Two phone conversations with my sister

Karma: ('kär-ma) noun: a deed, work.
Commonly used to mean: the force generated by a person's actions to determine the nature of the person's next existence

The following is an abbreviated version of a phone conversation between my sister and me on Monday.

ET#1: I am so irritated with Mom.

Sis: What happened?

ET#1: You know I am part of this book club, right? And I asked her to please mail my yearbooks to me and she totally flaked.

Sis: How so?

ET#1: I told her a month ago to please mail them, I even reminded her weekly. I called them yesterday to say “Bon Voyage.” Since they are going to Korea for a month and half, I told Mom that I had not received the books yet and could she please give me the delivery confirmation number. Mom said she did not send them, but she did have them neatly packaged and waiting by the door for a month. She said she would send it as soon as she got back. I told her that that was too late because book club would be sometime in April so not to bother. Then she laid this huge guilt trip on me saying how sorry she was for ruining my birthday. I told her that I could not lie, that I was really disappointed, but there was nothing that could be done so forget about it.

Sis: But you know that how Mom is. You just have to learn to deal with it. You can’t make her feel bad about it and you need to stop being upset.

ET#1: Knowing how flaky she is, I gave her a whole month’s advance warning and reminders.

Sis: But that is Mom’s M.O. They’re your parents, ET#1. You need to be a little patient with them.

ET#1: I know but they drive me crazy.

Sis: That’s life, ET#1.

4 days later my cell phone plays “blue ice” my sister’s ring.

Sis: Oh my God. I’m so pissed.

ET#1: What happened?

Sis: You father is a jackass. Remember I gave him access to my Charles Schwabb account. Well, I just got this letter form the government today saying we owe them $$$$ on capital gains tax.

ET#1: How much did Dad make you all?

Sis: That is the worst part is my account balance has gotten smaller. So how the hell do I owe money when none was made. I swear Dad makes me so angry. Why didn’t he just warn me about this? And since they are in Korea, I have no way of really yelling at him. I mean seriously, I have never seen my husband so angry as when he saw this letter. We just cannot afford it right now.

ET#1: So why did you give Dad your password? Why didn’t you just lie and tell him that you don’t have an online account and you deal in paper transactions only? That’s what I did.

Sis: I know I should’ve.

ET#1: You know, you shouldn’t be so angry, you know how Dad is. He was bound to lose your money somehow if you gave him access to that account.

Sis: But this was idiotic. He makes me so nuts.

ET#1: That’s life, Sis.