Someody stop me from going crazy here! I remember why I desperately needed out before! It's only been two days but already I get to be yelled at and plenty, and for trivialities (new word?); oh joy.

I'm talking with my brother and Dad jumps in as usual without invitation plus having missed everything that came before. The topic: the computer hangs ramdomly, no matter what it is doing for how long; using ICQ, Word, Notepad, any game, basically any time. It's not hardware, I've done a battery of tests. I don't know what is wrong, other than it is an un-updated Win98 machine. My solution: prep the install disks, backup the drive, format, re-install. Dad will never let it happen. Back to this old fight. I'm not allowed to do this because it is the "family" computer. Thus, like the car, it is never maintained; simply worn into the ground. Frankly, if there is a problem you have two options: choose to do something about it, or choose not to. I like systems that work, so I choose to do something about them. The smoke detectors in the house are meeping every 30 seconds, and not in sync so you can guess how often, and blaring loud they are! This is a form of torture. Dad tries to see if he can do something aout it but they are not run on battery; they run through the electrical system of the house. This meeping has never happened before, but he is sure it is due to the dryness of the air. He mists the air but to no avail. Now he thinks it's due to the dryer in the basement. Satisfied, he gives up and it continues for a few more hours.

I am now losing it, what with the computer constantly hanging on me. So I get yelled at because of the most simple "mis-prioritizations". I pull a jumper from the first smoke-detector unit I encounter and move on to the second, temporarily ceasing their function. THOU HAST SINNED! Dad goes ape-shit because the fire dectector system is hooked up to the alarm system. The alarm system is not on, and we've received no phone call thus I'm pretty sure nothing bad is happening right now. Alas, I am cursed at, yelled at, and then dad goes off in a rage, and calls the security company in his nice, pleasent, laughing voice. They don't detect anything wrong with any of our systems and say they can send a tech. Dad declines their offer. WTF? If I'd done something horrily wrong, they would have called on their own anyway and we would at least have had a tech at the door; oh no! In fact, after disconnecting the second unit, I was going to get everyone together next so we could brainstorm and figure out how to stop this because it had been given up on and that to me is not a solution. Oh, but it is, and my mistake was in not gathering everyone to gether first, but taking action! Strike down this infidel! Well sorry to take the initiative, but I'm 100% positive that the house will NOT burn down in the space of 15 minutes while we discuss our options.

I have since been told not to tamper with house responsibilities unless I own my own house, and politely asked to keep my nose out of areas that require responsibility. How in the Hell does my dad pretend to treat me like this while an hour ago suggest to me to take the LSAT!? I don't WANT to be a lawyer! I told you that last year! The smoke-detector solution plan: see if it stops on it's own, at some point. Well I don't appreciate being yelled at for everything I discuss or do as a first reaction. Somebody say a prayer, because this ringing in my ears is leading to red vision. I'll be fine in another hour or so but for now, DEAR GOD!