This week on Truthful Tuesday, instead of the usual format, busy host Frank from Thoughts and Theories invites everyone to reflect upon life.

How’s life treating me? Ha! I have to laugh at that because life has been pretty sh**** lately.

Work

My job has always been busy. I’m in the billing department which consists of me and two other plus a supervisor.

I’ve mentioned in many of my previous posts – there hasn’t been a week started I started this job when I could get away with exactly 40 hours. I think the closest was 40.50 hours. The last two months though, ever since Labor Day when the company implemented a new system, I have been working somewhere north of 50 hours per week. I often spend a minimum of 10 hours a day doing non-stop work and still, just barely made a dent in the pile.

Mom says I can’t complain though, that I should be grateful. She says my overtime is God’s gift to me, that’s he has opened a window for me to make money.

I don’t know what to think about this. I’m stunned and speechless that she’d say this.

Family

Then there’s also the matter of the family.

My aunt often told me my mom’s acting the way she is is because of menopause. I refuse to believe it. I refuse to believe the constant mood swings, change of minds, and temper tantrums are related to aging.

The last few weeks have been the worst when the USCIS (U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services) granted my aunt a leave of absence to allow her to stay in China for two years. Mom’s emotions have been so unpredictable that it scared me sometimes as I don’t know anything I say would trigger a change of moods. She can be calm one second and explosive the next. No one ever knows and it always overwhelms me.

This morning I went to garage to pick some spinach to make a sandwich and all of a sudden, mom’s attacking me about growing vegetables in the garage, saying the heat from the grow lights will cause the half-empty propane tank to explode.

All because of what?

I think it’s because she saw I bought a clamp light which I’m going to install a 9-watt grow light bulb in it. She was yelling about that’s how the cops discover people are growing meth in the garage, it’s because the lights get warm and explode, setting houses on fire.

Again, I don’t know what to say but inside, I’m seething.

Why does she meddle in other people’s affairs? Like with her sister wanting to go back to China? Maybe they all want to go back. Maybe they just don’t like it here. Why does she want to make them simulate into a world they don’t belong?

Why can’t I do what I want in my own house? Like grow vegetables in the garage in the winter? Or put a clamp light over my overwintering peppers? Or grow herbs inside?