The things I put up with...

Mr. Bridezilla's past co-worker works here (that's how I found out about my job). He's a nice guy and all but sometimes, he is a little abrasive. He's definitely very opinionated, and I hate when he tells me how I should be doing my job since he's a developer. Yesterday at our team meeting, each person had their chance to talk about what they'd been doing for the last month. I praised that co-worker A showed me something that would really speed up my work process, but Mr. Abrasive pipes up, "actually, *I* did that." And then I had to correct him in front of everyone that no...in fact, he did not. Mr. Abrasive didn't even know what I got help on. Geez...grow up.

I talked to my dad last night. It was his 60th birthday earlier this week, and he didn't want to celebrate or do anything. On a whim, he said he was going to be out of town. I think he lied about it. He has used that tactic before and he's told me to use it to when I want to avoid seeing people. Before he "left," I had called to ask him to let me know when he was coming back. Of course he didn't.

But last night, he told me he was leaving for a trip to China until the end of the month, and then he is leaving for Hong Kong for a few weeks in October. I am glad he is going to be out of my hair, but I really dislike how irresponsible he is about giving me his info. The last time he went to Hong Kong for 3 weeks, he didn't call me until two days before he was coming back to give me his phone number.

Ugh.

OH! And during this conversation, he asked me how things were going with Mr. Nick. Immediately, I got defensive (my aunt who is always telling me it's time for me to be married is my dad's older sister) and said, "we're not getting married." I don't really know what he was getting at, but he the conversation went something like this:

Dad: I'm not talking about marriage. So...what kind of plans do you have?
Me:  What do you mean what kind of plans?
Dad: You know, what kind of plans do you have?
Me: We're not getting married at this point in time.
Dad: Have you discussed this?
Me: Discussed what?
Dad: About moving in together?
Me: No, not at this point in time. [At this point, I could feel his disappointment]
Dad: Oh, so I guess you're not going to be starting a family any time soon.

WTF? Words really cannot express my frustration. I grew up with him forbidding me to date even when I was in university, and then when I was dating, he just kept hammering in that all men wanted was sex. Never mind, the fine example of a husband he set all my life. And all of a sudden I am supposed to just want the life he wanted? Geez!

My parents' plan for me went like this...go to school...finish school...work...meet a rich, successful, ambitious man on the job...get married...have kids. Live the life of a 60s woman.

I also let him have it about my aunt, and how I hated that every conversation with her was her telling me it was time to be married and be popping out babies.

@$%#!