It sure is cold in my room. Really cold. Burrr....

This hasn't been a good week. People are depressed all around me. People have done things they shouldn't have and are now regretting it. People worry too much. People just can't relax. People are cold. Like me.

But we can all get through it. I think this has to be the second roughest week of the semester. Very close to the first though.

I'm glad I got to talk with Madeleine today. Three hours!

My mom told me today to quit jumping through my father's hoops. I've been depressed lately because I heard awhile ago from my brother that my dad somehow conjured up the idea that I'm intellectually inadequate for my girlfriend. He thinks she'll eventually meet some smart guy she can relate with and dump me. I told Madeleine this during our conversation today and she told me basically that I'm the greatest and that I'm smart and my dad doesn't know anything about our relationship and how we work. And she's absolutely right. But it makes me mad that my dad thinks this way. He makes me feel dumb, and this is a perfect example of that. My dad has this higher view of my girlfriend, and it must be my fault for painting this picture for him. My mom says he compares her to his past girlfriend. Maybe I failed my dad because I didn't want to be a doctor or something. Is being a high school teacher failing in life? I guess so according to him. But not to me. Its so hard to stop listening to everything my parents say. I love my mom's advice, but now I realize that I have better ideas than her now...and that's not her fault. I'm just grown up now. And I've been so used to being told what to do by my dad it makes me sick. Yet I still listen to him because, well, I'm his kid. But I'm so tired of him trying to control me and what he says about me behind my back hurts more than many many things ever could. I'm going to trust and support my children much better than he did for me. I don't care if they don't become the smartest people in the world, I'm still going to make them feel important and loved. This is my father's greatest flaw. I love him and he loves me, but man, he sure doesn't know when to stop worrying. And I know I'm intelligent and good enough for my girlfriend, thank you very much.

Not to brag or anything...

P.S. I love you, Ann.