Well, not a lot has changed in the past few days. The $175 debt (or we'll take your house) is still hanging over my head. I've been doing the legwork to get some help, but it doesn't help that willing parties are scattered around and gas prices are a bit high, you know? I can't make my plea in person, but I have been calling people. Dear old dad, he's moved on from my living room to outrage at the fact I have CDs in the backseat of my car which means it's "trashed" and I've personally disrespected him by not cleaning it when I was told. I'm 32. It truly is a sight to behold. He took my very serious problem with the house, dismissed it, found the "real problem," and made it all about him.

Why do I tolerate this BS, you ask? Long story short, there's another family member involved who he has positioned himself as gatekeeper for. Anyone ever played Civilization? Fun game. Old game. Basically, history of the world where you play one of the old empires as they go through human existence and beyond. I feel like one group petitioning another group for access to a third. And then figuring out money (gifts, tribute). Land access. Land annexation. Whether or not to take part in one person's many, many feuds. And how not taking part might affect me going forward. Actual geopolitics. That how families interact, right?