how it all started, part I

ME: being a single mother sucks.

SIL: i know.

ME: what do you mean you know? you're married!

SIL: and i wouldn't ever want to be NOT married with a child. i can't imagine or handle the amount of work involved in raising a kid alone.

ME: is that supposed to make me feel better?

SIL: i'm just saying i totally sympathize and you can bend my ear anytime.

ME: i do bend your ear anytime.

SIL: if it would make you feel better to commiserate with other single mothers, then why don't you?

ME: my access to single mothers is rather limited.

SIL: so reach out. you yourself said that lots of people, single and married, blog about parenthood. i'm sure a number of them are single.

ME: are you suggesting that i blog about my plight???

SIL: sure, do whatever would make you feel heard.

ME: oh, single parenthood has been blogged to death.

SIL: then blog about anything else. blog about work.

ME: blog about work? don't you know, that's the kiss of death!

SIL: what do you mean?

ME: you've never heard of dooce?

SIL: oh just use pseudonyms. don't you have a boss who's wanted by the FBI or something?

ME: the justice department, there's a difference. and i'm definitely not going there.

SIL: how about the one whose wife got death threats for publicly denouncing gays?

ME: excuse me, she didn't publicly denounce gays, she's merely a strong supporter of prop. 8.

SIL: same difference. and the one who's a closet racist and keeps a thousand-pound arsenal in his house?

ME: hey, that's a little inflammatory, don't you think?

SIL: well then stick to the boring one who skips work to meet his gay lover and bites his fingernails raw.

ME: i'm so getting dooced.