Roomie asked me to help him get his mother's car down to her in Dothan, so my week's end, which I'd planned for the usual room cleaning, laundry, and sewing marathon, turned into the Road Trip From Hell-Part Two.

The drive down wasn't all that bad, although we drove straight into some ghastly weather that spawned four tornados back in Atlanta. I was driving the Honda CRV he is swapping his mother his little Ford Focus for, and I was able to enjoy some relative peace and quiet while the dog stretched out across the way-back. Nice, really.

Things went south in a big way once we crossed into Houston County. Although he'd said we were going to stop at my son's on the way in, he went straight for his mother's, where she reacted to mine and the dog's presence with what seemed to me to be surprise-expressed in her usual unpleasant way. My reaction was to grab the dog and take a long walk, during which I decided that I would abuse my overdraft protection by checking into a cheap motel.

So of course when I informed Roomie of that decision, I was cast as the unpleasant one who went inappropriately on the defensive...

I could go on, but why? Suffice it to say that the weekend reinforced my total joy at being the hell out of there! I LOVE ATLANTA!!!!! Small people from small towns...tre boring, dear ones, trust me:)

The ride home, during which Roomie decided he needed me to drive while he played every song on his computer that told his life story, was an exercize in patience.

Lord, send me into companionship with adults-You know the kind, the ones who ask "How was your day?" and then listen to the answer. The kind who are aware there exist OTHERS in the world along with them.

Roomie's fiancee rang at 01something this morning-I couldn't get back to sleep, and have been using the time to think about more important things than how utterly inconsiderate, unthinking, and disrespectful today's citizens are.

I did get to see my son. Oh dear, that was horrid. It will be a long while before I see him again, I think. He makes clear by his actions and words that he doesn't want to see me, speak to me, or feel anything other than abused by me, so I will not force my unwanted presence on him again. He knows how to find me if he ever grows up. I asked him if we could talk, he informed me that I was not allowed on the property-I left.

The world is a colder place than it needs be; this embrace of cynicism and vulgarity is depressing-all these Donnie and Debbie Downers!

Crusty was like that too. He hated my optimism, my faith and hope, my joy in life. He wanted life to be horrid. He did all of this to show me how ugly life is.

What an ass. What a waste. What a shame.