stay friends?

[marielle]

Alright an other try….
Yesterday the internet monster ate my long post…I can’t remember what I typed but I’ll start a new…

Happy Sunday everybody!!!

Sean, I remember I had a very long reply on Maria’s accident and the cockpit topic but I can’t remember what I wrote, anyway, I saw on the BBc yesterday the comment of Maria’s team manager on her injuries, they don’t know yet what cause the accident but these injuries are standard or even less for these types of accidents.

Lynne, I have to shamefully admit that I haven’t seen Little Ashes yet. It’s just not a movie that is shown in my home. My bf wouldn’t like it one bit. So those are things for my alone nights and I haven’t had many lately.

Tonise, I’m sorry it didn’t work out with the detective… but you are right, just move on… there are so many free men in the world, I know for sure that there are many that will see the awesome woman you are…

Caryn, it’s a statement to how sick this world is that people seem to think that Rob should make movies just to earn more money… I’m sure he doesn’t have to work a damn day in his life again if he wanted to, yet he still is out there working on movies he enjoys making,… still people seem to blame him for his lack of interest in making money…. If I were him I would have retired already and spend my days doing nothing…lucky for us Rob just loves making movies…

Suzan, the A tagged pictures hit the internet the morning after we all enjoying Bel Ami and too many clips of Rob’s movies sex scenes… Caryn was nice enough to repeat it for me in the morning when I returned to the hotel… let’s just say we were all very giddy and the position of the A was very fitting.

Susie, I knew you all would be busy with the 4th of july but men… it was so quiet here…
I’m sorry your sister in law is such a b*tch, I think it stands for how nice of a person you are for not kicking her butt. I would have been so angry. Your poor parents…

Brenda, I love the boston accent!!! I think it’s a bit Irish… I know a lot of Irish immigrants live there, to me it sounds a bit of a mumbled Irish…
On the tattoo thing, I changed my mind on the lollipop… but I was thinking about feathers…still I have to find my inner Gryffindor and step into the tattoo shop to see for a design…

Alright F1 race is starting… See you all soon!!

[Chernaudi]

Hi everyone

There's some Kristen outtakes from her Glamour shoot from last year at Robstenation.

As for me, I'm about to take a nap--I don't feel good, I'm irritable, and I got up early because my parents visited early.

I'll be back later

[missp]

HAPPY SUNDAY, Y’ALL!! It’s gloriously hot and humid here. My sister and her hubby to be are on their way and I am going to share my Celebrate Recovery Inventory with her because she is my sponsor. That’s almost the last step in the process before I finish the program and can hopefully begin the steps to lead my own group!
I’m going to try and get through the mega-post before they arrive. So, here goes!

LYNNE~~ The Teen Wolf that is on MTV is nothing like the one starring Michael J. Fox from the 80’s. It’s hard core werewolf action! I am soooo addicted! LOL! I would love to have one of your autographed copies of your book! I can say “I knew her when!” I knew the Trifecta would have to attend this last Comic-Con for the Twilight saga! That would have been just another kick in the fan’s faces had they not shown up. I can’t make a judgement on the vampire campfire until I’ve seen it in context. At times, I wonder what aliens have taken over MR’s body! LOL! Our 3rd graders plant seedlings every year and they love to watch their plants grow! That’s such a fun lesson! Hope the haircut went well! Our boys usually do not enjoy the haircuts! I have not seen Little Ashes yet but want to eventually. I did notice that Bel Ami is coming to our Direct TV On Demand! Church in a Park sounds lovely! One of the best ways for me to get in touch with God is through nature… especially sitting on the beach! I hope Little Man has a great first day back to school!

MARIELLE~~ I’m sorry that you were feeling badly earlier in the week. Was the doctor able to help you out with feeling better? You cracked me up with the “I’m really not going to try and understand men. In my eyes that’s a lost cause…” statement!! Sooooo true!! For our Independence Day, I laid out by the pool and hung out with friends all day. No fireworks… none of them would have compared to the ones on Navy Pier in Chicago, anyway! Yep. Magic Mike is the one with the strippers. And… OH HOW THEY STRIPPED!! *GASP!* I absolutely could see you in a social job such as coaching manager! I hope this works out for you! God-particle, huh? No surprise to me. He’s very real in my world! How are you enjoying your new MacBook? Has it been easy to learn how to use? Forbes magazine!!!!! Grrrrr!! They wouldn’t know real talent if it bit them on the… well… you know! You’re sooo right!! Jackson has got to be one of the sexiest dads on the planet!! Awww!! Thanks for that sweet word of encouragement concerning Detective Scott! I know God’s got this, and I am perfectly fine waiting on His choice.

SEAN~~ How was your first week on the job? So glad to hear Y’all finally got some rain. We have yet to get a good soaking. It’s just been hit and miss so far. YUM!! Ice Cream cakes are all the rage here during the summer! Glad to hear you survived the ALMS and NASCAR races! Enjoy your nap! There’s nothing better than a long lazy Sunday afternoon nap!

BRENDA~~ The holiday meal with the family sounded delicious!! The cookies looked scrumptious! Like I told Lynne, I’m holding out judgement on the campfire thing until I know more about the context in which it was filmed. They tend to fragment things so much with these little tidbits that it’s hard to tell where things come from and why. But… with MR… who really knows what she’s thinking most of the time. She’s been the thorn in this franchise’s side for far too long IMHO! I’m so glad to hear your AC is fixed! I know that made for a difficult few days! It is so awesome that your niece has reached out for support and help along her journey of recovery. It’s also not a surprise to me that you offered yours freely. Girl, you keep holding those folks at the workplace feet to the fire. Make them pay for your expert services! They’re blessed to have you! My back is all better, thanks! No… I don’t usually do the friend thing after I stop seeing someone. I’m past the point of needing more male friends. I want something permanent. And… it is sooooo exciting that we now have THREE Twi-teachers in our little group!!

SONGBIRD SUSAN~~ Dating has never been much fun for me, but it’s getting better as I read more and more on how men and women are different and relate to one another. I just have to approach it as a learning experience that may or may not end up being anything permanent. The small BBQ to celebrate your mom’s memory sounded lovely. Is everything still okay with your Brother’s home?

JACLYN~~ I hope you’re enjoying your weekend travels! How was the scenery? I imagine the beach there is a rocky one and not one of sand. My weekend plans have been to just relax and do as little as possible. The next two weeks will be very crammed full of church and family stuff. Then, it’s time to pack for our annual beach trip!

CARYN~~ I’m glad to hear you survived your weekend of soccer in the sweltering heat, but I must admit it sounded like a miserable experience! You’re such a good soccer mommy to endure all that for the monkeys! By the way, has anyone ever told you that Tylenol can sometimes make the symptoms of that horrible phenomenon worse because it thins out your blood and can cause the pain to increase? That’s what the docs told me a long time ago. They told me to switch to ibuprofen instead. Thank God I no longer have that problem! I’ve never been so proud to have all my plumbing yanked out! I so enjoyed my night in! I ended up watching movies on LMN. The Stepfather FREAKED me out! I’d never seen it, and I was soooo glad I’m single by the time it was over! Baaaahaaaahaaa! Ummm… how long can I stay in denial about the beginning of the end?

SUZAN~~ Enjoy SEMPRE FOREVER. I just want to stay happily in my little EP cocoon. I enjoyed it so much in its original form, I don’t want to mess that happy feeling up reading it again changed up for mass publication. Magic Mike… hmmm… YUMMMMM to the naked behinds of Tatem Channing, Matthew Mc, and the others. YUCKKKKK to the other stuff such as drug use and other stuff that I needed to Clorox my eyes and ears after! I just haven’t been able to watch 21 Jump Street because I was such a huge fan of that show on FOX in the 80’s with Johnny Depp. The direction they took the movie in just grates my nerves. Yep… I’m holding out for the guy God has planned for me. I’m okay until he comes along!

SUSIE~~ I am so sorry that what should have been a lovely enjoyable holiday with your family turned out to be such a disappointment and source of pain for you. It sounds like the conversation with your brother is a necessary part of the healing process, and I know you will handle it with grace. I hope it makes a positive difference in the behavior of the sister-in-law. It sounds like to me that you’re definitely grieving the loss of the place as being partly yours as well as maybe the loss of your family’s “the way it was” status. I am still hit hard from time to time over the changes that have taken place in our family dynamics over the years and the fact that our family has been changed forever. You just feel free to rant to us whenever you feel like it! We’re here to support each other in times of joy and frustration! HUGS!

Well… my sister and her honey have come and gone. I had to stop and save this post and finish it later during their visit. I have now decided to stay in for the rest of the day and read some fanfic. I also plan on writing at least one scene of Chapter 3 of Between Dusk and Dawn before bed time. Y’all have a great night!

MARIELLE, I see you!!

[Tornado]

Morning all!

Little Man will be back at school this morning, and although I have coped with the holidays, it will be good to get all those things done that I've been putting off for two weeks while he was with me all day!

I'm back at work for our business today, and I'm pleased to say we have a reasonably busy week this week, although some rain is threatening to disrupt it later in the week. Please pray that it doesn't rain so we can get all the jobs done.

A friend of mine brought this video to my attention the other day. I quite like what the song says, when you imagine Edward singing it, so I thought I'd post the link in case you want to see it.

Brenda - I'm glad to hear that your niece is taking steps to overcome her problem. That's great. It's half the battle won already. Yes, the copies will be paperback. What's Fictionators? Haven't heard of that one yet. Little Ashes covers the early part of his life, when he was a little less "out there", although he does get more odd the further the movie goes. That's when it's so easy to see Rob's skillful development of his character from shy and withdrawn to manic.

marielle - hopefully you'll have the opportunity to see it sometime soon.

Sean - I'll have to pop over to Robstenation and have a look!

Tonise - it's a different Teen Wolf? That shows you what I know! Don't worry, I will be offering autographed copies of my book right, left and centre! I think that the campfire is probably because of the fact that you have these vampires out in the middle of nowhere, and they don't need light to see, so how do you light it when you're working in a visual medium? We'd probably be jumping all over them if they had torches or something, because they don't need those either. At least the fire is logical because it might be required for burning the Volturi in the morning.

[marielle]

Good morning everybody…

I hope everybody had a great weekend. I didn’t do much. Just watching sports. I feel lazy but because of an injury to my leg (I think it’s going away but too slowly) I can’t do much exercise. I hope it will be over at the end of the week but I’m not very hopeful…

Anyway posts…

Sean, did you get to see the F1 race… How boring that in a place where it always rains the one day that it has to rain, the sun shines!!! How annoying…

Tonise, I didn’t go to the doctor. I don’t like doctors all that much and don’t trust them either, so as long as my body is able to solve the problems without help I’ll go for that. My leg is already much better but still taped in tightly which makes moving around very restricted, I have moved to elastic tape, that helps a lot.
I really like my macbook, it’s quick and easy. I’m still learning how to work with it but it isn’t very difficult.
I always thought during the 4th of July you all had these massive fire works shows? The one in Chicago was beautiful but me and my bf are a bit spoiled, The Hague is the host of an international competition in firework, so every august we have two weekend of this splashing shows.

Lynne, I’m sure you are slightly relieved that the little man is going back to school. I knew a lot of parents aren’t looking forward to holidays all that much because it disrupts their day plan…many are happy when it’s over again…

Alright that’s it for today…
See you all soon