Wuckfit

In case you hadn't yet gathered this, my relationship with my father is an extremely difficult one. He basically does and says whatever he wants, and I get upset by him. At least, that's how it has always been. I have been working really hard on growing away from the idea that I need to depend on my parents, and while my mother has been extremely helpful in this process, my father has been less than useless. I was told by a friend that I cannot change him, only how I react to him, and I realised myself that I cannot simultaneously want him to change and for him to stop wanting to change me. Today was a bit of a test for these theories that I am trying to live my life by, as my father phoned me to talk about what we were doing when he comes to the UK in two weeks.
Now you might be thinking he is coming to the UK to visit his only daughter, but there you would be wrong. He has some work stuff to do, and I am summoned to come for some 'quality' father-daughter time.* So I am happy to come see him, as he is my father and quite a nice one when he wants to be, but am also quite nervous about implementing the new 'father-method'.
When he phoned me today, we talked a bit about my job interview and what I plan to do with my life in the next few months (there was very little butting-in on his side, which is always a nice surprise), and then we agreed to meet on the Saturday morning at his hotel. The initial plan was to meet up Friday night, but he had since made plans for that evening, so I would just spend the weekend with him. Or so I thought.
I was already a bit suspicious when he said my stepmother would be there too (although I am not really complaining; it is their anniversary weekend after all), and that I could stay in his hotel room (they would stay with friends that night anyways) if I wanted to spend my Sunday exploring London. Ah, the predictability of an unpredictable father...
When we had stopped talking (which was quite soon, I guess he had other things to do) I read the email he said he'd sent me earlier in the day, and it all became clear. Apparently, he is spending Saturday evening and all of Sunday with my stepmother, but we can have tea together on Saturday. Well, woohoo.
I am really trying not to be upset about this, and I am succeeding only because I am venting my bitterness here. I'm sorry. I am dealing with it better than I ever have before, but it is still a disappointment to have a father who is so obviously oblivious to the hurt he causes in his family.



*Please don't mind the bitter tone of this post - I need to get it out of my system, and no one is picking up their phones.