Married to a controlling narcissist?

Maybe, baby, but I am in my mid-50s and well, that's my life.

Over the years, Narcissy has:

only valued his interests and scoffed at mine
belittled my work
critiqued everything...for example: he has insisted that I hold elaborate dinner parties for his friends and colleagues, then has teased apart all the effort and has proclaimed it either inadequate or "over-adequate" meaning that it was "too good" and "intimidated the other women" if a return invitation was not forthcoming.
you see it is always my fault.
If the kids acted out, "they are looking for something in you, Max, something you're not providing"
I went to all the parent activities
I'm the one who did the required parent work for BOTH of us, narcissy rarely showed up at all. If he did show up he sat there at his passive aggressive best reading the paper and not participating.
he took solo vacations leaving me to work and mind the teens alone (vacations were too expensive to take with four..and he usually announced his plan a couple days or hours in advance)
if I had an interest he devalued it as junk, as only his interests mattered, mine were invalid.
I am a nurse, he referred to it as a "paraprofessional"

Why did you do it,Max?
more on that later
I'm just pissed

Max loved McCarter's The Convert!

The only quibble was the length, it was longer than I'd have liked, but I cannot fathom what to cut. It's rare that a longer production is long out of necessity, but this story demanded it.

The characters were well developed, the sets were great, the dialogue believable and there is not one character with whom you cannot empathize on some level, even if you don't agree, you "get where they're coming from". Most playwrights make some characters caricatures. You won't find that here.

Make the time!

Ever read obits you disagree with?

The glowing comments about how very good the deceased was? And you know the deceased was a nasty piece of work?

I read such an obit today. The people sending their condolences talked about a loving man. I knew a barracuda, a man who called children names (except his own, I guess) and was just an all-round jerk. I was sorry to see him well-remembered, but I guess comments like mine (no I did not post them) would be censored out.

So this creep will be a posthumous saint despite the damage he did...and calling children cruel names does damage.

Glad you're dead, douchebag.

Good news on the slurping...

I casually informed the culprit that inhaling when eating and drinking soup can lead to dangerous bouts on inhalation pneumonia....Magical cure!

Max has begun the online degree.

Discussion boards substitute for class participation and Max can sign on at 4AM or 4PM and still be on time for class. The material seems pretty standard and the program is accredited, so all is well.

Stooopid dad...the saga continues

Being a less pervy twittering parent was clearly not one of Stooopid Dad's resolutions for the new year. Au contraire, he has doubled down on his tweeting back and forth with porn-babes and has offered to "co-star" in on of the er, um lady's photo shoots.

At age 16, the boy is concerned by what his peers think about him and his family and Stooopid dad is simply a jerk. It must be hard to live down.

I wonder if this twit realizes that his musings are very public? Seems mom should hire a lawyer to inform this FOOL>

New Year plans

Gardening catalogs are streaming into my mailbox and I feel very excited about the prospect of expanding my vegetable garden. Many more pepper plants will be added this year. There will be fewer tomatoes and I will branch into root vegetables. MMMMM.

Next, I have decided to pick up an online degree. Online is offers greater flexibility, lower cost, and my employer accepts these degrees AND pays for them on both sides of the equation. They reimburse tuition and they raise your salary. Win/Win

Deciding what to do with Stooopid Dad? There is no easy answer, but Max must decide how much effort the porn dog will make to find his critic.

Finding a warm place to visit for a week in February.