The mom in #2 sounds like a cross between my mother and one of my sisters (both Leos, if anyone follows).  For my sister if it’s not her way, it’s wrong.  If you don’t agree, it’s a personal attack.  If she’s unhappy she will make sure everyone around her is unhappy, too.  As for mother, it’s inconceivable that someone might actually have a life at the same time she finds out she has none of her own.  I have what a friend of mine calls "poor phone management skills."  I rarely use the phone and have a cell phone as my only line so I’m not paying for something i touch maybe twice a month.  I left it plugged in at home one day and went to happy hour right after work with some people.  When I got home, I had a message from mom at 1:30, and another at 7:30 with her blubbering about how things are hard for her, how awful I am that I won’t call her back, and… that’s when I hit delete.  The next one was from my sister (yeah, *that* sister) at 7:35 saying that mom called her crying, said she left a bunch of message and I never return her calls, she’s tired of being put in the middle, and I should just call her.

Turned out drama mamma just needed my address.  I didn’t call her.  I made my other sister do it, and I have not spoken to her since. 

It’s a far sight better to get into a "marriage of convenience" voluntarily than to have the guy remain closeted, marry you, and leave you wondering what’s wrong with you, which I’m sure is fairly standard in the LDS church.  The church doesn’t outwardly shun gays, but the atmosphere can probably be somewhat cool if not downright hostile.  Was it Abby who said that church was not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners?  Everyone is welcome, but there are basic tenets in every faith that may prevent one from participating fully in what it offers other members.  In this case a temple marriage (I should hope they don’t lie to get one).  

I’m more than willing to marry a gay man for appearances (beard).  While you may be asexual, I think I’ve had more than my allotment and don’t actually care that much anymore.  ;) 

A couple of years ago I think I watched about 10 minutes of one episode of JK+8 and I detested it.  I thought then she was a shrew and I have no doubt it holds true until today.  In my attempts to avoid her like the plague, I did get suckered into watching a clip of the brood getting ready for an interview, her daughter pleading for a drink of water, and Kate saying no and drinking some water right in front of her.  The little girl promptly called her on it, and good for her!  

As for anything else I’ve run into about that woman, it has been a few images where she prances around wearing a bikini.  I’m sure she thinks by comparison to what her body looked like before reconstruction she’s awesome, but she not only does NOT have a bikini body, but even more so with the wrap-around scars.  Not to mention that I think I finally figured out what still seemed "not right" about it.  I do believe her surgeon placed her navel about an inch-and-a-half too high.  

Ann Curry???  Ew!  Natalie is the best. 

Meow.  ;) 

The easiest solution to #1s problem is something I did.  Bit of background, I always refused to do gay scenes when I did adult films because I still wanted to be true to myself in any way I could.  It damaged my usefulness and so I didn’t get a lot of jobs, but I just don’t like girls and I wasn’t going to pretend.  Nevertheless, I’ve had boyfriends who get that ridiculous lesbian idea in their head and they want a show for their pleasure.  What about my pleasure?  I’m not into it, LW1 isn’t into it, and I doubt Edie is into it.  So what do you do?  You tell them you have a fantasy about watching him give another guy a BJ.  If he’ll do that for you, you’ll do his for him.

The subject was dropped every single time, but I wouldn’t expect such a thing to cross Margo’s lips.

I can also relate to that letter, but from the daughter’s side.  My mother IS an irritant.  She’s one of those drama feeders, in fact.  She has always tried to manipulate everything to suit her idea of what mothers and daughters should be rather than just letting life happen.  Additionally, she always has to be in the middle of everything and can’t even miss a conversation.  As a result, two of three of us can’t stand being around her.  One still visits and allows her to visit, much to the detriment of her mental health, the other—me—just wrote her off.  

Once we all reached adulthood, she thought we could all be best friends and tried to force us into that mold.  That’s something that needs to be engendered from the beginning and, well, let’s say she didn’t.  When dad died last year, she tried to force us into some "it’s just us girls now" thing, and literally drove me away immediately after the funeral.  I had intended to stay a few days, but it seemed that her husband of over 50 years passing suddenly wasn’t enough drama, she kept wedging herself into everything.  

I suspect she is narcissistic as you describe.  Whenever any of us told her about something new we got, she would hijack the conversation about hers, and how it’s better, and the deal they got, and how you should have shopped for it, etc.  Every conversation returns to her, and when you return it to yourself, she has to go.  I could go on, but I find myself sympathizing with the daughter on this one.  It will be one year on the 10th since dad died, and I haven’t spoken to mom since December when she had an "it’s all about me" attack.  She called over the weekend and do you think I answered it?  Fat chance.