Friday, August 08, 2003

OH, THE DRAMA

I should have posted this last week when it happened. Here is some text from an email to my brother, written on July 31st.

You would not believe our day! Rich's cousin and her family are here (they have a daughter exactly one month older than Addie--so cute--and a son Ally's age). They are moving from SLC to Boston and wanted to come and see Grandpa (Rich's mom's dad) one last time in case he dies while they are in Boston. We had a family BBQ last night and she brought Grampa over and we had fun, photos, etc.

The back story is this: Grampa's wife, Adeline, died about 15 years ago and he remarried an ol' lady named A.L. , but we'll just call her "Marsha-at-80." A.L. has alienated all her own kids and recently started in on Grampa's family. Her whole purpose for living is to get to Grampa's money and assets and spend them before anyone can catch her (they are still married, adn they spend 6 months her and 6 months in Hemet). Trouble is that (a) most of grampa's stuff is in a trust, meaning all 3 of his kids plus himself have to sign for any spending of money, reallocation of funds, transfer of property, etc. and (b) grampa is way-senile. Grampa's kids are just trying to save as much of his money as possible for his long-term care and funeral because they know A.L. would spend or hide it all and leave him if he got in one of those situations.

SO--Rich's cousin also wanted to pick up her dad's boat (she has the title, etc.) that Grampa gave him a while back. She told A.L. when she picked up Gramp last night that she'd be back in the morning to pick up the boat and say good bye. Well, turns out, while Grampa was over here for the BBQ (AL won't come--she hates us), AL called the police and told them someone would be trying to steal the boat at 9am the next morning. The police are so used to her kookiness that they told her they'd send someone over, but who ever has the title gets the boat.

SO--Rich and his cousin went over this morning with a sheriff guy and Gramp and Annalee were gone. They couldn't break and enter, so we had to hunt them down (they were at the Senior Center where I occasionally do meals on wheels) and the police had to make an appointment with AL to escort Rich, cousin, Dad, and some trucks out there to try to get not just the boat, but all the stuff that Gramma Adeline and Grampa promised to the family. What was supposed to be a little half hour errand at 9am has taken until 2 or 3 pm and involved the whole family and the police. CRAZY OL' BAG!

Luckily, we talked to one her daughters today and her kids are so sick of her antics, they just filed for legal guardianship over her because she's driving everyone nuts. They will probably find her a nice assisted living apartment and get her some psychiatric medication. We'll probably do the same for Grampa because he said last night if he knew how to get away from her he would. Poor Papa--he hardly remembers his own name.

Anyway...just when I thought my family was way too dramatic! It's time we started having kookiness on the Melin side!

[I'm still having the same concerns with my church job... ]What more can I do?!? This quote from Raising Arizona sounds good: "Did y'all bust out [of prison]?" "Uhhh--we've released ourselves on our own recognizance--we no longer felt the institution had anything to offer us."--that might just be me soon. :)

SO. I made about 2/3 of Melanie's Chirstmas gift today, and about 1/2 of Liam's. I am having so much fun, despite being surrounded by psychiatric-patients-on-the-lam.

Well, thanks for letting me ramble. I do miss you so.

Love ya!--Maj

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