A Return to Civilization?

Coming back from university has been... Weird, to say the least. Between my massive flailing failure at finding a summer job and a wardrobe update to clothes that would actually be considered practical during the spring and summer, I realize I haven't actually spent that much time outside of my family.

Which is not to say that I've been a hermit this past month! When I have gone out with my old friends from home, I've felt awkward. Like I was struggling to remember jokes we once shared, or what we used to talk about. So for the most part, I've retreated to my family - Which really hasn't helped at all.

The worst part is that I feel like an intruder in my own family. It's been over a month, and I still feel like a guest in my own house. I'll sit in the living room, reading or playing a video game or listening to music, and my sister will start playing the piano (which is in the same room). When I ask her to stop or postpone her practice for half an hour so that I can get out of her was, she usually ignores me completely and pretends as if I don't exist until I start screaming at her and her parents tell me to stop interfering with her practice.

And the same thing happens when I'm using the computer. I've recently become fascinated by the BBC series "Merlin" - which I've been watching on the desktop simply because it has a bigger screen and everything looks much nicer. The problem is, when my sister comes home from school, she will demand use of the computer right this instant, regardless of if I am mid-way through an episode. And her parents believe that she is entitled to this! I believe that they have forgotten that I paid for half the price of the computer with my own money. In this light, I believe that my sister and I can compromise - I finish my episode, she can have the computer for the rest of the night. But nope, both the parents and my sister believe that my sister gets priority on the computer.

Actually, for the most part, the only time the parents really notice me is when my sister complains about something or when they need someone to drive/pickup/dropoff my sister or her friends. Anyone else notice a pattern here? My parents' focus has been shifted to my sister - which should be expected, as I've been gone for eight months, and for those eight months, my sister has essentially become an only child.

So, yeah. Most of the time, I just don't want to leave my room. Which is bad, because I really don't want to be a hermit. But when I leave my room, it seems as if the parents are on my back about everything from breathing too close to my sister. I just really, really wish I could see the new friends I made at university, but they're out of country right now, so no luck :(

Bah. I'll just end this by saying that I feel like I'm being oversensitive and reacting like a dramatic prima donna. But I don't know - how have you been re-integrating with your friends and family back home?

Happy Birthday To Me!

Just thought I'd share some pictures from my birthday yesterday :)

Delicious chocolate cake with a layer of custard filling. Yummmm :)

My disinterested younger sister and the balloon-themed birthday card of awesomeness :D

My slightly-more-interested younger sister (now that I'm opening her present).

Golden Sun (a game that I had eight years ago, never really finished, and then promptly lost), and a $20 gift card for the bookstore. Yaaaayyyy!!

What is it with my family choosing gift bags a million times bigger than the gift itself??? (This is my younger sister, who is actually taller than me. Just so you're aware of how big this bag really is)

A 1-terabyte external hard drive. So that the hard drive on my computer can actually be used for school. Not, you know, movies and such :D

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So, now that I have $20 to spend on books, are there any books that you've read that have been particularly enjoyable?