A Big Bang (ed) Up Weekend

It feels like I've been gone three weeks.  Surrounded by 450 gay outdoorsy types, I immediately headed to Barnes and Noble for my weekly rag-fest and a shot of espresso and straight world.  With limited cell and internet connection, I feel like I missed so much and figured I would start with getting caught up on the important stuff... Hollywood.  I have so much laundry to do, but I just didn't feel like getting it started.

I got home to find that I am definitely needed at the house... with many things going on with my Dad.  First, I came home to find him sitting in the living room watching TV (surprise) complaining how hot it was in the house, even with the central air running for hours on end.  Meanwhile, all the windows in the house were half-way opened (I'm getting better, the old pessimistic me would have said half-way closed).  Next, after cleaning crumbs off the countertop from his morning toast for the last 5 days, I went to throw the paper towel away and it landed on my Entertainment Weekly magazine soaked with coffee grounds.  He thought it was an advertisement.  Meanwhile, 3 Geico offers were in the stack of mail and a flyer for an old person scooter (that I contemplated getting for him to ship him off to Shady Pines Rest Home).  This is my life.  I guess the stalker's flowers reminded him that my birthday was last week... and he had a card for me (see pic) with $20 in it.  Meanwhile, we have a joint bank account... but at least this wasn't one of those cards that he usually gets me that the Veterans give out for a donation that says 'to someone special'... it is confirmed that I am a 'special guy' in my Dad's eyes.  Progress.

Camp turned out to be a little harrowing.  To make a very long story too long, a friend of mine works as the bartender at camp.  Meanwhile he has some anger issues and has some excessive drinking issues.  I was getting a drink with my friend Matt and (to paraphrase the incident), he thought I said something that I didn't and he grabbed my arm and literally led me off the deck, further pushing me into the weeds and leaving his fingerprints embedded in my arm in bruises as a souvenir.  I did absolutely nothing to provoke him (as witnessed by many people) and come to find out that he was severely drunk and had had a fight with his bf earlier in the night which resulted in him taking it all out on me.  Meanwhile, I looked like I was a belligerent drunk that was being ejected.  I almost packed everything up and left that night (thanks to Scott and Matt that I didn't), but stayed and we were able to smooth things over.  Dealing with and understanding my brother's addictions, it's never an excuse to put your hands on anyone, and he could have found himself in jail and/or with a lawsuit.  I hope that he gets the help that he needs... in the meantime, I'm going to get a pink/purple headband to match my bruises.