Long Weekend=Long Post

This has been a looooong weekend. My dad got here on Saturday and left this morning. It was really good to see him, but stressful as well. I love my dad, but there are still some issues that I need to work through. Everything was going really well. We went to dinner at Red Lobster on Saturday night and we sat and talked for hours. We then went back to the house and watched Meet the Fockers. haha! Nothing too exhausting as he had a long drive in that day. Sunday, we got up and went to OKC where we walked around Bricktown in 100 degree heat and sweated our asses off. We had lunch at the Bricktown Brewery and walked some more. We decided to drive around the city and we came upon a 'flea market'. OMG guys. SCARY!! It was a mexican flea market so everything was in Spanish. I had four years of Spanish in highschool, but this was no Spanish I had ever seen. There was CRAP everywhere. A guy tried to sell my dad a bong, telling him it was a vase, or perhaps an inscense burner, and we took that as a sign to leave. Upon exiting the casa...I learned that my dad is prejudice. He told me, "I hate everyone equally." haha! That's my dad. So we get back in the car and head over to Penn Square mall to do some shopping and to walk off the lunch we had GORGED ourselves on. I was about to pop. We walked around and dad bought himself a hat and some of the COOLEST vodka glasses I have ever seen. He got me a set too. If your parents can't buy you barware, who can? Am I right? So we walked around some more and then headed to Roy and Mary's house. Roy is an old army buddy of my dads so I have known these people my entire life. Their daughter Lena is the one who recently had a baby and let me tell you...that baby is CUTE! She looks just like her mom. Funny how you can tell that even when they're so young huh? So that was fun, we had a good visit and what not. On the way home, not even 10 minutes on the road, my dad goes, "Can I ask you a question without you getting mad at me?" Umm...okay? What do you say to that?! So he says, "You don't like Mary do you?" Mary is his girlfriend. Okay. I have nothing against Mary. I'm sure she is a very nice person. She must be, because the entire family likes her and basically treats her more like family than they do me. Given, I live 600 miles away, but still. Anyway, I have only met the woman twice so I can barely even form an opinion. I have nothing against her at all. My only problem is that their relationship was hidden from me for over a year and then another year I never knew they were living together. Both times a secret was being kept from me to "spare my feelings", my Grandma Elaine "accidentally" told me. My entire family knew both times. No one told me. They all said it "wasn't my place to tell you". I understand, I guess, but I can't help still harboring some resentment. I have been trying SO hard to work through all of this and I am doing MUCH better than I had been. There was a time when I would never call my dad and only talked to him if he called me. I couldn't laugh on the phone with him, I couldn't share my feelings. Nothing. I was still so angry. I am doing much better, but I still can't be expected to gush over his new girlfriend and accept her as a part of my life becasue their secret got out, right? I mean how long would they have kept this from me had I not found out on my own? During the drive, I asked him if he liked my Grandma Elaine (his step-mom) right away, full knowing that he did not. He answered with a curt, "No." He knew what I was getting at then. You can't for someone to form a relationship, especially when it is born out of something you haven't fully dealt with yet. Obviously I still have issues with this. I started crying because I felt cornered. Here I am, in the car with him, discussing this and I have an hour drive ahead of me. I didn't know what to do but cry. We got home, after a few long, akward moments of silence and watched a movie with the family. Matt was out like a light after about 10 minutes of Coach Carter and Caitlin followed suit not too long after. Edwin, Christen, Dad and I made it throught the loooong, but great, movie and called it quits a little after midnight. The next day was the 4th and we had a HUGE crew of people coming in. My mom came over and helped cook a little and then dad arrived. It was interesting most of the time they were both here because they would be in seperate rooms. I would run back and forth between the two while Cailtin's Grandma Colleen laughed at me. That lady is somethin' else. I adore her! Mom stayed for dinner and mingled awhile and then headed home to do her own thing. As much as I didn't want her to go, it made the rest of the day easier because I didn't feel so torn. I know it was hard on her too. She didn't want to be there, but felt that she needed to be for me and my roommates. My dad hurt her a lot, so I am proud of her for even coming. I'm not sure I could have been as civil as she was. The guys all played horseshoes (I played a little myself.) and we just hung out for quite some time. The guest list included Edwin's parents, Caitlin's parents, grandma, little bro Skylar and his girfriend, Matt's mom and stepdad, brother and sister-in-law, Christen's parents, sister and her boyfriend, my parents and finally, Shannon. A coworker of my mom and Christens. (Photo's follow.) We had SO MUCH FOOD!! We had a great time together and went to the fireworks show at Boomer Lake. We drew on the sidewalk with chalk and made passers by pay the toll of playing hopscotch! haha!! Great time! We got home and all went to bed, finally! I couldn't sleep and basically laid there bawling until about 2 AM. I know, I know. Poor pitiful me. But, I think it was just the stress and whatnot finally coming to a head. I kept praying to just fall asleep so I could quit thinking about things. I again, just didn't know what else to do but cry. I got up this morning, puffy eyed and stuffed up. Met my dad for breakfast and had a good long chat and then he packed up his stuff to go home. Again, I cried. As much as I still have to work through, I really do miss him. He'll always be my dad. After meeting my roommates, I think he finally realized he doesn't have to worry about me. I live with great people. I couldn't ask for better. THEY are my family. Well, I think it's time to get to some homework and laundry. If you made it through this entire post...you're a trooper. ;)
Liz