rollercoaster Monday

This has been Spring Break for me this week, and what a ride I've had! Usually, I would have bounced down to Orlando or up to Myrtle Beach or SOMEWHERE. This time I decided to stay home, especially as I have two short weekend trips coming up and then a trip overseas in a couple of months.
Monday, the first day, was a bit slow. I really didn't get much of anything done, but that was okay - I'm on break, right? But part of the reason I took it slowly and just hung out at home was to be available to "be there" for my middle brother. He had called on Sunday to let me know a friend of his had died and to ask if I could take him to the visitation and funeral service from the next day. Without hesitation, I agreed to do so and even set up the time when I would pick him up. (Long story short: he has no car or license to drive one.) Even though I had other plans for my Monday evening, plans made weeks ago, plans for this very time frame when he was needing a ride, I agreed.
My mistake. I was thinking of MY reaction to a friend's untimely death, how such news would affect ME, and I assumed HE was affected in that same way. No. In hindsight, I think he only asked because his dead friend's brother was sitting right there when he called me; he was trying to make a good appearance.
So, Monday afternoon, I called to let him know I was coming and he informed me that he was still at work, almost 90 minutes away, and didn't think he was going to be able to make it for his friend. I reassured him that the visitation was walk-in and any time before 7 PM would be fine. The important thing was to not miss the service at 7 PM. He said he would call me when he got home.
Alarm bells should have gone off right then. I should have gone ahead with my earlier plans. Instead, I subjugated my desires and cooled my jets waiting for his call. After two hours, he did call. He was home, he said, but he was tired and he didn't think he wanted to go to the service after all. Really??? I said "I thought you wanted to be there for the man's brother. I thought this guy was such a good friend to you." No, he was tired and didn't want to go through all that.
Really??? I was so very aggravated with him when I got off the phone, but i was also aggravated with ME. After all these years, I still look for him to change. He's going to be fifty years old in July. He has spent half of a century on this planet, living his life however he wants, caring little to naught about how his actions affect others. And me? I certainly know how he is and yet I changed my plans. Argh!
Still, the evening wasn't a complete wash. After sulking and being ticked off, I decided to go to a movie with a free pass from a few weeks back (the theatre had the wrong film). I called a friend who also had that same free pass to see if he might be up for a late movie - and he was! I suggested the two movies I was interested in, but let him choose. Good decision on my part as well as his! The movie was MUCH better than I had expected and quite funny! And just that easily the night was salvaged and so was my outlook.