I find myself unable to concentrate on my job. They call it short timer�s disease. Now that I am certain of my decision to leave the west behind (eat my dust) it is harder and harder to keep my mind on the tasks at hand in lieu of the more tempting job hunt or logistical planning. It�s not as though I have the heaviest of work loads right now. In fact I have spent the last two days compiling my monthly reports and I am sitting in the lull on the other side of that monumental task. I don�t want to start anything new (what�s the point?)

Even as I write this my phone rings. My mother is reaching out from more than 2000 miles away to keep me up to date and to solicit my opinion on the current events in my niece�s life.

My niece is a darling child who has been poorly treated from the day she was born. Her mother had no real interest in being a mother beyond what that would mean for the balance of her welfare check. Before me niece was even aware of her Mom had stepped out leaving both her children behind her. My nephew was in foster care from the time he was around 6 months until he was around 2 or three and then when his faster parents expressed a desire to adopt him both my Mother and my brother (I believe because of my Mother) refused. The foster parents requested he be removed from their home immediately if they couldn�t adopt him and so he joined my niece at my parents home while my brother (from here on referred to as idiot-boy) played around at being uncle daddy.

In order to stay in my parents graces idiot-boy regularly took the kids to his apartment where he forced them to clean (chores are good for them) and then sent them to their rooms so he could have private time with his girlfriend. Thanks Dad.

He also dumped the kids on said GF who went about the business of teaching the niece to steal for her and she hurt this precious little girl. Had I known at the time I might very well have gotten in trouble in the name of justice.

Flash forward and idiot-boy has moved in with the folks attempting all the while to establish his position as disciplinarian and deserving of respect due such a parental figure. The niece is a ball of anger made of righteous indignation, pent up rage and teenage angst. The combination is like a pile of oil soaked rags in the corner of the garage. It takes very little to ignite and it can burn your house down.

The Niece is in therapy and pending a shrink visit. Idiot-boy has a new job and so will soon check out of their lives (good thing). Meanwhile some math teacher has taken my Nieces anger so personally as to attempt to single handedly remove her from Basketball (currently her only emotional outlet.)

It�s exhausting just to watch from the outside. No wonder I can�t concentrate.

There goes the phone again

help

I wish you Peace

~alison~

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