I'm gonna need a ruling here...

[Jester]

Day 1.

Step Bro and I have already asked the parents for the duct tape.

Details to come, as I have been up for two days, flown over 2,500 miles, driven over 200 miles, eaten green pork chili in Denver, beat the odds on both my standby flights, drank one shot of rum and 11 beers in 4 bars and a home in three states, and slept less than two hours total.

Yeah.

This will be updated.

When I'm COHERENT.

[Kheldarson]

That just gives us time to get the popcorn ready



But you didn't even get one day of peace? Ouch.

[Jester]

But you didn't even get one day of peace?

A day? A whole day? With HER?!?!?



Oh, that's rich!!!!!!!

Shit, dude, it was not even 60 seconds after Step Bro and I arrived that we started to get shit from her.

A whole day. Oh, that is too funny.

[mathnerd]

A day? A whole day? With HER?!?!?



Oh, that's rich!!!!!!!

Shit, dude, it was not even 60 seconds after Step Bro and I arrived that we started to get shit from her.

A whole day. Oh, that is too funny.

We can be hopelessly optimistic on your behalf, can't we?

[Jester]

As long as you know it's hopeless.

She and I cooked together today, and of course, in the kitchen we were fne, and worked well together as a team, as we always do, much to the continuing shock of the rest of the family. And while Stepsister was here, she was fine, even awesome, as she can be. But there's still plenty of time left.

More reports to come.

[hinakiba777]

I am quite excited to hear all of Jesters tales regarding the party and his sister. It should be... entertaining.

[Eevie]

Where's the "Dis gon be good!" gif when I need it!!! Argh!

[Jay 2K Winger]

Where's the "Dis gon be good!" gif when I need it!!! Argh!

Dis gon be good!

[Jester]

I realized I never updated on what actually happened in Arizona.

For the most part, my older sister was on good behavior. When my stepsister was there, and also the next day when we took my stepsister out for sushi, my older sister was fantastic. When she wants to be, she can be a great person, and what she's done for my stepsister since all the shit went down is nothing short of remarkable. And when she and I were cooking in the kitchen, as in the past, we worked really well together. Admittedly, it was completely her menu with very little input from me, but many of my suggestions were for things that my parents didn't like or couldn't eat, so while she didn't listen to me that much, she did have a bit of an excuse. Also, I kept making her margaritas, so she wasn't nearly as bitchy to me as she might otherwise have been.

This is not to say she was not at times a pain in the ass. At various times she drove me and Mom nuts, and she really got on my stepfather's and stepbrother's nerves much of the time. But there were no blow ups, she didn't cross the line, and she was about as well behaved as any of us could have hoped for. A win win with our collective eyes rolled, if you will.

The fact that Mom wasn't feeling all that well may have had something to do with her good behavior, but then again, who knows?

Side note: I discovered that, if anything happens to Mom, Stepdad and Older Sister are the executors for her will. If anything happens to Stepdad, it would be Older Sister and I. This was done as much for proximity as anything else: older sister lives in Denver, which is a mere two hour plane ride from Phoenix, whereas I'm here in Florida and Lil Sis is in London. And a positive development: while Mom is worried about the three of us bickering over various items, both Older Sister and I told her there would be no bickering. Mom asked the three of us to make lists of what thing we would want after h passing (she is currently in fantastic health for a 78 year old woman, so hopefully this is nothing imminent), and we did, and I believe she will take these lists and make her own list in her will. I would be horrified if either of my sisters argued against Mom's wishes; in my list I told her I absolutely would not. I think Older Sister and I are of the same mind in this.

[AccountingDrone]

. Mom asked the three of us to make lists of what thing we would want after h passing (she is currently in fantastic health for a 78 year old woman, so hopefully this is nothing imminent), and we did, and I believe she will take these lists and make her own list in her will. I would be horrified if either of my sisters argued against Mom's wishes; in my list I told her I absolutely would not. I think Older Sister and I are of the same mind in this.

That is what we did when Dad was still alive about a year before he passed when he and Mom did the final updating to the will and family trust. We decided to pick out what we want and sell everything else and the house and split the money. Less chance of arguing that way. Sort of like Bilbo Baggins running around putting labels on everything before leaving.

Thanksgiving visit I am packing and bringing all the rest of the cook books and misc books that are coming to me [my brother doesn't read, he hasn't cracked a book in 30 years as far as I know. He reads magazines. To each their own <shrug>]] as well as a bunch of stuff of mine that was left there that survived the housefire. I may or may not bring the complete set of limoges for 16 complete with baccarat crystal, georgian tea, coffee and chocolate set and silver flatware that is also mine - it depends on what our insurance agent tells me the bottom line for the damned policy change will be. I know we don't have the space for the roll topped desk and chair, and stickley morris chair we have stored there until we can clear some space in the barn. *sigh* [I have to admit, I am rather glad the damned Monet that was a present to me got fried in the fire, it was given to me when my grandfather died when I was 10 and it did the following eyes thing and it always creeped the hell out of me. I much preferred getting the money instead of having to find a place to put the damned thing where it couldn't look at me.]

[mathnerd]

That is what we did when Dad was still alive about a year before he passed when he and Mom did the final updating to the will and family trust. We decided to pick out what we want and sell everything else and the house and split the money. Less chance of arguing that way. Sort of like Bilbo Baggins running around putting labels on everything before leaving.

Thanksgiving visit I am packing and bringing all the rest of the cook books and misc books that are coming to me [my brother doesn't read, he hasn't cracked a book in 30 years as far as I know. He reads magazines. To each their own <shrug>]] as well as a bunch of stuff of mine that was left there that survived the housefire. I may or may not bring the complete set of limoges for 16 complete with baccarat crystal, georgian tea, coffee and chocolate set and silver flatware that is also mine - it depends on what our insurance agent tells me the bottom line for the damned policy change will be. I know we don't have the space for the roll topped desk and chair, and stickley morris chair we have stored there until we can clear some space in the barn. *sigh* [I have to admit, I am rather glad the damned Monet that was a present to me got fried in the fire, it was given to me when my grandfather died when I was 10 and it did the following eyes thing and it always creeped the hell out of me. I much preferred getting the money instead of having to find a place to put the damned thing where it couldn't look at me.]

Unfortunately the drama in my family comes directly from my mother. There's not much of my parents' that I really want. Two "things" really. One was an antique Japanese tea set and the other is my father's tool collection. It's been known for quite some time that I really loved that tea set. My mother and I got in a massive fight several years ago. I moved to ND and she was upset that I "took her babies" (my kids) away from her. To retaliate, she rather conspicuously gave the tea set to one of my sisters. That sucked. Oh, well. As much as I really did want it, I'm not going to let an object get in the way of my life happiness. The tools won't be an issue. My father still uses most of them, and will until he's physically unable to, and any that are still functional when the inevitable happens will likely pass to me or my boys, as nobody else particularly wants them.

Oh, and there is this painting. There could potentially be bloodshed over this particular painting. In all fairness, it'll likely go back to my sister and brother in law, as he's the artist. Oh, well.

[Jester]

Regarding the artwork, of which Mom has quite a bit, I did list much of it in my list. I also told her that, when it came to art, my older sister was definitely the most artsy fartsy of the three of us (and I indicated that I was saying this as a compliment), and if there were particular art pieces that multiple siblings wanted, it should probably go to her for that reason, as she'd appreciate it more. At least compared to me. I can't speak for my younger sister, but my older sister really always has been the art lover of the three of us.

I think my Mom might be surprised by a lot of my altruistic comments regarding my sisters in my list, but on the other hand, I really hope she ISN'T surprised.

And as I've said before, there is only one thing that is unquestionably "mine," which Mom indicated as such years ago, and that is a drawing her father did specifically for me (of Sylvester the Cat) when I was born. Whatever my sisters may think about that one, they have zero claim on it for that reason. At least until both Mom and I are gone.