Good news and bad news

Heard from an old friend who lost her husband the 9th of this month. She has 3 kids to care for and an unsteady job. We have been worried that she wouldn't be able to handle all the responsibilities. She has seemed to be not-quite-with-the-program.
But you know what? She is doing absolutely marvelously. I always suspected she was a lot smarter and more capable than she let on and I may be proven right. YAY!

The bad news is? Another old friend, well... She and her long-time SO parted ways over a year ago. The main cause was her out of control drinking. Not just sitting at home at night and having too many beers, but totally out of control. Driving with your 6 year old son in the car and ending up in the ditch. Going ballistic and throwing things, kicking kids and dogs, hitting your SO. Being picked up for DUI several times but somehow charming the officer into letting you follow him back to your house. Bad stuff. In a previous blog I mentioned the party we have never missed since it started, years ago? That is the one she and her now-ex created. It was to be tonight and we simply can't go. I spoke with another old friend of hers earlier and Ang tells me she has been calling her and screaming at her because she and her husband are still friends with SO. She told Ang that she was going to come over and "kick her ass" which would be like me kicking The Rock's ass. Not gonna happen.
She just called me, too. There was no screaming but I did tell her we weren't planning on going to the party this year because we are just too tired. She began crying and told me she misses us. I am sure she does.
I do know that her ex-SO has a new girlfriend but don't really know her. Our old friend asked if I knew her and then started in with obscenities and so forth. I truly believe we need to distance ourselves from this before we get sucked in, somehow.
I know people part ways but this is getting out of control. We do miss her and we miss her ex-SO but, damn! I am hoping something doesn't go badly wrong and someone gets hurt, or worse, killed.

Maybe I should just put on my jammies and concole myself with the fact that Barbie is doing great. And supper was yummy.

*sigh*