Your Opinion Is Wrong™

I'm keeping busy at work.

So this was a draft that I saved and forgot to actually complete. I was writing it on Monday.

"So I get home Friday night to Jane, who's asleep on the couch (passed out - she'd purchased more goon). I start watching a DVD of some sort. She eventually wakes up to tell me that she's been fired.



No kidding. I could already guess why, so I didn't bother asking. I won't elaborate, as I'd imagine most of y'all who read dis would already.



She starts the conversation, with "They fired me today. So I bought goon, so you probably hate me now, but I don't care". Then, when I just silently looked at her in response, she very tactfully went on to say "...but it's your problem, not mine." I then started to say that it caused problems for both of us, although I didn't envy her for the position she'd gotten herself into. She cut me off mid-sentence to tell me that it was my problem again. So I told her I wanted her out by January.



She gave me a look, which I returned with another look. She started talking, only to be cut off by me ("Do you mind? I'm watching this! We'll talk later.") Then tried talking again, with about as much success as the first time. (probably worth bearing in mind that this is one of the only times I've ever actually cut her off, so I think it threw her a bit...).



I cut her off because she was still clearly drunk, although I think she wasn't as drunk as she was letting on."

Most of you probably know the story now. On the weekend following, she was bright, chipper, happy and perfectly sober. And not a word was mentioned about having to move out. I know she rememebered it, and was quite certain that in typical Jane style, was pretending it didn't happen and hoping it'd go away.

On Christmas eve, she starts referring future plans for paying rent, something about her paying for it the week coming up, and me paying for it next time. I responded with: "Well, that's pretty likely, considering what we talked about on Friday". I get a blank look. I walk out of the room and she calls out that it was "something about moving out by January?".

I told her, yes, that's still the plan. She tells me that she's not going to move out. I tell her that if that's the case, she can try taking the lease in her name (if the real estate agent is stupid enough to agree to it) and I'll move out - I was just unwilling to live with her any longer. She spend the better part of the conversation just flat-out refusing to leave. I eventually convinced her that it wasn't going to work out that way.

She's got a pretty uncertain future now. If somebody like Salesforce aren't willing to employ her, she has little chance with anyone else. I hope she at least goes on the dole or something. Better still, she really needs to move back with her parents - I don't usually like to comment on these things, but I reckon they've left a few things unfinished.

I'm going to talk to her tonight (if she's remotely sober) and make sure she's actually looking for a decent place to live.

Also, I have scored a Wii for christmas. I stayed up all night playing metal slug. I get a new (ish) console and I'm playing a 10-year old arcade game series on it. Drew Carey said it best: It's like buying a fine china set and eating nothing but macaroni and cheese with it.

Let me finish on a proverb that I just read about an old SNES peripheral:

"Like most high precision devices, the Power Glove is not to be used in overly vigorous masturbation. It could lead to serious injury, electrocution, and feelings of shame. The handicapped, elderly, or pregnant are not to use the Power Glove unless supervised by a midget."

Structurally speaking, we can now play a song! Well, two, if you count one of mine, which I don't, because it'll change (structurally speaking) every time I play it myself. But we have nailed 'Body' by Presidents of the USA in one session. We just have to sort out something for Pete to play on guitar during the verses (if anything), which should be easy enough.

Also, we should theoretically be able to play The Hardest Button To Button, as I ran through it a handful of times with Pete. Just gotta get us all into a room together and we should be able to play it! He's even going to try something new with the vocal delivery, so it won't sound like a white stripes song.

I'd better get to work. I'm taking advantage of not being monitored as much as I was when I was on the phones.

I should also mention that Future Sound Of London have released their first album in just over ten years or so (although the duo have been busy working under other pseudonyms and releasing various compilations and whatnot). I think the album's been around for a month or two (i'm not the best at keeping up with these things). It can also only be bought online at their website from what I can see.

(How's that for fanboyism?)

I don't go on about these guys too much, but it should be noted that their stuff was the first music I was into (back when I was into trance and acid house sorta stuff...doov?), although I wasn't that much of a fan until a bit later - it's a bit too abstract and soundscapey in comparison to whatever crap I was listening to at that time.

So, I didn't end up kicking her out. Not straight away. I guess it was for a few reasons. A part of me would like to believe that she can actually sort herself out - basically, to grow up and become an adult that's capable of living life without a parent nearby. I also know that she'll end up back at the hostel if she does leave here - a dodgy place to be living, at best. Maybe someone with more common sense could get by in a place like that, but not her. Even she knows that she'll have to go to a hostel as well. The reasons are obvious; nobody else in their right mind will live with her.

I've told her that I'm not responsible for her in any way, but it's obvious that I'll have to take up some responsibility - she isn't going to grow as a person without a bit of help from someone else.

I gave her the ultimatum that she's got a limited amount of time to sort her life out. My main issue - well, the only issue - is with her drinking habits. Hell, when I moved in with her, I was assuming the worst - that is, she'd have an alcohol problem. That's pretty much what I got. No surprises there. I didn't consider that this would have a negative impact on my social life - some of my friends are reluctant to come around to my place, knowing that she'll be there, off her face. I don't blame them. Some of my other friends, while being the most considerate, level-headed people I've ever met have basically stated that they don't mind at all, that they can put up with her. Doesn't change the fact that they have to put up with her and that I'm putting them into that position without actually asking if it's OK.

I had invited some people around to my place this Friday just passed. on Thursday night, I reminded Jane that some friends would be coming around and that it'd be nice if she were sober. She agreed. I believed her.

At least Pete and Craig know that when I promise that Jane'll be on her best behaviour, they know I'm being unrealistically optimistic, which is why I'm thankful that they were the only ones who ended up coming. When we arrived back at my place from work - over an hour after we were supposed to be back - she was asleep on a mattress in the living room. In the middle of the living room. Looks like she had been there for some time. I was not amused. I tried nudging her awake with my foot - no dice. I made as much noise as I felt like making while we moved Lucas' drums and played Risk in that end of the room. Took us over ten minutes to get that sorted.

After half an hour or so of playing, her alarm goes off. Nice timing. She wakes up seeming sober, so it's not all bad, or so I thought.

She starts drinking pretty quickly, though, ending the night by passing out. That's the last time I invite people over for anything other than a LAN.

I reiterated the conditions of her staying here. She seems to place a lot of emphasis on what she tells me, as opposed to what she actually does. She's like this in every respect - she told me not after we moved in that she was incredibly clean and tidy, but I'll be damned if I can find any evidence of it. Her stuff is all over the place. I can count on one hand the amount of times she's cleaned up after herself in over a month of living here. I get the impression she's going to be no different with her booze-habits, so I'm planning for the eventuality of finding another housemate.