An episode of friends

Lots of friend stuff going on too. Late on Sunday I went up to Anton and Amanda's old house to meet them. They have one of those worm composting bins. I'd always wanted one, to compost indoors during the winter. They had been trying to get me to take it for over a month and finally, we made arrangements to meet.

Her youngest son is living in the house now, with his girlfriend. He's freshly back from Iraq and looks uncannily like that poor soldier who was shot here recently. He acts different too. Even though my son grew up with her two boys, I wouldn't have recognized A's youngest son if I had seen him on the street.

Amanda and Anton gave me the worm bin and a vacuum cleaner they didn't need. Anton carried the stuff into the car for me (but I had to get in into my house, one of the reasons my back/leg wasn't doing too well Mon and Tues) while Amanda and I were talking near the cars.

Anton came out the last time and was a bit upset, "(son)___ told me to not come up here unless we call first!" Now, maybe they have been appearing up there all the time, I don't know, and the ban is a defensive move, but I doubt they would have been doing that, they are very busy working, volunteering and traveling. It sure seems rather harsh to me. Amanda's parents have always treated her badly. Well, they've helped her out but always say mean things about her in front of other people and treat her like a child who is rather stupid. Basically her parents kicked her and Anton out of the house she had lived in (and paid rent to her parents) for the past 30 years. She raised her two boys in that house as a single parent. Her parents are well-to-do so it's not like they needed the money. But they told A & A to leave and sold the house to her youngest son. And now she has to call before visiting them at her old house? That's really sad.

Then there's the friend whose husband had a triple bypass. They tried to put a defibulator in him last week but it didn't work and he has to go for more surgeries. She got into a car accident (other person hit her) and totalled their good car. His work had cut his hours and they came back from visiting family to find that his health insurance was gone. Luckily she moved quickly and put him on hers before all the heart stuff happened. She's coming over for dinner on Thursday right after work. I forgot that I have a late physical therapy appointment that day, so will have no advance prep time that day. I'm not much of a cook but this is a good time of the year! I made a chicken casserole thing with freshly picked sage and chives in a sour cream/cottage cheese layer, and fresh corn cut off the cob and fresh peas and tomatoes. I test drove it and it tastes good! I also tested it out on...

SLA came over last night. Well, first she called and wanted me to come over but I had just come home from work and physical therapy, had changed and didn't want to go out. So she got to try the chicken casserole and pudding cookies and thought they were good.

SLA was distraught because her guy left for a three-day training but took all of his stuff with him! He had logical reasons for taking the DVD player, new TV and all, but when she was reconciling her checkbook, she found she was overdrawn by about $800! She had the remains of her last paycheck in there after paying rent and other bills, about $1,000. So she and her new guy (to whom she would just hand the checkbook) went through $1,800 in less than a month. I had noticed that her guy was pretty enthusiastic about spending HER money at the bar, buying drinks for people, etc. And the first time they dragged me out (he had used the fact that she had done me a big favor in driving me to and from the colonoscopy and I owed them!) he stuck me with the bar tab. I hadn't planned or budgeted to go out and was planning to have just a beer or too. When I asked SLA about the money part of his living with her (none of my business, really, but I had a bad feeling about it after that) she said that he was giving her money and was going to take care of her so she wouldn't have to work. Her relatives got her fired from her job, remember, because she was dating one of the clients--HIM.

Well it turns out that he was GOING to give her money, which is a far cry from actually giving her some, especially when going through her meager funds like water, buying himself new clothes, etc. She is afraid that she's been scammed but loves him and they were going to get married. I'm afraid that may be the case too, and want her to call the police and at least report him as "missing" if she doesn't want to "betray his trust" by assuming he's robbed her. She's called his cell (bought and set up by her, of course. She couldn't afford one for herself) and we'll see if he calls her urgent message back. Or if he returns. The checks that were written are going to bounce if he doesn't make good and she's not got an income to get any more money. And, he's turned all of her family and all of her friends but me against her. And I think I have problems!

Oh, and VMan called me at work yesterday and we had a great conversation before I had to leave (early) for PT.