The Glade 4.0

I'm not sure why you're still trying to change them. Its obvious they have no desire to. All the counseling in the world isn't going to change that. No matter how many third parties, counselors, shamans, new age hippie holistic mental health practitioners, Maury Poviches, etc you bring in, they're not going to change.

They will be a continuing source of stress and poison to your, Oonagh's, your kids' well being until the day they die.

You need to think of your family now, first and foremost. You, Oonagh, and your two kids. That's your family. Add to that the other family members that you can trust. Any more than that, **** em. They've proven that they're not fit to be around y'all.

_________________

Holy shitsnacks!

I'm sorry that you had such a bad Christmas. That said, it seems like every year we tell you to stop communication with them, and every year you have a new rant because you decided to communicate with them. It's like a broken and battered woman that keeps returning to an abusive relationship because, "deep down he loves me."

No snark intended, but I feel like this thread is de ja vu all over again. Or is it just my brain playing tricks on me?

That said, sorry for the bad Xmas.

Love your wife and chilrunz.....everyone and everything else is secondary.

Foamy, Oonagh, are you sure you don't want to switch coasts?

The story we hear from squirrel and fairy are part of the story. There is a lot more to the story - not mine to tell. Let it be known when they want it to be known or never. The frustration they feel is huge because they keep trying to take the high road and stumble over all the debris along the way. Foamy's desire for family counseling is in my opinion the only way that family will ever be able to mend their shattered bonds. In my opinion even that will not work because even if they do go, listening to what is being said won't happen by the people who need it most.

Good luck folks, do what you need to do.

_________________
The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

All joking, sarcasm, or anything that I would normally be a prick about aside:

I realize it is not ideal... but if you guys decide you want to hang in Vegas Next Christmas... you have friends out here who will be happy to receive you. Sorry X-mas was bad.

I sincerely hope this can be taken as a lesson in life and that you can use it as an example to your children of why being a close family who is honest and open with each other. And I hope it will be able to bloom into something more powerful and positive than anything negative you have ever experienced.

_________________
Darksiege
Traveller, Calé, Whisperer
Lead me not into temptation; for I know a shortcut

I would love to come to Vegas for Christmas. See any new tats you got dark and how big your earring gauges are now. LOL. Anyway, I am done with his bro and am never going over there again. I will be the bigger person and let them see their grandson here at my house but no more there.

_________________
"None is more important, none more legitimate, than that of rendering the people safe as they are the
ultimate guardians of their own liberty."- Thomas Jefferson

"Yeah, I'm rehearsing my poker face. I don't handle stupid well. *sigh*" - Farsky

So shortly after the incident, my brother called me. I didn't answer the phone and let him leave me a message. I then texted him back and a discussion ensued...Or more accurately, me explaining my motivations and frustrations for how I have felt for so long and him lobbing insults at me.

He "apologized" for the comments that he said to me that day shortly before attacking me 'Embarrased to call you a brother and you're an *******', but stopped short of apologizing for the attack. You see, he was doing that to protect my elderly parents from me yelling at them, to get me out of the house, and to make sure the situation didn't get worse.

..I'll give you a second to read that again and think about it...

1. they're adults and can handle some yelling
2. I was already on my way out the door, the kids were in the car and my back was turned to them
3. Situation was already defused as I was removing myself from it.

Let me add that my initiating the attack, I found my parents involved in the melee doing whatever they could to stop the nonsense.

So, in sum...To protect my parents from my raised voice and to deescalate the situation, he attacked someone already removed from the situation with their back turned to him, thus causing the aforementioned elderly parents to get involved in the ruckus.

It would have served ******* brother right if one of them actually did get hurt or have some medical episode from watching their younger son act as he did.

All of that being said, my brother then told me in our conversation that he does not apologize for attacking me...I deserved it.

I told him that the next time he lays so much as a finger on me, my wife, or my kids in anger, I will call the police and have his happy *** arrested. Surely my elderly parents would love to see their "good" son carted off for assault. They all want to move on as if nothing ever happened. I should adopt their mentality and smash my brother's face in with a baseball bat and then call them the next day and ask them to all come over for coffee and scones.

_________________
This must be Thursday. I could never get the hang of Thursdays.

I'm a little curious why he isn't in jail already. I thought Oonagh said the state police came?

_________________
"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

We made a trip to the State police barracks because, in the interest of covering our asses, we wanted to have it on record that this happened so that in case they tried to call the police stating that I started it and I should be arrested.

I wasn't really interested in pressing charges, just covering my bases. In hindsight, I really wish I had called the police before leaving their house. That would have made the statement loud and clear to all of them as it did when I did do 3 years ago to have them escorted from my property for harassing me and Oonagh. My mother STILL hasn't quite recovered from that. She had it in her mind that, since I am her son, she had every right to stay on my property despite my repeated requests to leave since I wasn't going to talk to them that night. I really had no other choice.

I call that the single, smartest thing I have ever done when dealing with them. The effect is lasting on her and I will never forget the words spoken by my father as the police stopped them to talk as they were leaving...

"Don't you, your wife, or your son EVER call my house again."

I'd gladly take them up on that, except they would call me in a few days time acting as if nothing had ever occurred and asking me to come over with the kids.

_________________
This must be Thursday. I could never get the hang of Thursdays.