You know those stereotypes about the old people sitting around the nursing home alone while their kids and grandkids give them the brush off? I'm beginning to think it's the opposite way around.

My grandma and grandpa used to go to florida for the winter, and we're kind of on the route, so they would visit us. BUT, only for a day or two. During days I was at school. And we'd never visit them, because my mom (and hence the family) just won't travel. Anywhere. I used to beg my mom to let us go up there or ask them to stay longer, or at least come during a break or a weekend, but it would never happen.

So, somewhat over a year ago, my grandma died. And we actually started seeing my grandpa a little more often, (mom put in more of an effort to travel & he came over once for a little longer). Still not as much as I'd like.... I wanted to drive up there at one point but thanks to at one point my inexperience on the interstate and at another point wrecking my car and having no mode of transportation, that didn't pan out and he probably thinks I'm a big phony for saying I'd come and never coming. But here's the new complication: my 80 year old grandpa got a girlfriend.

So he and the girlfriend came up from Florida, and we didn't even get the perfunctory 1 or 2 day visit, because my mom resents the girlfriend and won't let her stay in our house. She made up an excuse about how dirty the house is (and it IS dirty, but she admitted to Dad and I that it was an excuse) and how she'd be embarrassed if the girlfiend stayed.

So... he said we could come up there sometime, and I was all, "that'd be great!" but my mom is all, "I don't want to go there! And see HER in my Mom's house! And her hanging all over him!" Okay, I can understand being a little weirded out.... but she's downright hostile! And the hanging all over him comment was doubly weird. I mean, they're old. They're not exactly about to start making out in front of us or something. And the lady's actually pretty nice, it's not like we've got Anna Nicole Smith on our hands, here.

So anyway, I fully expect to be deprived of interacting with my sole living grandparent until 1) I get a car (which.... I have no money) 2) he dies thus rendering the point moot, and the time is gone forever. Woo.... ain't life beautiful.