Tough days parenting.

Hello Campers.  I am back on line.  My Computer went out mid January and I got it back last week.  Maybe I should rephrase that.  I got our new to us computer last week.  The old computer's mother board went out and it was no longer available.  Crazy thing was in 2013 I had that computer worked on and we found the motherboard had issues (USB ports were dead.  5 of 7 so we used a USB hub).  I prepaid the shop in Sweetwater for the board and for the installation.  They were going to call when it came in, or if I had trouble before then I would bring the computer in.  I never got the call and when I took the computer back to the shop, the shop was gone.  I did find the technician and he told me he was no longer doing work for the public and he didn't have my motherboard.

I carried the computer to Apollo in Abilene.  This is where Georgiana's son works.  My thoughts at that time were that the power supply was out.  Nope.  I'm not that lucky.  Motherboard.  Apollo searched and searched and the motherboard was no longer available, even from Dell.  The configuration was odd and another mother board could not be installed in its place.  So, Apollo backed up all my data and put it on a thumb drive.

Georgiana's son had a computer (actually he had 7 at his home that had been given to him or left with him).  He selected one and told me it would be a good one.  He began sprucing it up, put a graphics card in it, put a 1 Terabyte memory in it, then downloaded all of my documents, pictures and programs (they were able to retrieve the program keys from the old computer).

So, I have spent a week, on and off trying to set up all my preferences, all my favorites, and load all my user names and passwords.  I've almost got it done, although I am having some trouble with videos on facebook.  I have also gone wireless network for the ISP, the computer and the printer scanner.  Hopefully I will be able to print documents directly from my phone.

I spent the past weekend in Abilene at Georgiana's.  We have made live theatre productions the last two weekends.  Urine Town at Abilene High the first weekend, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at ACT this past weekend.  We were also able to take in two movies, one each weekend.  The first being Night at the Museum, the second weekend we saw American Sniper.  I still want to see Selma.

Late Saturday night I received a text message.  I had actually gone to sleep and didn't hear it come in, but as I was plugging my phone in the charger I checked it and saw the text.  There were two pictures of checks and a message, "Were you aware of this?"

The two checks were drawn on Memama's account, one made out to a gift shop in Roscoe, the other made out to an individual.  The check to the gift shop had driver's license, address and phone number, I recognized the information easily.  The signature was not Memama's.  The other check was made out to this individual, endorsed to her mother on the back and her mother had endorsed it and cashed it.  The signature once again was not Memama's.

I forwarded these images to my youngest daughter with the message, "Do you care to explain this?"

I received no reply.  Needless to say it wrecked my chances of a blissful nights sleep.

On Sunday I received a text saying "All I can do is apologize.  I made a huge mistake.  I will write you.  Love you Daddy."

Pat and I talked when I returned to Roscoe.  We looked at the checks, the dates, and determined that when my youngest daughter came in for Thanksgiving a day early she had taken some of Memama's checks.  It was an older pad, numbers long passed by.  I had asked her (Merrit)  if there were more and she told me no.

Pat and I were doing some banking Monday afternoon and I had carried the check copies to inquire why they were paid when the signature was not Memama's, Pat's, or mine.  The lady began looking and ran a search that was not available to non bank personnel.  It revealed eight (8) transactions in this numerical sequence, including the two we had brought with us.  There were four to WalMart in San Angelo, one to Suddenlink in San Angelo, one to Walmart in Sweetwater, and the two checks I mentioned earlier.  The checks totaled $1065.79.

I felt ill.

My youngest daughter had not worked since mid November, took a family medical leave (for what I don't know), and never went back to her old job.  Apparently during all this time she was financing her folly with her grandmother's checks.

She has asked me for money and I refused, telling her she made a choice not to work and no money was a result of that choice.  I did pay electricity one time when I knew Noble was staying over.

I suppose for me the blatant barrage of her lies pushes me over the top.

We filled out forgery affidavits at the bank, drove to the sheriffs office and filed a complaint, then we returned to the bank with a case number. 

You mess with me is one thing, you mess with my Mother is worse.

I cannot understand for the life of me what Merrit's mentality is.  Over the last three years I have spent thousands of dollars, trying to help her in multiple facets of her life.  Legal, CPS, school, rent, utilities.  I know other people have helped as well.  Memama, Merrit's maternal grand parents, Pat & Hag. 

It may be interesting if we ever get all together and compare notes to see how many of us paid for the same thing.

All I can say is it hasn't worked.  Maybe jail will.  I'm guessing 3 - 5 this time.  We know 180 days in state jail didn't do it.

Noble deserves better than this.  You would think he would be incentive enough for Merrit, but apparently not.

Merrit's Mother says Merrit is mentally ill.  I'm not looking for excuses.  There are none.

I think Merrit is Merrit.  She is 32 years old.  She is way smarter than she acts.  For some reason she thinks she is entitled and rules don't apply.  I am washing my hands.

Merrit, her Mom, and even her maternal grand parents need look no farther than me for insisting we press charges.  It has to stop somewhere.

On a good note, I'm not going to have to worry about where Merrit is at and if she has electricity or water.

Tough deal for me as a parent, but if I don't stand up for what is right, I am doing her no favor.

Father, how I wish YOU gave us instruction manuals with kids.  The how to's and not to's.  I don't know what lies ahead for Merrit, but I place it firmly in YOUR hands, knowing that YOUR plan is unfolding.  Strengthen me in my struggles.