On Siblings...

So my brother's car is all sick and broken and wounded and stuff. So since I take the bus everyday, an executive decision was made that I would be absolutely thrilled to lend him mine.

Now as it happens, I was sick last week. Cause that's just how I roll. You know, getting sick once a month and missing meetings and having to play catch up for a week even though I only missed two days. Whatev.

Anyhow, since I was all pitiful last weekend, I really didn't need my car. I was content to sit at home and feel sorry for myself. Good times.

So on Friday morning, I lent him my car. And everyday was told that I would get it back "tomorrow." Well, as the saying goes, tomorrow never comes now does it?

So on Wednesday evening, I'm in my Pj's listening to Britt and Adam's radio show and completely happy with my lot in life. I was heading to bed at 9PM cause I'm like 80 years old, and life was good. Then the phone rang. My brother's gf: he'll be at my place shortly to drop off my car. Cool! I get my car back!

*pause*

Wait, a second, where are you? Crap. I have to drive him home don't I? But I'm in my pajamas! Flannel pants aren't warm anywhere but inside people. Yeah, -40 degrees? Not so much. And this tank top? I know I'm all uber sexy and stuff, but it just isn't going to cut it. #@%^#&#^%()#%^)(#*^%#

So my brother walks in looking all proud of himself for returning my car after only 5 days and immediately heads to my fridge. Seriously, not the best idea. Only I know how old some of that stuff is. Eat at your own risk.

So we start driving to his car and he starts lecturing me about various aspects of my behaviour. Fair enough - I do in fact give him and his gf a hard time. And of course, they are neither of them self-aware enough to know that they bring it on themselves. It hurts me sometimes to know that my brother, the second most important man in my life is so completely clueless most of the time. I take the lecture with grace, and agree that I need to speak to him more nicely.

And you know what? I did. I was totally sugar sweet to him when he called me the next afternoon to tell me that his car died again and that I needed to go to his house after work and deliver my car. I was super patient when he sounded annoyed that I hadn't taken my car to work yesterday and took the bus like I do every other day, so it would take a little longer for my car delivery to occur.

I didn't even insist that he pay when he was driving me home (in my car) and I requested that we drive-thru Wendy's as I had no food at my place for dinner.

And then I dropped the bomb on him.

You see, he isn't quite so stellar at paying his bills. At the moment, he doesn't have any phone/TV/internet. So he's missed out on a few weeks of emails from the parents. He was totally clueless that Christmas was going to be different this year. You see the parents' bought a condo, and it's way smaller than the old homestead. So Christmas dinner? Lasagna. Maybe some garlic toast and salad too. Not sure.

I voiced my objections about this a month ago, and was quite bluntly told by my Step-Mom that I didn't have a say in the matter. Not so much a demoncracy in our family. I was just disappointed because being the single one, I spend both days with the parents - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And generally by the evening of the 25th I'm wanting to poke my eyes out and just go home and watch whatever new DVDs I had received that day. However, this year my step-sister is hosting us, and we get turkey! (My step-mom never does turkey either- we get chicken for Thanksgiving, and it used to be ham at Christmas). So I got over my disappointment knowing that I would get a traditional meal the next day.

My brother? Not so much. By the time we got back to my place, he had really warmed up and was well into the ranting and swearing and feeling victimized by the whole thing. But I promised to speak nicer to him. So my solution? Laughing at him and very sweetly telling him to suck it up.

I'm a good sister.

xo