Judging from Yesterday

Yesterday I got home and heard an answering machine message from the dentist's office confirming my appointment coming up on Monday.  Her tone was irritating.  I don't know, it was just the way she said "I want you to CALL ME at the following number to confirm your 9:00am appointment for Monday Sept 20th."  I usually call back.  I am usually responsible.  I have worked in dental offices on and off all my life and I realize the value of confirming your appointment.  But something about her bossy words put me off and there was no way I was calling that girl back to confirm.  Oh, I am coming to the appointment alright, but they were not going to know until they saw the whites of my eyes (and the whites of my teeth).  Don't tell me in BOLD-tone to call you back like that, nuh uh.

Then I got online and noticed an email about a reduced fare on ticket prices from Salt Lake to Baltimore.  I quickly got on the phone with my newly widowed father to tell him he should really get me to book him a flight at such a good price.  140.00 discounted!  He was as non-committal as I had expected.  The man has a lot of grandkids and a busy social life.  He has been dating up a storm lately and can't be bothered with much else.  He even took a week-long trip with a new lady friend recently (separate sleeping quarters- he's a good Mormon), only to find out they were not compatible.  He's 81 and in a super duper hurry to find another wife before he gets too old(?).  He doesn't want to be alone.  I get that, I do.  But to tell me that he just can't get on a plane right now and come for Thanksgiving or a granddaughter's baptism because "I just might be getting married that day" seemed ridiculous to me.  Is it just me?  Then he changed the subject and got all political on me telling me how we are overly regulated in our driver's education rules out here in the East.  Also when I mentioned that the kids had a day off from school for primary elections (my mistake.... I brought it up) he said something about how the educators must have needed to take a day off so that they could keep voting the Democrats into office out here.  Sigh...  I love him but the man is crazy!  Good thing he doesn't read my blog eh?

So later that evening I am in a parking lot waiting for an event to start and no one is there yet so I can't get into the building (okay it was a relief society meeting if you were curious).  And I decided to start texting my sister while I waited.  I told her of my exchange with our father earlier and she tells me he's a "mover and a shaker" and other such things.  "True"  I texted back.  Then she says "I don't judge him I just want him to do what makes him happy."  Suddenly I am a bit on the defense.  Who says I was judging him?  I just think he should own up to the real reasons he can't come see us and not blame it on a possible wedding date that could be happening any minute.  It's hard to communicate via texting so I am not ruffled (really) but in the moment I was thinking isn't it judgmental to tell someone you don't judge?

Maybe I am hormonal... Everyone was bugging me yesterday.  Good thing I can start fresh today!