Back in Santa Barbara - ugh

Nothing ever changes here.  Had a great, fantastic, wonderful two weeks out of this place.  LOVED that Zoe slipped in so easily with Julie's kids... enough to have her first overnight.  Get back here two weeks later and get her into her week of Art Camp and there is Molly.... and Molly's MOTHER.  Now keep in mind this was the girl Zoe was naming as her best friend.  And then when I go to pick Zoe up, b/c Molly's mother is ALWAYS late (something I AM wanting to snark on her with), Molly tells me she turned 6 in June.  You know there was a big ol' party for that that Zoe was NOT invited to.  That really stings, especially since we were all at Sumaiya's party.  I HATE this little "mommy" culture of Santa Barbara.  I miss Julie. 

my sister

I grew up in a family with a sister who shared the same father.  Two years younger than me.  We were quite close at one point, obviously.  My father never remarried.  My mother did, to a man named Mike when she was already pregnant with his child.  Mike never loved us.... wished us away.  The best thing Mike ever gave ME was my younger brothers Andrew and Seth.  Andrew was born Reagan was inaugurated, just after I had turned 12.  Seth was born just before my great grandmother died, my junior year of high school, when I was 16.  It wasn't until my senior year that I would discover I had an older brother.  One my mother gave up for adoption before she had me.  She only told my sister.  Because my sister was BAD.  And that was her last chance to confide in her, to try and help her out.