My bad

First of all, I hate CNN. I feel dumber by the minute as I listening to their pre-speech chatter Let me see if anyone less annoying is streaming the speech.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I snapped at my mother, and it was unjustified and not worth it. See, I admit when I'm wrong... which is not to say that I won't also take the opportunity to question some of mom's behavior). Here's the context:

Mom left me a message some time after 9am to let me know that she'd sent me, by e-mail, another complaint letter she had written over the gym membership issue. Apparently, a different gym pulled the same thing on a friend of hers, whose doctor also told him to stop going to the gym.

I'm not sure why mom called me on my cell during the workday--if I happen to be at my desk, maybe I'll hear my phone, which is in my purse, which is locked in a cabinet. She has my work number, or, rather, I gave it to her once, that time that she was driving down here. At that time, I also told her that that was the better way to reach me during the work day, because I don't always hear my cell. Of course, mom's not great at holding on to my contact info (see New Yorker Siberia article saga, over which she did not speak to me for a month; see also that time the morning before she drove down here, when she called to ask me my address--and asked me whether I was sure I didn't live in West Virginia). But I digress; I'm actually glad that mom did not keep my work number; I really can't have her calling my office phone to have me spell things for her, or to have me read her complaint letters then and there. Nonetheless, she should know--because I've told her--not to call my cell if she has something time-sensitive to convey.

Anyway, I got the message later and called her on my way home from the metro to let her know that I never received the e-mail she said she would send. She told me she decided not to send it after all. We talked for a bit about the gym membership saga, and then, she asked me about the plant she'd given me for my birthday a couple of years ago.

A.: It died after I put it outside (at your suggestion). So did the cactus.
Mom: What? I've put plenty of plants outside. I do it all the time.
A.: Well, different environment, mom. The sun is stronger here, and some plants need less of it.
Mom: Well, I just don't know. I put plants outside and they thrive.
A., with an attitude: I'm not going to argue with you. I just know that I put them outside, and they died. And that they were fine inside.
Mom: You know, you're very unpleasant to talk to! You should watch your tone!

She was actually right. I was tired and not in the mood for superfluous back-and-forth, but that wasn't her problem. I shouldn't have called her if I was too tired to be civil. I couldn't even take the opportunity to say, "you should watch yourself, too," because she wasn't snippy. It was just me.

Okay, the speech has started, so I'm off to listen.