fun of parents...

So I don't edit or censor my life, I should really write about my night at my dad's. Not in too much detail because I have already gone through it all with my mum (it's not that bad, I just don't particularly like talking about it). I was at my dad's last night. Sarah and I had to stay the night, the necessary visit because our parents are divorced. It was only one night, instead of two like it used to be, but that doesn't make it any more enjoyable. We don't have to put up with the step-mother for as long, but we still have to put up with her for a bit. We had takeway, which we never have, and chatted about boring things like school and their work. And the usual topic of money, because I think it is my dad's most favourite topic ever!! He brings it up all the time, all the time! If we have new clothes, he brings it up. If we comment that we would like a car to learn to drive in, he quizzes us for about half an hour on the money aspect. If we vaguely mention a holiday, money is brought up - not what we might do when we go away, but how much things might cost. And if we comment about mum buying something there is the comment about how he pays mum child support so lots of what we have is from him (even though the child support pays for diddley-squat). Money, money, money. It drives me bonkers!

Then there is the necessary "look at me" from the step-mother. No matter what we are talking about, even if we are talking to our dad, she has to have her two cents worth. Even if it doesn't quite make sense, like today. She can't just leave us alone. She doesn't appear to care enough to stay in the conversation the whole time, yet she doesn't not care enough to keep out of it. It is like having a faint image of a different channel on the tv, it is annoying! It is always there, even though it is not quite there. It just gets in the way of what you really want to do. Just get seen, even though we don't really want to see it. You know...

And the lovely thing about today, was that my dad wants me to plan my birthday party (which is in October, three and a bit months away to be exact) now. He has been going on about it for about two months, and until today I hadn't worked out why. They reason he wants to know what is going on is because the step-mothers birthday is the day after mine, so they are meant to go and visit her. Even though I am 18. He probably won't turn up, hasn't turned up to any of my birthday party's since I was six. There is no way I will be planning my birthday this far in advance. I would love him to come, but... I don't know... Maybe I don't want him to come because no one in my family likes him. He is mean, most of the time. Simply mean. Maybe I can just try and get a decent present out of him for my 18th - shallow I know. But that is the only thing I can really get from him, though he doesn't have a good track record where presents are concerned. Every year he has fucked it up. Giving us a combined present of his old (and very outdated, and basically unusable) laptop one year. Getting us to shopping with him to choose what we want, then getting it wrong. Actually, that was a funny birthday present. I asked for silver and amethyst jewellery, perfume or a gift voucher for a book store. Sarah asked for simple gold jewellery and a gift voucher for a CD store. I got a gift voucher for a CD store and something not worth remembering, and Sarah got gold and amethyst earrings, perfume (which was yuk!) and a gift voucher for a book shop. We ended up swapping the gift vouchers, and never using the other things. Gosh there are so many more stories like that... How about the one where a friend of mine's dad (who lives in Texas, USA) has been to four of our netball games, and my dad (who lives one hour away) has been to one. Yep, that is one of the best!

Enough of me bad mouthing my father. Tomorrow I go off to visit my auntie and and uncle and help with their magazine. We are going on a fashion photo shoot, and I am getting a crash course in commercial magazine creation, which should help heaps for my media assignment - lots of fun to look forward to. Off to the bus at 10:55am tomorrow, yay!