Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

My brother's new band is very good. But not quite as good, yet, as his old band. Then again, the new band is very, very new. And much smaller. The music was great. I've got a headache from (I think) the cigarette smoke. I saw my sister for, I think, the first time since my brother's wedding. We did not speak. We did not make eye contact. That was not a bad thing. The fact that it was not a bad thing is itself a bad thing, but that's old news. Mom (and my aunt and uncle) were babysitting for my sister and her husband, so I was free to wear Glenn-clothes to the concert. My sister in law liked my shoes -- I figured it was a "cute shoes" night, not another night for the boots. I'd thought the get-together at my brother's house was Saturday afternoon without Mom, but Saturday was just the concert. The get-together is Sunday, with Mom present.. My cousins will be crashing there, and my mom, aunt, and uncle, and some list of additional people (IIRC) will be showing up around 13:00. My sister in law has said, as reported earlier, that at her house I should follow her rules, not Mom's rules, and according to her rules I should show up dressed as myself rather than feeling forced into "visit mom" disguise, so the gathering is going to be ... interesting. I could get very longwinded about that last sentence, but I won't (yet). I had thought I'd get a chance to try to get Mom to hear my side of things before having her face seeing me for the first time, but it looks like the argument will have to happen after the shock unless I Completely Wimp Out. I'm nervous. I don't want to upset Mom, and were it not for my sister in law's nudging I'd probably continue putting this day off, but I'm also pretty damned tired of playing the games needed to protect Mom's feelings (and failing at those games anyhow, based on what was said Thursday).

One of my cousins is offering to take the blame for the big part of what Mom is currently upset at me for, but I don't think I can do that. But if she wants to help my sister in law run verbal interference for me this afternoon, I'll accept that help.

The project that must be finished by New Year is closer to being done than I'd thought. I was worried that I'd screwed up ever single blank trying to do the engraving, but I showed them to my sister in law and asked for a sanity check, and she said they're okay. They do not look as neat as I'd wanted, but as long as they look "neat enough" and the effect is 'handmade' rather than 'sloppy', I guess they'll fly. The reason I asked for the sanity check is that I worried that I was looking at them from a position too close to the project, and turning perfectionist at the wrong time. The timing is still going to be close, depending on how long it takes the finish to dry.

Feh. More to say, but really must go sleep. BTW, I'm up to #63 on the "100 things about me" post I'm slowly assembling.