A Brief Word From Ken Dietz (Vera's Frustrated Dad)
- Vera's dad says that he knew she had been drinking as soon as she came home. He's a recovering alcoholic, so he smelled it right away, plus he could see all the signs—it made him want to have a drink right away (that's how strong his addiction is).
- He had his first drink when he was ten years old and started drinking heavily, stealing liquor from his mom or her friends.
- When he was in high school, he got a job at the Snappy Mart and would short-change customers and keep the money to buy booze. He was always drunk, even on the job.
- His mom was always disappointed in him; he seemed to show no promise, especially after he got Sindy pregnant and they had to take care of a baby.
- Ken finally went into AA when Vera was a baby, though. His brothers ended up going to AA afterward, too, because they all had their father's alcoholism genes.
- The chapter ends with a flowchart of destructive behavior. He is pretty into all that new age self-help stuff, isn't he?