Last night I cleared away my favorite recliner to sit out and watch the mortal city. At the bottom, of all things, I found a grey-cast telescope tucked into the cushion. It murmured to me for fresh air. How could I deny a chance at amateur voyeurism? I felt like an excited 6 year old figuring and fingering out how to attach the equipment. I stood out on the 2nd floor balcony, barefoot, on the balls of my feet. Seeing people might have been fun, but I was just fine oggling the white christmas lights wrapped around fir and palm trees; Porchlight looks very sexy at 8x. Then again, everything at 8 or 16x looks sexy to me; doing surveillance work would be tantamount to pornography.

Besides that pleasant itch, though, I've spent most of today enjoying the serene quality Scott's house has. Noone has a running commentary about what I do, what I seem to be feeling, where I want to go, they just live and let me meander about in my own way. You know, treat me like an adult.

I'd decided yesterday that I needed a break from Gran. I'd learned that she'd actually set Mom and I up on New Year's in her own little way. Details aside, she'd said things to either of us that led to miscommunication and her not bothering to clear things up. It's not easy living with a close relative that gets her jollies off by annoying people. Nope, not kidding: she loves being annoying and having people get angry at her; old baggage courteousy of her husband from way back when until he left her for a bigger set of tits. The men in my family have always been charming that way, down to the five generations of con artists and thieves on my father's side. Anyway, I'd decided a solid week topped by her latest episode was enough. She actually argued with Mom about me leaving. It wouldn't be the first time a woman considered me property to be used for abuse and ego-stroking.

Besides watching a few documentaries on the Revolutionary War and getting batteries for my camera, I took about 100 snapshots of the front and back of the house. Mom and Scott have a large landscaping project in mind and they need survey photos to run through a software program they have. It was fairly routine: just make sure I section off the property properly and maintain continuity from one shot to the next. With survey photograph, you ideally want to lay one picture next to another and make a map of the whole property, which for the backyard is about a 30 degree slope down into a ravine. Thankfully I just have to photograph it, not dig and lay the terrace work.

I emailed myself my latest short story to work on it, but frankly I'm enjoying the peace and quiet, especially the quiet. No bizarre crises, no incessant whining and best of all, no grandma.

Then again, there was the dinner Mom and I had last night. Alot of shit had gone down that day, to the point where she suddenly started getting frantic and hypoglycemic in that shaky 'I'm going to burst into tears teetering between raving and sniffling' mood. Part of me felt disgustingly embarassed, the other somewhat sympathetic. I kept trying to calm her down and have her let it out by discussing what was bothering her. Specifically, I gave her advice about getting back-pay from Scott (who she's employed by as a financial advisor and assistant), dealing with his class-minded family and other whatnot. After that episode, though, everything was fine.

So, I'm going to go help make crab wantons then maybe read a book. Oh, and do some 8x porno. Metaphoric, not literal..well, most likely at any rate.

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