My Family

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

I plan on being there. I sent word to the other Harknii. Megafauna may once again wander the land.

[Greg]

This just in: My mother is crazy.

Roberta was having a terrible time with her so she called me to vent. Some items of clothing had gone missing and the hunt for suspects was on.

But my mother ventured this opinion to my sister about our relationship. My mother figured I was angry with her because she didn't give me my father's car after he passed away.

Um, okay. What about the forty five or so years before that?

[Greg]

For most of my life, my father would confuse my birthday. He would swear it was June 25th when in actuality it is on the 26th. My father would defend this confusion by saying that on the night of June 25th when he was going at 11pm or so, he saw the obstetrician who delivered me coming out of the building. Despite this encounter, the official documents say I was born on June 26th. To add to the confusion, there was a strong desire by my parents for me to be born on June 25th.This would have coincided with my maternal grandparents anniversary. I guess that would have been fun. It was life long running joke mocking my father for his ignorance (or not) about the actual date of my birth.

My mother just called to wish me Happy Birthday. On June 25th. She vaguely remembers that someone used to argue that I was born on this date.....

[thatguy]

If enough people say it, then it becomes true...HBD Greg!

--tg

[Greg]

Um, thanks?

[King Bob]

Well my father had no idea when my birthday was, and I think he never did. My mother eventually forgot - you mom may shift yours to the 25th.

And happy birthday (early).

[Greg]

My mother found some negatives in a drawer in my father's office. She sent them to me. I scanned them today to see what was on them.

The batch of black and white negatives were some practice shots I took back in the 1970s. But there were also a few photos of the Bently the Woodbeast in there, too. I don't have enough photos of the Woodbeast so that was fun.

There was a group of color photos I couldn't quite identify that I think might be India when my father was looking for factory sites for floppy disk production. I'm thinking mid to late 1980s, maybe 1990s

There was another group that was a party my parents attended I believe in Cape Cod. I didn't recognize anyone at the party.

The final group was at my Uncle James Lynch's house in Melrose, MA. There are a bunch of pics of cousin Christopher and his four daughters. I think the family was at the house to celebrate the birth of the fourth daughter (He went on to have 8 daughters all together). There are a couple of pictures of my Dad and his brother. They are celebrating my Dad's birthday with a small cake. 

Oddly, tomorrow is my father's birthday.........

[Drunk Monk]

There's a stash of slides at my mom's house that I found when I was cleaning out the guest room closet so we could knock a hole through that wall to connect her now bedroom to the rest of the ground floor. There's a lot of slides - some really old stuff from when my parents were living abroad. I keep thinking I should go through them but I'm always to busy just keeping up around there.

[Greg]

Get on it.

[Greg]

My mother talked to a lawyer about something or other. It might be about the Steinbeck collection. My mother during the conversation asks the lawyer how much this is costing my mother or how much my mother should pay the lawyer. The lawyer said "Don't worry, i'll just invoice you" The Lawyer sends my mother a bill for $1325. My mother decides that is absurd and will not be paying the lawyer. The lawyer says she will get paid. The lawyer takes my mother to small claims court, The hearing is for Nov 15th. All well and good.

The reason I know about this is because my mother just called me with the latest update. I love phone calls from my mother. She wanted to use my expertise with help on the latest problem. Today my mother got a note from the TV show "Hot Bench". Hot Bench is a courtroom show from the same people who brought you Judge Judy. The Hot Bench people want to hear my mother's case in front of their panel of judges. They will fly her down to LA, pay her expenses and if she loses the case, they will pay the judgement against her. Woohoo. Good times. Except. They do the same for the lawyer. Actually, I think the lawyer comes out ahead. The Lawyer said she would get paid and this is the way to do it. If the lawyer loses in small claims, she loses that payment. But is the lawyer loses on Hot Bench, the lawyer still gets paid an appearance fee and gets exposure on television.

I know my mother would love to appear on TV so I tried not press to hard against it. But if my mother goes on TV, she has already lost. The Lawyer gets what the Lawyer wants which is money.

[Drunk Monk]

I would watch that show if your mom was on it. That sounds worthy of a full on D00M gathering (as if my MAN AT ARMS show wasn't - still hurts, man). 

What network is that on?

tQ could surely help your mom. She knows about courtroom stuff.

[thatguy]

will there be swordfights?

--tg

[Greg]

It's court date day for my mother. She heads to small claims court against the lawyer. My mother called me over the weekend with an important message and needed me to call her back immediately. She wanted me to write her a character reference to hand to the judge in the case. I explained that Small Claims doesn't work that way and told her I would not be writing her a character reference.

I continue to be the worst son. My sister Stephanie fell for the ruse and did write the reference letter.

[Greg]

Well, my mother won her case. Yay?

[Drunk Monk]

So no Hot Bench? Because that would have been a D00M worthy watch...