uncle mike

my niece georgia kate was born on wednesday 18 november at 8.45pm - she is waycute.

travel details for last week

14 meetings
1200 kms travelled
5 different beds slept in

Basically I'm just pissed off. And I know I'm going to back down, but I keep pushing it off, and of course that makes it harder.

In the last 17 days I'd had precisely four nights spent at home, only two of which weren't taken up with meetings. This past week I've been counting the days till I get back - no more travelling, no more meetings.

Last Wednesday my friend John rang Debbie up and said he wanted me to help him wallpaper a room this weekend. Debbie explained I was away, wasn't back till Saturday afternoon, and was unlikely to want to do it this weekend. He told her she could make me do it. She told him no she couldn't. He told her, sure she could.

I rang him up last night and he said he needed some help. I said sure, next weekend would be fine, no problem. John said no, it had to be done by this Wednesday. Spur of the moment decision to sell his house, he's putting it on the market this Wednesday. I told him I couldn't do it today, Sunday, but I'd go round and look at what needed to be done.

So we went round there this afternoon. The room still needs some filling and sanding before wallpapering. I told him I didn't want to work two or three nights this week, that I wanted to spend some time at home since I'd been away so long. John says no, it has to be done by Wednesday, oh well never mind I'll get it done, oh, and don't expect any help from me for your section this summer. He sat down and watched tv, saying it's ok, in tones designed to make me feel guilty.

So I'm sitting here tonight feeling pissed off, angry, guilty, manipulated, and tired of worrying about this on a lovely sunny Sunday.

Deb wants me to call him and say I'll be round tomorrow to do it. Deb says give way Mike, it's not enough to sour a friendship over.

She is, of course, right. Doesn't make it any easier though.

Is this a male thing, or a friendship thing? If I look deeper enough inside myself, am I not giving way because I want to hold the upper hand in the friendship John and I have?

Most of all I'm tired though. I just wanna spend some time with Deb and Matthew.