Responsibility

Responsibility. We all know that word. If one takes responsibility for something - say, doing work of some kind - that person is saying that they will complete the work to everyone's satisfaction, within a reasonable time frame. If one does not do what they said they would do, then that person could be called irresponsible.

I live in a large four-story house, with a basement apartment and a subbasement we use for storage. In the spring of 2005, my parents decided to fix up the apartment and rent it out again, to help pay for college. This would be a bit of a remodel: new plumbing, new appliances, new bathroom fixtures and new carpet in the bedroom and living room being the major parts. We started with the kitchen, and me eagerly demolishing a crumbling wall so it could be replaced.
Fast forward three and a half years, to December 2008. New carpet in the living room and bedroom. New appliances in the kitchen. New tile in the bathroom. And no fucking plumbing to anything. Just new pipes under the floor, to the bathroom and kitchen.
There is a sink in the kitchen, but the water and drain aren't hooked up. The pipes are there or almost there, but nothing's ready. Same for the bathroom. The new toilet is sitting next to the hole in the floor, ready to be installed. The tub faucet is installed and working, but that's about it. Bits and pieces of pipe sit on the floor in both rooms. In our laundry room, the new water heater for the apartment sits next to the current one. Pipes reach down from the ceiling towards it, but nothing is connected. The plumbing has been in this state for many months now.

This has lost us money. How much money? First, let's assume that the apartment was finished and ready to rent after six months. Let's also assume that the apartment was rented shortly afterward at a price of $1,000 a month, and has not sat vacant for any long amount of time since then. Let's also assume that all the rental income was used for college tuition, as we intended. Finally, let's assume that my sister and I attend college in fall, winter, and spring, as most people do.
It has been about 36 months since we would have first rented the apartment, so
36 * 1,000 = $36,000.
At an approximate cost of $4,500 a quarter in tuition for my sister and I both, we have
36,000/4,500 = 8 quarters.
8 / 3 quarters to a year ~ 2.67 = 2 and 2/3 full years of college.

Shit.
To help offset the cost of college, Mom says that my sister and I have to pay one third of our tuition, because the apartment isn't done. This pisses me off. Not so much paying the tuition; I'm mostly okay with that. What pisses me off is the reason for me having to pay.

When we started the apartment remodel, my dad, who has plumbing experience, said that he would do the replumbing of the apartment, as the current plumbing was old. No problem with that; he'll have the plumbing finished in time. Well, guess what? The motherfucking plumbing still isn't finished, and my dad has done nothing with it for months. When asked about it, he expertly deflects all questions and inquiries, eventually frustrating whoever asks him. This pattern has continued for months, frustrating everyone in the family. Except me.
I'm just mad.
I'm not mad at my Dad in general; we get along most of the time, and I like him. I'm mad at this particular part of his personality. I don't know what the fuck it is - maybe its the Asperger's Syndrome he denies he has - but he has a really hard time finishing projects in a timely manner. Most of the time I don't care. But this time, I do. This time, it is relevant to my education, something I care deeply about.

Dad, I have had enough of your irresponsibility.
Either get your ass in gear and finish the apartment plumbing, or hire a plumber, by the end of February 2009.
What happens then? Here is what happens. After I pay tuiton for Winter quarter, I will not have enough money in my savings account to pay my third of the tuition for Spring quarter. If that happens, I might have to withdraw from the University of Washington.
And that I do not want to do.
This apartment fiacso has frustrated my mother, frustrated my sister, made me mad, and just plain pissed off everyone involved. Except my dad. He just continues along like nothing is wrong, in his own happy little world, oblivious to the undercurrents swirling about like vicious riptides.
I am not going to be forced to take responsibility for my father's irresponsibility any longer.

Enough is enough, and I have had e-fucking-nough!