So...

The end result of the hullaballoo last night is

1) No van for Alex
2) My mother cried at me twice
3) Not only that, she called my father (he says mostly for a second opinion to see if she was being horribly unfair)
4) Because the rent agreement is for a year and not eight months, Russ yelled at me a lot (and it was the eventual deciding factor in the van thing).

So once Patrick went offline, I ate ice cream, read Fables, then went downstairs and ate strawberries and cream and watched "My Family". (I did not realize until the end of the show last night but Zoe Wanamaker (Madam Hooch) is Susan. So I was amused.)

Then I went upstairs and wrote something down and then went to sleep. Hurrah.

And, in the aborted conversation about the van with my dad, I discovered that "moot" does not have to mean "irrelevant"; it can also mean "debateable" or "arguable". "Moot" is also a noun, a hypothetical case argued by law students for exercise.

And now, for something really similar

( Another HP survey )

Let's Play A Game

This is the sound of my head smacking against my keyboard in frustration:

vb bv b bgv

As to the post title: Let's Play A Game! Only parents are allowed to play. The game is called, Let's Undermine Each Other At Every Turn! It has such exciting competitions as "Snide Comments", "But He/She Said..." and other such fun things!

Mother: So what did your dad say?
Me: Not much, since I aborted the conversation since Dad-Russ said I wasn't allowed to get the van anyway.
Mother: He did?
((Oooh! Point 1, Russ!))
Me: Yeah.
Mother: Why?
Me: Because the rent for the house is for a whole year, not eight months.
Mother: So we're going to be paying an extra $1500 on top of what we were already expecting to?
Me: No. In Winter term, I will do what EVERYONE ELSE DOES and find someone to sublet from me during the Spring Term.
Mother: Oh. Well, Dad said he was going to stay out of it ((OOoh! And Mom comes back with a rejoinder! One all!)), so what did Daddy say?
Me: Mostly that I couldn't afford repairs and such during the year unless I took on a full-time job.
Mother: And you said you have no work ethic.
Me: ...Yes.
Mother: So I guess it boils down to, are you willing to do that?
Me: *long pause*

((In my thoughts, I realize I can do one of two things: say yes, get a job, work to pay for the van (which I don't relish), and generally go for it. This will piss off Dad, because he already said 'no', and worry Mom. Or I can say no, forsake happiness and at least the illusion of warmth in winter, and keep them happy. Knowing me, what do YOU think I chose?))

Me: No.

But... I hate these stupid one-upmanship games they play. Daddy stays out of them, but Mom has this occasional twitch where she'll do something to insult him or try to undermine him in my eyes, and she and Dad do it to each other, too.

In conclusion, PARENTS ARE DUMB.