The weekend update

This is a total and complete update. Many things may be discussed. Thou art warned.

I don't think I can get over the fact that it's the beginning on November and it's still sunny (Yay not NEEDING the Full Spectrum Bulbs as much with Mr. Sun around) and in the 50s. This is mind-boggling to me. Now, mind you, I'm sure it's sunny, if a bit colder, up North too, but... this is about the time of year one starts prerparing for and worrying about (dun dun dun) Lake Effect Snow (dun DUN!) and it is totally mindboggling to not be as concerned about this (Oh, I know.. I'll have to deal with Ocean-based weather issues instead of lake-based, but it isn't the same (not remotely) and... I'm ALMOST looking forward to winter.
Though remind me not to snicker the first time Buffalo gets hit by that big storm. It's uncool ;)

On a political aside, I've been reading a book of American History recently. It's a brief overview of our history, from when the natives crossed the land bridge and came over to about 1991 (It's an old book I got at my first trip to DC back in high school (so it was new when I got it.)) and I can't help but find it more comforting than anything I've read on the internet recently, because it reminds me that everything goes on cycles. There have been presidents at least as unpopular as Bush (believe it or not, Thomas Jefferson, for one. VERY unpopular back then. Also Andrew Jackson who waged open war on Congress and the Supreme Court) and elections worse than the election of 2000 (the election Rutherford B. Hayes won). It reminds me that, even as things seem terrible right now, (and they do), and things may get terrible in the future (and they might), but everything goes in cycles and one day America will be better, stronger and George W. Bush will be nothing but a footnote in a history book like the one I'm currently reading.

On another political front, I'm actually happy that Arafat is suddenly sickly and feeble. The world will be a better place without him. To be blunt, I hate Arafat more than I hate Bush. Yes, I hate Arafat THAT much. There could have been a modicrum of peace in Israel. Israel was willing to give back most of the territories, so long as peace could be assured, but Arafat walked away and called for an Intifadah. No, I do hope that Mr. Arafat dies. I don't know if the next Palestinian leader will be any better, any more human than Arafat, but the world would remain a better place without Arafat, regardless.

So.. things blew up this weekend. Things that had been going on for far too long at home all blew up together. Long story short... mom's been sick all week (she was finally feeling better yesterday and is at school today)... no shock there, right? Nothing new? Josh was lazy.. has been lazy since before I left the house, but it's a bit more obvious now with me not there to cover his ass and keep things running MORE OR LESS smoothly for mom. He's got a bad habit of REMAINING lazy when mom REALLY needs help, like when she's sick enough that she doesn't actually leave the bedroom. There's nothing new there either. And Marc, who has been trying to get back in with the family, comes over to help out mom, grandma and my Uncle Alan occasionally, to do garden work, chores, whatever they need.
SO... mom has been sick all week. Josh hasn't done shit in at least two weeks, with mom begging him to do a bunch of things like take care of the cat litter, empty the water from a garbage can, clean up the papers from the yard that no one's brought in (my mom gets The Buffalo News every day. I guess Josh couldn't even be bothered to grab that and bring it into the house.)
Marc calls grandma and asks if he can help, she suggests he help out mom since Josh doesn't do shit, before he goes, she gives him really thick plastic and tape to put outside the kitchen window (I guess it's been cold and icky down there. Surprise, it IS November :p) So, Marc goes over, helps around the house a little, but needs Josh's help to get the plastic up.
Josh comes home from work, tired and refusing to work. I think, somewhere in this, mom gets involved and yells at Josh to get the plastic on. Josh comes down from his room in a huff and bitches that FINE! He'll get it up!
Marc... snaps. And before Josh knows it, he's in a huge fight with Marc. Kicking, Punching, etc. Josh, who still has nightmares from when Marc used to be violent like this before he moved out (I'll attent to this - Most of the time Marc was violent in the house, I was at RIT, but one of the times, I was at home and Marc starts attacking Josh for finishing off the Life cereal and starts strangling him. All I can say is I'm glad I had the.. mass (I imagine it was more mass than strength, though I'm not a total weakling) to push him out the door, despite his struggling), freaks out in return. The fights gets bad quickly, including one moment, I guess, when Josh throws a picture or mirror or something at Marc and the glass breaks all over.
Josh finally ends up calling the police on Marc to see if they'll haul him away (again, like the old days), and runs out of the house, very upset, very scared and calls me.
The next hour I think I spent talking to everyone... first Josh calls, then I call home and can't get through so call grandma who doesn't know anything, then I try mom again and talk to her and then Marc calls me.
There is nothing new to this fight. Josh's laziness, Marc's violence, Mom being sick. Nothing new. The only difference is that, again, I wasn't there to be a part of it (If I was, it would never have come down to this sort of thing, because, no doubt, I'D have been home to do this stuff)
But it's a little scary nonetheless. Especially on top of just dealing with Kristen's family.

So.. yeah.. it's been.. a weekend.