Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Am I?
Am I just overreacting? Is it normal teenage life to have cops visit your house? Am I just sheltered?
Police.
So, to continue the story, I walked to the police station. La Palma's a small city; it didn't take long. I asked the lady at the desk if I could speak to someone, and one of the officers that came to my house (not the one that "hates" me) appears from some room and tells me to have a seat in one of the adjacent rooms next to the waiting area. As I went to take a seat, I overheard the lady and the officer talking amongst themselves... like, 'oh yeah, it's that guy from [insert my address here] at that party.' Clearly, my name had already been passed around... what were they doing? a background check on me? extra surveillance? setting certain legal proceedings in motion??
Anyway, I chat with the officer. Completely different persona. No tough exterior. Just a very concerned fellow doing his job. I do my best to explain the situation, my frustration, the misunderstandings. I cry a little. Maybe a lot. I learn that my sister's friends are always disrespectful to these cops, so some of that resentment unfortunately lashed out at me. In the end, we come to the realization that my sister lacks respect for my mother, me, our house... maybe even herself if she continues to let her friends use her. We need to confront this issue, I just don't know why the wake-up call had to be so extreme. The officer even offers me the opportunity to talk to that other officer (the one who pounded on our door, and gave me nightmares for life), but I was in too fragile a state of mind to want to confront him again. But I'm sure this conversation will reach him regardless, so that gives me some respite.
I don't know, I think walking down to the police station was the best course of action (assuming they don't use some of that information against me somehow). I know they'll always cast a wary eye, but should anything else come up in the future, I would have regretted not letting them know what's up sooner.
*sigh* Cops busting parties, when I've never thrown a single party my entire life. That deserves a double *sigh*.
Anyway, I chat with the officer. Completely different persona. No tough exterior. Just a very concerned fellow doing his job. I do my best to explain the situation, my frustration, the misunderstandings. I cry a little. Maybe a lot. I learn that my sister's friends are always disrespectful to these cops, so some of that resentment unfortunately lashed out at me. In the end, we come to the realization that my sister lacks respect for my mother, me, our house... maybe even herself if she continues to let her friends use her. We need to confront this issue, I just don't know why the wake-up call had to be so extreme. The officer even offers me the opportunity to talk to that other officer (the one who pounded on our door, and gave me nightmares for life), but I was in too fragile a state of mind to want to confront him again. But I'm sure this conversation will reach him regardless, so that gives me some respite.
I don't know, I think walking down to the police station was the best course of action (assuming they don't use some of that information against me somehow). I know they'll always cast a wary eye, but should anything else come up in the future, I would have regretted not letting them know what's up sooner.
*sigh* Cops busting parties, when I've never thrown a single party my entire life. That deserves a double *sigh*.
Again.
Ok, I don't want to write another novel this time, but I wake up to go to the bathroom, head to the living room, and who do I find? The same cop from my 'List of Crap' entry! A more docile demeanor, but omg not again. I must have looked confused and retarded standing there in my PJs. This time he is joined with two of his buddies, pit-bull stares and everything. This time he makes a point to tell me that he is being lenient (oh how saintly of you), that he could have me charged with underage drinking because I'm the oldest one there. Well of course I'm the oldest, but how much does it suck that I'm not even a drinker, I don't even associate with any of my sister's "friends". I don't party. I'm not loud. I don't smoke. I don't trash people's homes. I don't do stupid shit. Seriously, the good-citizen-of-the-century award should go to me. The irony is that I'm staring right at my La Palma Student Recognition Award that is framed on our living room wall. Next to that is my college diploma. And here I am trying to explain myself while all they're thinking is what a troublemaker. What irresponsibility. This time he takes out his handy-dandy notebook and jots down: my name, date of birth, and phone number. Yayyyyy I'm soooo excited to start a criminal record... what reckless behavior should I embark on next?? Any suggestions?? I hear shoplifting is a thrill...
While my sister's remaining friends who the police decide are OK to spend the night (i.e. haven't been kicked out) clean up, I'm just walking around pissed off. Some of them even dare to smile at me. >.>
The worst part: no one was knocking at my door this time. I could have avoided the encounter altogether.
I shouldn't have gone to pee. My bladder could have taken the abuse; I, on the other hand, have had enough. If Asians really are fierce, well here's my time to prove it.
It's 2AM as I finish writing this post, but I know it'll be a sleepless night.
While my sister's remaining friends who the police decide are OK to spend the night (i.e. haven't been kicked out) clean up, I'm just walking around pissed off. Some of them even dare to smile at me. >.>
The worst part: no one was knocking at my door this time. I could have avoided the encounter altogether.
I shouldn't have gone to pee. My bladder could have taken the abuse; I, on the other hand, have had enough. If Asians really are fierce, well here's my time to prove it.
It's 2AM as I finish writing this post, but I know it'll be a sleepless night.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Flossy Flossy
I am so addicted to dental floss now! I shouldn't be complaining because it's a healthy habit, but I can't go to sleep without flossing anymore. I had a check-up one month ago, just to get x-rays and cleaning... and they found cavities. How many? The number of cool planeteers. Eeek! So ever since then I've been brushing longer, flossing, and using mouthwash by the gallons (or liters :P).
:D
:D
Friday, July 11, 2008
List of Crap
Everything happens for a reason. Help me figure this one out.
I'm in my room. 2:30AM. The electric fan is whirring, and my earphones are nestled in my ears. Suddenly I hear a loud banging on my bedroom door. Why the urgency? I inch the door ajar, and peek into the darkness to find myself staring at one of my sister's friends. Her face is glazed with fear, and in the background I hear a hushed silence amidst what becomes apparent to be angry knocking at our front door. And then the story unfolds from her trembling lips.
She informs me that a police officer is knocking at our front door. Some kid (it's quite shocking who it turns out to be, but that's best left unsaid) passed out on our neighbors' front lawn. An inebriated kid. My guess is that the neighbors then reported it. My sister's friend doesn't know what to do, my sister was sleeping??, so of course, she goes to fetch me. At this point I'm thinking what the hell am I going to say to that police officer, especially when I really have no clue what's going on....
which brings me to the first big question: was I the irresponsible one for not keeping tabs on the night's shenanigans? ....
.... Well, I really have no choice but to confront the officer at our door, so I make my way down the hallway. Oh so conveniently, my sister's male friends are all sitting on our living room couch. Silent, quivering eyeballs fixated on a muted television screen. I move past them and arrive at the front door. I take in one last heart-throbbing breath... and open the door.
A stern police officer is there to welcome me. In his routine, authoritative voice, he bombards me with the obvious questions of 'Why didn't you open the door?' 'Couldn't you hear me knocking/ringing?' I manage to slip out a "yes," to which he demands a "yes, SIR." After a few more degrading remarks, he instructs me to get my sister.
And this is where confusion set in. He doesn't tell me to get my sister, but rather, to get Krystal. Perplexed but relieved to leave his face, I become a player in the fetching game. This time, I just observe his dialogue with my sister from the hallway, but still in full view of the officer. My sister's friend is next to me, whispering me in on all the details I had missed out on. In front of me, the guys who normally fill the house with raucous laughter are frozen, their faces still eerie reflections of my own apprehension.
"22."
I hear the number of my age echo from the officer's mouth. He re-directs his glance at me and beckons me to the door again. What ensued really pissed me the f**k off. In short, he called me a coward for not opening the door for him. In between his other emasculating words, he concluded by saying I was now on his so-called shit list. Good grief, I'm thinking, now I'm on bad terms with a complete stranger (one with considerable power) in a small town, where odds are, I'm going to encounter this guy again. And it's irreparable damage. A tarnished reputation, for what it's worth. There really was no point in opening my mouth to defend myself, lest I dig myself another hole (or rather, fall into another one that my sister's friends so graciously carved for me). Anyways, silence was probably the best course of inaction against this angry fellow.
But I/we were also lucky. The police officer knew my sister from a previous, unrelated incident, so he left our house with mere warnings. Back in the comfort of my bedroom but unnerved and humiliated, I felt compelled to create this blog.
There are just so many things that I need to re-evaluate. This incident should never have happened, and though I wasn't blind to the smoking and drinking, I'm feeling that I've failed policing my own house. I'm the least confrontational guy you'll ever meet, so it's not exactly easy kicking my sister's friends out of the house. Not to mention the tenuous relationship with my own sister that has the volatility of a manic episode (please forgive the reference). There is one friend of hers in particular, though, who I abhor because of one particular incident on a school bus that still plagues me to this day. It involved offensive and hateful language, which I'll leave for you to decipher.
Also, who are these friends? Should I be concerned that they might be terrible influences on my little sis?
And regarding the officer's remarks, I'm not one to take his words too personally. I would have probably acted the same way in his shoes. Neighbor complaint.. kids not answering the door.. "mature" 22-year-old in my face.. drunk underage kid's safety.. But it is totally unfair that I had to take all the blame and humiliation for my sister and her friends' irresponsibility. Those of you who don't really know me will probably think I still deserved it for turning my cheek all these days. Those of you who do know me will understand that I am the last person in the world to deserve being caught in this situation. And that's how I feel.
And as an extension to my life as a whole, I do feel that I'm doing everything right.... but running into everything that's wrong. Karma is one twisted bi**h.
On a lighter note, Fanny Pak was amazing again! WOWOWOW! <3 Matt Cady
I'm in my room. 2:30AM. The electric fan is whirring, and my earphones are nestled in my ears. Suddenly I hear a loud banging on my bedroom door. Why the urgency? I inch the door ajar, and peek into the darkness to find myself staring at one of my sister's friends. Her face is glazed with fear, and in the background I hear a hushed silence amidst what becomes apparent to be angry knocking at our front door. And then the story unfolds from her trembling lips.
She informs me that a police officer is knocking at our front door. Some kid (it's quite shocking who it turns out to be, but that's best left unsaid) passed out on our neighbors' front lawn. An inebriated kid. My guess is that the neighbors then reported it. My sister's friend doesn't know what to do, my sister was sleeping??, so of course, she goes to fetch me. At this point I'm thinking what the hell am I going to say to that police officer, especially when I really have no clue what's going on....
which brings me to the first big question: was I the irresponsible one for not keeping tabs on the night's shenanigans? ....
.... Well, I really have no choice but to confront the officer at our door, so I make my way down the hallway. Oh so conveniently, my sister's male friends are all sitting on our living room couch. Silent, quivering eyeballs fixated on a muted television screen. I move past them and arrive at the front door. I take in one last heart-throbbing breath... and open the door.
A stern police officer is there to welcome me. In his routine, authoritative voice, he bombards me with the obvious questions of 'Why didn't you open the door?' 'Couldn't you hear me knocking/ringing?' I manage to slip out a "yes," to which he demands a "yes, SIR." After a few more degrading remarks, he instructs me to get my sister.
And this is where confusion set in. He doesn't tell me to get my sister, but rather, to get Krystal. Perplexed but relieved to leave his face, I become a player in the fetching game. This time, I just observe his dialogue with my sister from the hallway, but still in full view of the officer. My sister's friend is next to me, whispering me in on all the details I had missed out on. In front of me, the guys who normally fill the house with raucous laughter are frozen, their faces still eerie reflections of my own apprehension.
"22."
I hear the number of my age echo from the officer's mouth. He re-directs his glance at me and beckons me to the door again. What ensued really pissed me the f**k off. In short, he called me a coward for not opening the door for him. In between his other emasculating words, he concluded by saying I was now on his so-called shit list. Good grief, I'm thinking, now I'm on bad terms with a complete stranger (one with considerable power) in a small town, where odds are, I'm going to encounter this guy again. And it's irreparable damage. A tarnished reputation, for what it's worth. There really was no point in opening my mouth to defend myself, lest I dig myself another hole (or rather, fall into another one that my sister's friends so graciously carved for me). Anyways, silence was probably the best course of inaction against this angry fellow.
But I/we were also lucky. The police officer knew my sister from a previous, unrelated incident, so he left our house with mere warnings. Back in the comfort of my bedroom but unnerved and humiliated, I felt compelled to create this blog.
There are just so many things that I need to re-evaluate. This incident should never have happened, and though I wasn't blind to the smoking and drinking, I'm feeling that I've failed policing my own house. I'm the least confrontational guy you'll ever meet, so it's not exactly easy kicking my sister's friends out of the house. Not to mention the tenuous relationship with my own sister that has the volatility of a manic episode (please forgive the reference). There is one friend of hers in particular, though, who I abhor because of one particular incident on a school bus that still plagues me to this day. It involved offensive and hateful language, which I'll leave for you to decipher.
Also, who are these friends? Should I be concerned that they might be terrible influences on my little sis?
And regarding the officer's remarks, I'm not one to take his words too personally. I would have probably acted the same way in his shoes. Neighbor complaint.. kids not answering the door.. "mature" 22-year-old in my face.. drunk underage kid's safety.. But it is totally unfair that I had to take all the blame and humiliation for my sister and her friends' irresponsibility. Those of you who don't really know me will probably think I still deserved it for turning my cheek all these days. Those of you who do know me will understand that I am the last person in the world to deserve being caught in this situation. And that's how I feel.
And as an extension to my life as a whole, I do feel that I'm doing everything right.... but running into everything that's wrong. Karma is one twisted bi**h.
On a lighter note, Fanny Pak was amazing again! WOWOWOW! <3 Matt Cady
Thursday, July 3, 2008
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