Hey, y'all.

So, if any of y'all were watching the U.S. news several days, you heard about the big wildfire in Southern California this season. My parents were forced to evacuate, but they were able to return last week. However, they didn't have any utilities, and the City of Brea didn't know when that would be restored. So, I assumed that they would probably end up going elsewhere for Thanksgiving, such as my 1st sister's house.

So when my 3rd sister called me on Sunday to invite me to dinner with the parents of her boyfriend (Guess he's not an ex-boyfriend anymore *shrugs*--Padby), I said I would think about it. I was holding out to hear from my parents, but still, no call or visit from them or anything. When she asked me again Tuesday morning, I finally accepted that afternoon.

So then, imagine who calls me this morning? Why, it's my mother, of course! She tells me, with a little bit of excitement in her voice, that they're having Thanksgiving dinner at her house, and if I was coming. I told her I already had plans.

Excitement is now extinguished.

Then she starts peppering me with questions: Where are you going? Is your (1st) brother going there, too? (He is.) Why didn't you call? (You think I haven't been trying this whole time?)

Then...she plays the guilt card. In Spanish, she says my Dad'll have a heart attack if I don't show up. At this point, I'm starting to get quite irritated: I barely got out of work (it was about 8:30 AM PT when she called), I'm hungry, I got things to do at home...so I tell her I'll think about it, and leave it at that.

After all they went through last week, I suppose having a dinner with (most of) the family could help bring some normalcy back to their household. However, Carbon Canyon Road is still closed (except to residents); the city hotline says they hope to have it open "late Wednesday night."
But even so, my relationships with the people living at my parents' house--starting with my 2nd sister, then my 2 youngest brothers, and now, my parents themselves--have started to become strained. Lately, it just feels they only call me when they need me to fix their problems; otherwise, they could really care less about me. I mean, seriously, I am your brother and son...I am not your personal gopher. (Am I using that term right?) Besides, I'd kinda' hate to cancel plans I just made, and my 3rd sister said her boyfriend's family is eager to meet me.

*sighs* I'm not sure what I'm going to do at this point; I'll have to make some kind of decision by tonight, I figure. I just need to mull it over...