Halloween Miracles

After last week's little hoorah, wherein Greg went all Nickelback about taking the children Zombie Lurching, a series of small miracles occurred. He emailed me. That's one. And...he asked me to take the kids lurching. That's two. Count 'em, hand delivered as from the Great Pumpkin himself.

Except, being Greg, he was typically douchebaggish in his handling of the situation.

He said,
"It's better if you just take Ro and Gav to the Zombie Walk than the two of us fighting over who'll be there. I can call LR and tell them the boys will ride the bus home, and we can meet at the PD at 8:30. I'll pick up Molly from daycare.

Hope this works; just send back a yes or no. School needs to have any transportation changes made before 1:30.

-Greg"

So, he proposed a plan, and my options were "yes" or "no," but no say or feedback or input of my own. Ahhhh, the king likes to control it all. Senseless, as he's got another woman he's been with publicly for nearly 2 years now. Feeble peoples.

I responded, not just with a "y" or "n". Reading it now, I was not exactly specific. At the time, I was trying to avoid being sucked in to some sort of debate or whirling vortex of Greggery, and that made me namby pamby. Even given that, I feel good that I sidestepped that swirling, beckoning abyss.

"I can't get them off the bus today. I also don't have anything to feed them, as I didn't plan on them being home, nor do I have make up for them, just clothes. I would love to take them to the lurch, though, seeing as you told them you would do it, then two seconds later, bailed. You still lied to them, which was your choice, and this won't change that. Again, though, I would love to take my kiddos lurching. "

What I meant was: I am not prepared right now to take them, but would love to see them there, yes, yes. Passing them off to me doesn't take away the fact that he personally promised HE would take them.

I'll say, in his way, I think Greg nearly tried to be nice too, in his response.

"I don't understand your response - please clarify; I get that you want to take them. Does that mean you are taking them? If you can't get them off the bus, does that mean you want to pick them up, or do I need to and exchange them at the PD?"

PLEASE! Let it be noted, the Grand Greg Sheriff said PLEASE on this day. He usually does fake polite when he wants something.

I retorted,
" i still don't understand why you can't just take them like you said.

funny how being outside the restaurant (***THE VERY ONE***) with abby and OUR children isn't a problem, but being in a group of hundreds with me there is? how will you handle it tomorrow night? you gotta grow up, mister."

For the record, I think it's absolutely, 150% assinine that we share 3 children under the age of 6 together, and this person throws this big drama queen fit because my plans and his plans overlapped....it's so traumatic for him to consider, he couldn't possible attend an event with our children if I'm there. Because, think of what could happen---our kids could do something fun with both parents there. Shudder, shudder. The true holiday horror sets in!

"Is this about taking them to the lurch or not? You seem to want to go; I don't want to be around you with our kids because there is a huge potential for a scene. I'm willing to let you take them so they can go, b/c they want to go, and that's most important to me. I'm happy to take them; I won't if you insist on being there. As far as tomorrow night goes, I can't do anything about you showing up to make a jackass of yourself; that's your call. Don't expect me to talk or pay you any attention. I can however, limit the possibility of you being a jackass in front of our children.

So, here it is: If all you want is for our children to go to the lurch, then just let me take them, and don't show up. If this is about you feeling like you need to take them, I'll meet you at the PD @ 5:30. Either way, I want them to be able to go, period. (***The bold is all LesGreg.***)

I sincerely hope you do not come tomorrow night. I don't want you there. I don't know or care why you would want to come, but if you do, that's your choice. I can only imagine you'll have an awful time. I'll probably have a good time either way, unless you set out to make me miserable, in which case I sincerely question your stability, and pity you. Actually, I pity you for even threatening to show up, because it seems desperate and petty. Please, for your own sake, go find something else to do."

Upon reading this, my thoughts swirled around something like this:

1.) You pompous jackass.
2.) How egotistical, controlling and sadly manipulative this is.
3.) Why is it NEVER about the kids for him, only his own comfort?


I felt and felt those things, swelling up from deep inside...and hey! I recognized it as such. Previously, I may have wanted to get all deconstructive, and jumped right into his whorling vortex of inanity. (Yes, not insanity---inanity. Well, maybe both, but I don't know a word for that...insananity?)

I mean, I wanted to go to the lurch. He told our kids he'd take them too. But, because it suited him, I was "insisting" on going, and in fact, not thinking of the children. Because, obviously, there was going to be a scene. Then, it goes into how, if I go out to the same place where he'll be, clearly, I'm going specifically and only so Greggy will "talk and pay attention" to me. Because, let me say, I am just itchin' to hang out with him. That's really my only motive in life, ever. I mean, he is so kind, warm hearted and loving---and such a go getter and upstanding citizen, how could I not want that? Barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrf.

Then, what a twist! He switches it up again in the next paragraph. Now, if what I really want is for my kids to go to the lurch, and if that's the only thing I care about, I need to stay home. If I'm going, clearly it's only due to some ruse to trick him into going when I am there too...or something? And, if I "insist" on going, clearly it's because it's, in fact, not about the children lurching, but about me trying to hijack his time with them and force him to let me take them himself. Or something? Generally, I think we see the world as we are. I am direct and honest....so that's how I expect other people to be. Greg is manipulative and cunning, so that's what he nonstop, continually projects on me and anything I very up frontlike say or do. Oddly, just like he accused his father of doing when his paternal side of the family felt suspicious of me. Ah, a boy just like his dear old dad. What a world medal size prize.

Then the whole paragraph about my choice to go to the Pinhook on Halloween, for my own personal reasons and self. Just...dude. It must be exhausting to be so simultaneously pompous and feeble. (Feempous? Pompble?)
Man, I wanted to rip in, and give him the feast of negative attention and energy from me he clearly craved. He purportedly always questions my stability, and pities me, but never actually acts like it. Also, it wasn't that I made plans with friends to go to a place, regardless of Grabby's presence. It's a "threat" and a "petty" one at that. Oh, the shortsightedness. Maybe Abby should buy her houseboy some glasses.