Mortgaging My Soul, Once Again

I called my parents after posting about my sister to ask them what to do with Brandi's present, as it was still at my parent's house when I left.  The funny thing was that Brandi was there when I called.  Apparently she was sick this morning and, strangely enough, didn't feel it appropriate to call us to let us know that she wouldn't be coming.  Well, I don't really buy that story, more along the lines of, "I just over slept."

Which is much more boring than, "I will not give you any money and I'm a bad daughter."

I liked it more when it was more dramatic.  But, at the very least, everything worked out ok and no one hates anyone.

Today.

We'll see how we all feel tomorrow.

So I'm back home from mom and dad's for Christmas morning and it was lovely.  Everything I got I liked (the sweater was quasi-questionable, I'll have to try it on to see if it looks right on me...but that's better then most years!) and it was a good time held by all.

Except one lil' thing that happened.  Or what didn't happen.

Brandi, my sister, never showed up.

Dad called her the other night to remind her about the gathering and everything, yet, come 8am, she didn't show up.  We were supposed to start at 7:30.

Dad tried calling her on her phone but got her voicemail.  At first thought you would think that, like all of God's creatures is supposed to be doing, she was still sleeping.  However, the tale takes a dark turn.

Brandi apparently is in debt to my parents for her cell phone.  When she moved out it turned out to be cheaper to add a line to my parents' cell phone plan versus her trying to get one for herself or having a landline (which she doesn't have).  She has no credit and, I do believe, it would be impossible for her to get one of her own.  Well, my lovely sister kept on downloading ringtones and games, which constantly ended up being around a 100 a month in extras.  She even started to browse the internet with it, which adds an insane amount to the bill.  So dad added on unlimited internet.  Then this guy kept on texting her and sent several hundred to her in one month.  And, without unlimited texting, that's a HUGE per-use fee!  So dad added on unlimited texting.  Then, of course, she stopped being able to pay for these several hundred phone charges.  So then started asking for like $60 a month until she was caught up.  However, it's hard to catch up when you keep on adding a $100 or so a month to the bill with games and ringtones.  I mean, *I* don't know that many people to give them specific ringtones.  Surely she doesn't!

So, while talking to Brandi, he told her a) I need my $60 bucks and b) your brothers are buying you presents, you're pretty much expected to buy for them.

Now, last Christmas we didn't get anything from Brandi.  Which is fine, just tell us in advance so that we don't spend $100 (combined from the both of us) so that we can at least scale it back.  Not that necessarily because we're selfish (well, we are, but...), but because it doesn't make the *other* person look like a jackass that they didn't get you anything and another person spends a nice chunk of change on you.

I can grasp the fact that she doesn't have a shit load of extra change laying around.  Hell, I've been there.  So Travis, Jess, and I discussed it and decided to scale it back this Christmas and spend like $40 combined on her so that, even if she doesn't get anything for us, she'll have something and she won't feel like a complete heel.  So, we ended up buying her $40 worth of bath and body stuff (which is like, 2-3 tubes hehe) and we thought that was fair.  Hell, if she would have told us that, "hey, i can't afford christmas this year." we may have decided not to get each other anything for Christmas, whatever she was most comfortable with.

Well, I still would have gotten her something, as everyone should get *something* for Christmas, even if it wasn't much.

But to not even show up?!  I think that hurt dad, he was not pleased to say the least.  He was threatening to turn off her cell phone tomorrow and was talking about taking back her Christmas presents.

Personally I think that we'll give Brandi our gift.  I mean, it was $40 combined, and everyone *should* get something for Christmas.  I dunno, I'll have to talk to Jess and Travis about it first, as it's their gift too.

It's just sad that something like money kept the whole family apart this year.  Just sad. 

So, I heard from Jess and Travis that Maya's birth parents have decided to keep Maya due to their parents helping them raise the child. Which, is hugely disappointing to Travis and Jess, along with myself. I was getting all excited to shop for lil' girlie things the Day After Thanksgiving (known as the most holiest of holidays). However, being that it is disappointing, it's also the best possible alternative scenario; Maya gets to stay with her birth parents. And, like what Jessica was saying, at least they didn't have the opportunity to bond with the child beforehand because of it being such an unusual situation.

I just really wanted to spoil her rotten, ya' know :( Was gonna go to Macy's and Baby Gap and buy her super cute outfits. *sniff*. But hopefully that'll come soon.

I don't think there's anything else going on around here though.

Ohh. Apparently Brandi's (my sister, which will be known as Dirty Sanitary Napkin Lady, or DSNL) car is going to die or already dead. I don't know these things about cars. The head gasket went out of it and she is looking for a new car. Due to her age and lack of credit, she has to get it from one of these buy here/pay here car places. And, the interest rate is gonna be 21%!!!!!!!!!!! And, she'll looking at this 1995 Buick Regal with 95,000 and they were wanting $6,100!!! Travis looked on Kelly Blue Book's website, and, at MOST, it's worth $4,500 in EXCELLENT condition. So...I think they're smoking crack if they're gonna get anyone to pay that amount for that car. *rolls eyes* But, we shall see.

Travis just left to play with Jessica for awhile. So, I'm sitting here, bored outa my mind. I just really wanna hurt myself right now....soooooooo booorrrrreedddddd!