REALLY Petty

Really:  (informal, as an intensifier) Very (modifying an adjective)  

But then things REALLY got out of hand . . .

I turned on my computer one morning to find a message from my sister telling me that they had hired a lawyer to help expedite the process with the county tax assessor, Keeper Of The House Deed. She wanted me to print out and send overnight express about seven thousand pages of legal stuff that was attached to the email.  I noticed, of course, that they had hired a lawyer who had an office in their very tony neighborhood - everyone in their neighborhood, which they modestly downplay every chance they get in a fantastically low-key, passive-aggressive fashion, is "really excellent" at whatever they do, right down to the local donut guy - at a cost of $3000, payable by my father.  Now I know lawyers can be expensive but if this particular barrister takes 8 hours to complete the task at hand he's going to be making like $400 an hour.  I'm not a lawyer but the task at hand seems pretty simple - I can't imagine it's going to take anywhere near 8 hours and I can't imagine that they have to hire Clarence Darrow to complete the task.  Still . . . as no one consulted me beforehand it's none of my business.

After some back and forth I head down to the UPS office and arrange to send two pieces of paper using an Extremely Urgent!! envelope they provide me.  This costs me $45 at which point it becomes very much my business.  This sends me into a mini-rage.  My sister is quite cavalier about spending other people's money which normally I could give a shit about except this is my money which I give a huge shit about.  I mean: I'm really pissed about this.  It's not so much the $45 it's that if these PEOPLE HAD TAKEN MY ADVICE SIX MONTHS AGO WE WOULDN'T BE DOING THIS!

I send the envelope.  I come home.  I tell SuperK that I should say this thing or send this note or make this call so that I can say something else and her hand raises, showing me her palm, code for "Talk to the Hand."  

"Don't be petty," she said.  "It's not worth your energy."

I really wanted to be petty.

The lawyer got the documents and the house sold.  Case closed.