Camping

Today the Squeeze dug through the garage to find the tent pegs and poles that he borrowed from friends last year.  He found both, albeit with more rust than they came with I suspect, but he couldn’t find any ropes.  I did pause to mention that the ropes are probably hidden at the Harridan’s with the tent that she is now the proud owner of.

I don’t get the lack of concern he displays over taking borrowed things, back.  I have to say I’m discovering that maybe I’m a weirdo when it comes to looking after other people’s junk, but hey, I have a list of people that I refuse to lend things to – including his kids (with damned good reason!)  Instead, they don’t berate him or warn him that he is now on the “no lend” list…  So he probably still doesn’t get it!

Of course the resurrection of the tent poles evoked ‘tent memory’ and that opened up a whole other kettle of fish.  Let’s face it…   If he had a list of people he refused to lend things to; we’d still have a tent and the Harridan would have probably have had to purchase her own in the usual manner.  Instead, she took it from Kid 1 and when all is said and done, who can blame him?  It would be so much easier to deal with the wrath of Squeeze (to be honest, I doubt he was yelled at for it at all) than dealing with the Harridan not getting her own way; for she is on the hairline trigger of madness.

Instead, the Squeeze withheld $250 from her this month.   Payment for the tent that she felt was within her rights to steal and then refuse to give back; even though he bought it well after they had separated.  Personally, I’d have purchased a similar tent and then charged her that amount.  At $250 – she got off lightly.  Still, $250 is enough to let her know that he isn’t just a lone scardy cat anymore (and I’m tipping I can be even scarier than her if pushed), and it is still enough to allow me to raise my eyebrow which in code means “I told you she wouldn’t give it back you moron; and I don’t care if she needs a kidney – she gets nothing from us”.

I was expecting that he would hear about it and I wasn’t disappointed. 

Although the argument over the tent has gone on for a year now and as a final straw, he has told her several times that he would be taking payment for the tent if not returned; we all know that she only hears the words she wants to hear and ignores the rest.  He received an email Christmas eve that said:  “Pay me correct amount” (in her usual caveman 'UGGG - wot u do' style communique) 

To which he replied with “That's it.  You owed me $250 for the tent.”

I’m sure we will not have heard the last of it.