I don't like discussing my life with relatives. It's one thing if something comes up in conversation, it's quite another to be asked, "So, tell me about your love life." I get the deer-in-headlights look. It's really fun when they want to talk to me- or feel obligated to have some kind of conversation with me because I'm there- and start wanting to know stuff I do not want to tell them.

So today we went over to my Aunt Helen and Uncle Tony's. (Aunt Helen being Grandma's sister.) Before we went over there, Mom forgot to get bread and stopped off at the store, leaving the rest of us in the car.

Grandpa asked to see my hands and asked "Any engagement rings?"

I about freaked. out. Who would have figured that from Grandpa, of all people? He's not the naggy wedding sort like most of that side. Thank goodness my rings don't specifically look like engagement rings. (Then I realized that whenever I do make the announcment, they're all going to expect some big rock on my finger. Ugh.)

I couldn't outright lie. I just didn't answer the question and said he was embarrassing me and teeheed a lot.

Grandma then started in on how I should be choosy and pick a guy I can boss around. (I am and I did. Hah!) Then to my surprise, she made some comment about how people these days get jobs and take lovers. My GRANDMA actually used that l word. I was flabbergasted. "Uh... some do," I said. She then started in on the old one about how I should "keep my legs crossed!" Ugh. I realize that given how her daughter, well... she might have some good reason to say that. Especially since she's under the delusion that I'm a good Catholic and wouldn't use birth control, apparently. But still, that is embarrassing. And argh, it's going to go over so well when Dave and I end up living together, most likely before marriage. Ugh, ugh, ugh. I'm so sick of morality sometimes, especially pretending that I care about it and practice it in the way that the relatives would like. Honestly, there's a LOT worse shit I could be doing than just having premarital relations while only engaged. Doesn't that count for anything? (If you're Catholic, of course not, I guess.)

The day wasn't bad. i hadn't really heard much about Aunt Helen being on dialysis, and damn, she lost weight. (Something rarely seen in this family unless bad health causes it.) She still looked pretty good, though. She and Uncle Tony are cool. She asked if I had a boyfriend, but waited until we were alone instead of doing it in the three-ring-circus of people, so yay to that. I flashed my wallet people, she said he was cute, and was shocked to hear how tall he was. (She's the shortest one in a long line of shorties.) She asked if it was serious and I said yes. I was tempted to tell, but didn't. Later on at dinner she said I should get more food so I'd grow taller for him. I told Dave that later and he said my size was perfect.

The whole woman-as-domestic-one thing kept coming up again. Since Aunt Helen had had dialysis that day, Mom brought dinner over for them and just heated it up, cut stuff up, etc. About every 15 minutes Aunt Helen and Grandma kept coming into the kitchen and asking if there was something they could do so they could alleviate their womanly guilt for Not Helping, even if Mom really didn't need any. You'll notice that guys never do that. Mom kept chasing them out, but kept calling me in (not that she had a whole lot for me to do either) instead. Everyone in the room laughed at me when she did that. Mom told me it wasn't because I was a woman, it was because she wanted Aunt Helen to rest and Grandma was just driving her nuts. I do and I don't believe that one.

Lord, it sucks to be home and unable to just make a phone call without asking permission. Mom didn't care that I called Dave on Friday, but Saturday she made a big deal about how long was I going to take and was I going to put it on my calling card. And two minutes after I got off the phone (I was on for an hour), Dad was banging on my door demanding the phone back. So much for my plan to "forget" and leave the phone in my room so I could call him before my parents got up the next morning.

Apparently, practically the whole town of Modesto is wondering where I am, including a coworker of his, Scott and Demma, and his great uncle even came into Dave's work asking about me. (Nope, never even heard of him before.) To quote Mom after I told her this, "you must have made an impression." Doing what, sitting around and reading?

I told him about making up my evil twin the other day, and he said that he IS the evil twin. Ah, the irony.

Oh, the joys of the gamers rumor mill: Someone in that group (don't know who, but it's definitely not the psycho ex) is going around telling people that Dave's cheating on me. He found this out when a friend of his got mad at him (and this is a friend who's only met me a few times for about five minutes apiece- still, what a sweetie). Dave suspects it's someone who wishes he was single again, though he doesn't know for sure. Whoever it is is in for an ass-beating or something, I suspect, 'cause he is pissed. (Whatever you do in life, do NOT piss a Scorpio off.) Naturally I don't believe a word of it, as Dave may very well be the World's Most Monogamous Person Ever. Quite a change for me.

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