Clearly

B. broke down yesterday and procured a new Verizon phone.  So he's officially off our car insurance (a year ago!) and now off our phone plan.  He's independent!  Yippee!  The best part of the new phone (well, for him it's a new 5S iPhone which is pretty awesome) is the reception is so much better.  Honestly, calls with him have been pretty tortuous in many ways.  The reception has been flat out awful with AT&T and he ends up calling us from his truck from the gym parking lot most of the time 'cuz he can't call from his room.  The reception was so garbled, it was like listening to someone talk with marbles in their mouth. I would end up totally frustrated that I couldn't understand 90% of what he was saying.  But now, crystal clear!  Yeah!

It appears he has block leave (a time when the base is basically shut down and all enlisted personnel are encouraged to take vacation time) the end of June/first of July time frame - when we are in Cancun.  I'm not too keen on having him here using this house as party central for two weeks but we'll see how it goes.  A lot can change and we probably won't really know 'the plan' until a few days before the plan is enacted.  I will try to remain flexible.  Ha!

Monday flew by which is great 'cuz Monday's usually don't.  Heading into a long morning of meetings and then will be in hunker down mode working away.  My boss expressed kind concern that I worked both weekend days this past weekend and when I said matter-of-factly 'I am planning to work every day in February to get everything done that needs doing before my trip', he said 'well, try to wedge in a day or two off - 'cuz really...that's too much work'.  I like him.  He's very kind.

H. continues to baffle and beguile me nearly simultaneously.  I wish he would understand that 'spinning stories' to craft his version of a situation doesn't make it any less the opposite.  And as always, his madre is going to figure it all out - and then I'm left scratching my head with the perplexing question 'why?'.  The crafted story wasn't necessary 'cuz the 'truth' was no big deal and yet he persists.  He says 'it's just hard for me to communicate about emotions and feelings and stuff'.  Well....OK.  But then say that.  Say 'it's hard for me to talk about this and I don't know what to say' instead of weaving a convoluted story that I quickly poke a gazillion holes in.  Oh - and quit attempting to convince me that I'm crazy.  That the facts as I recall them must be wrong as you weave a different scenario in a futile attempt to throw me off the tracks.  My memory ain't what it used to be - but I'm still a mom and I know smoke and mirrors when I see them.

And the oddest thing is:  there is nothing major going on.  Nothing.  Not a single thing that warranted such a huge attempt to avoid the conversation.  Only then you know what happens: bold lies about nothing at all create distrust about everything (and nothing at all) and the spiral continues.

I always told him I can't live in a house with someone I don't trust - and that's where we're back to.  It's nothing big or major - except his integrity and reputation with his mother on this earth.

I'd honestly kick him out but he has nowhere to go and I'm not cruel.  The kid is snoring on the couch at the moment and he acknowledged 'it's cold in here'.  It was 65.  It's a heck of a lot colder sleeping in your car, buddy.  I didn't say that - but I thought it.

Avoidance doesn't solve anything.  And the mom always knows a spinning, fabricated ruse when she hears one.  If you aren't truthful about things so small, H., then how can I trust about the big things - like sobriety?