Absolutely fuck my fucking brother and his wife

I was going to write a proper entry about Leeds and the Middlesbrough Art Weekender and other stuff.

But I need to vent.  As you can likely tell from the title.

I’m going home to Aberdeen in a couple of weeks for a Grace Petrie gig and a Frank Turner one.  Mum turned 75 in August and dad turns the same age in November, so mum asked my brother if he wanted to come up with my sister in law and the kids for a joint birthday celebration.  (I made my mum and dad birthday cards and got them a small present, then got them this:

as their main present.)  They agreed to, but said they would not be arriving until the Saturday and they would be leaving on the Monday.

So, it was settled.

I phoned mum today, as I do every Monday (except for special occasions) and she informed me that my brother and his family might not be coming up after all.  Seemingly, the hotel they first booked cancelled their booking because they weren’t accepting bookings from the general public, so the rooms could be kept free for NHS staff.  (This was common during the height of the pandemic, for NHS staff who lived with vulnerable people and they couldn’t risk taking Covid home, though pretty much every hotel has stopped that policy).  They did book a second hotel, which would mean getting the train (also something to do with my brother changing jobs meaning they wouldn’t have a car).  Due to a rail strike and engineering works, they’re not sure if they’re going to bother, but my mum will know by the Tuesday before at the latest as that’s when the last day for them cancelling the hotel is.

Now, my brother has always been my mums favourite.  Which means that nothing was ever his fault and whatever he said was believed no questions.  And this continued after he got married, with everything being the fault of my sister in law.

I’m not sure if it’s just that he hasn’t noticed or if he just doesn’t care, but for at least a year, the latter part of that paragraph has not been true.  Particularly the blame bit.

Time was, mum would have been devastated with what he said.  Now, not only is she not upset, she’s not even surprised.  She expected them to change their minds.

She actually said to me today that she’s not bothered if she never sees my brother and sister in law again, what’ll upset her is not seeing the kids.  And I’m right there with her.  For years, my brother has had little or less to do with me and no-one knows what the problem is.  Now, I just don’t care.  I will miss the kids, but unless they deign to go up to Aberdeen while I’m there and funerals, I’m not planning or expecting to see him again.

I’ll finish here.  I’m going to watch John Oliver then listen to an angry, shouty record.

Will