We're going to their house on Christmas day. On Tuesday night, everyone who is coming to their house got the following email:
12/18/20112
Hello All,
Tomorrow, I plan to purchase the Christmas beverages. So please respond with your beverage order.
I assume that [BIL] will arrive with his order of red wine.
I have plenty of 0.5 liter Poland Sprig water bottles, canned regular Coke and canned caffeine free Diet Coke.
Please email me with your requested beverage and quantity such as: how many 0.5 liter Perrier? Zero calorie what? any Gatorade? how many 1.5 liter Cavit Pino Grigio ? what else?
Which I suppose is nice, but who wants to be burdened with this? Also, who needs Gatorade for Christmas?
Last night, I got this email from them:
Hi, [v],
Do you like light or dark turkey meat?
Would you prefer vanilla, chocolate or both in the Carvel cake?
What do you and [husband] want to bring?
The first question is nice.
The second question is bizarre. Why am I in particular being asked that? What the fuck do I care?
The third question I think is rude (of course we'll offer to bring something, but you don't ask people what they want to bring -- you wait for them to offer), and should be aimed towards their son rather than me.
V, that is weird. And what difference does it make if you like light or dark meat? Are they thinking about only buying a breast? I mean turkeys have both kinds so it's not something you really plan in advance...
My vent is that we have a snow day today (yay!) but I didn't find this out until after I was completely ready for work and about to make my lunch and get out the door. I checked before I got ready, too, they just didn't call it until late. This is definitely a first world problem, but I would have gone to the gym (it's not bad out yet) and planned my morning completely differently had I known I wasn't going to have to leave for work!
I'm excited for a random day off though, although I have my work computer here so I am sure I'll do some work. Tomorrow is my last day at work until Jan 3rd so there is no way I am going to get everything I need to get done completed otherwise.
It also sounds like something I'd get before Easter dinner. We have Easter dinner at my BIL's FIL's house (mostly because that's where my ILs go.). So basically my double-in-law's. He's a retired engineer and has the time and the inclination to totally over-engineer a family gathering. I try to laugh it off, but it's hard.
I am so stressed out trying to plan when to see family this Christmas. My brother bought my parents tickets to fly out this Christmas to SFO (near where he lives.). My brother has his panties in a twist because we are not sure if we will make it up there on Christmas Day--We live 3.5 hours south, and between wanting to spend the holiday with FIL (whose health has declined rapidly and may not be with us much longer) and dh having to work 2.5 hours south of our house the day after Christmas, have zero desire to drive all that way in 24 hours.
I waffle between feeling like an ungrateful brat and thinking "FFS, we'll see them at the end of the trip--who cares if we see them on actual Christmas."
LOL at Gatorade... what the heck do you guys do on Christmas? And the only thing you should care about the Carvel cake is the cookie crunchies. Mmmm. Does anyone eat Carvel cake for any other reason?
I hate money today. I mean I LOVE money, but today it's bumming me out. She's a cruel bitch sometimes.
I also hate chess and now it's all my family wants to play via cell phone. I like to bond as much as the next guy but chess stresses me out and makes me feel like an idiot. I spent half the first game with my brother confusing the king with the queen. I feel like the queen should have the nice round crown and not the pointy one.
I am pissed that the university I work for didn't close today. We got tons of snow overnight, and while the plows have kept up, it's really icy. Classes are over, and there isn't any real reason to be there. Alissa got a snow day, so I am staying home with her because I don't want to shell out the extra $25 for kids club.
But I am still pissed about not getting a snow day (because if they close, we don't have to use vacation/sick time)
V, I think the email is oddly phrased, but it's not asking for any planning information that I wouldn't want to know as the host. I have a lot of picky eaters in my family and it's hard to keep who likes what straight. My DH will only eat dark meat, so if we just buy a turkey breast he will act like a baby b/c there will not be any meat for him to eat.
My vent- deceased SIL's BFF needs to butt the fuck out of our Christmas plans. Christmas is family time. Don't invite my MIL to Christmas at your mother's house, when you know my H and I want to go to MIL's on Christmas to exchange gifts. She's not your family. Even though I don't care for my MIL that much, I'm trying to make an effort for all of us to get along for once and that can't happen if she goes to some stranger's house for the holiday. Butt out b%tch.
I can't decide if we're MM poor or just poor compared to all of those posting their budget yesterday. I think part of it is so much is allotments out of our paychecks what's actually desposited for spending is so much lower.
V-that email is super weird. I make DH handle all IL communications.
My sister is annoying. Something came up recently in conversation where she asked the age of my FIL. I responded saying he's 81 or 82.
She then pipes in with "my ILs are in their 80's, too, you know", all sarcastic like it's a competiton.
Um, no they're not. I know her ILs pretty well. A quick Google search confirms that yes, they are both only 72 years old.
She lies about such stupid stuff. I don't understand her at all. It's not like I'm better than her for having elderly ILs. They had a difficult time getting pregnant with my husband, and honestly, we're really sad they're so old because they're going to miss out on a lot with our son.
Lately everything I say, even when prompted by her, she has to "one up".
I need to vent. I've spent the last two weeks with SO at his place for his grandmothers funeral, heading home this afternoon. My mom just called to tell me my grandfather, who lives with us and is going through chemo, had some kind of stroke and pretty much can't speak. Things are going downhill fast and I'm not in the holiday spirit this year. My parents aren't putting up a tree this year. Add in that ups lost my big gift for SO and I'm about ready to just say "fuck it" for Christmas this year. And I love the holidays.
No pressure, secret Santa, but I'm hoping my gift will cheer me up when it gets here.
Post by RitzyHeifer on Dec 20, 2012 9:34:16 GMT -5
I just have my usual holiday crap - my in-laws can't be bothered to shop for their grandchildren so they give us money to buy things on their behalf for DS. We live away from them so order online & have it sent to their house and then they get pissed off because we "make them" wrap it, they never are happy with what we pick out, etc.
Then there's usual jockeying for holiday time - we don't see my extended family at Christmas, ever (scheduling problems - we're all cool with it though) so it's just my mom & brother & SIL. This year brother & SIL moved out of state and aren't coming back for holidays so we're not doing ANYTHING with my family. MIL is still finding ways to create drama about how awful we're being to her - and damn it if H, his siblings & SIL don't fall for it every.single.time....
I guess it's nice she's trying to accommodate you, but it's a really odd way of asking.
My very serious vent - I went to H's holiday party last night. Apparently someone got really drunk, was doing all sorts of crazy stuff, threw up all over the place and had to be escorted out. I was really hoping there'd be one drunken fool in the crowd, and I totally missed it all.
I woke up at 4:45 this morning with a sharp, stabbing pain in my lower right abdomen. My entire right side hurt and was tender to the touch. I could barely move. I nearly woke up my roommate to take me to the hospital, but I waited it out, and it went away by 6:00. I went back to sleep until about 7:45, but I'm SOOOOO tired now. That was a freaking battle. Also, I was so out of it when getting dressed for work that I forgot to put on deodorant.
I woke up at 4:45 this morning with a sharp, stabbing pain in my lower right abdomen. My entire right side hurt and was tender to the touch. I could barely move. I nearly woke up my roommate to take me to the hospital, but I waited it out, and it went away by 6:00. I went back to sleep until about 7:45, but I'm SOOOOO tired now. That was a freaking battle. Also, I was so out of it when getting dressed for work that I forgot to put on deodorant.
have you been checked out since your fall? I'm worried about you
lol, your MIL sounds like a people pleaser of the worst kind.
DH called MIL on Thanksgiving and she didn't have time to talk, she was supposed to call him back but she never did. She still hasn't called him. He hasn't seen them for months and they live 30 minutes away. They come to our town at least once per week. I guess if he's not throwing money at them he's not worth their time. I don't even know why it's bothering me.
Oh, also -- we had our firm holiday party last night. I was at one point talking to my boss, another partner in my group, and two associates in my group, and my boss called me "our resident party girl"
I like to think that this is not a terrible thing because this came 5 minutes after he told us associates that he was surprised that we don't go out with each other more and told the (tall) tale about how he and his first year officemate (now our biggest client) went out "every single night" their first year and could barely function at work half the time? But still,
I woke up at 4:45 this morning with a sharp, stabbing pain in my lower right abdomen. My entire right side hurt and was tender to the touch. I could barely move. I nearly woke up my roommate to take me to the hospital, but I waited it out, and it went away by 6:00. I went back to sleep until about 7:45, but I'm SOOOOO tired now. That was a freaking battle. Also, I was so out of it when getting dressed for work that I forgot to put on deodorant.
have you been checked out since your fall? I'm worried about you
This was my first thought too. I think you should go get checked out by a doctor, just in case. With bruising that bad and these symptoms, you could need need some medical attention. Or it could be nothing but doesn't hurt to check!
v, I hope the Gatorade is because Christmas Eve is such a good time everyone needs it on Christmas day? No?
Thankfully we won't be there on Christmas Eve, but my sister-in-law and her husband will likely be the only ones drinking there. I imagine it's more along the lines of my husband drank Gatorade in front of them a few times and they therefore think he needs it at all time.
If 2 people said that they liked Dr. Pepper, they'd buy two 12 packs, as if each of them is going to go through a 12 pack in one day. Nice to be accommodating, but they'd odd ducks.
We're hosting a Christmas party on Saturday and we're attending an End of the World party tomorrow night, so we need to clean the house tonight because we won't have time otherwise. I'm not looking forward to it because I know MH is going to be a grumpy ass the whole time.
And that makes me feel guilty because I had a dream last night that he died. I was discussing his burial with my recently widowed mother and she advised me that I had to buy him a toupee, because "when you die all your hair falls out." She told me to get one that had longish hair so that the funeral home would have enough to style it. I burst out crying to her, "But I don't want to dress him like [Three Stooges] Moe!"
Post by keweenawlove on Dec 20, 2012 10:13:35 GMT -5
My family's weird and normally does some sort of workout on Christmas day (there's ski trails right out the backyard) so we'd like Gatorade
My vent is I'm mad at DH for going to work today. I guess he's being dedicated but it's not crucial that he's there today. He has a 40 mile commute down pretty isolated highways that will likely get a lot of drifting. I hope he makes it home tonight. He packed a bag so he can stay with a friend in case we do get the storm they're predicting.
Post by HoneySpider on Dec 20, 2012 10:16:28 GMT -5
No one at my doctor's office can just tell me if my fucking test results are in. I called (again, 4th time in a week) and they won't let me talk to anyone, I have to leave a message and get a call back. I've done that, it always takes forever for someone to call back. I am livid. I have an appt this afternoon and I don't even know if I need to go because I don't know if I have test results!
These are life-changing results to us but to everyone else it's NBD. I am livid. These last 2 weeks have been hell and I just want it over with.
UPDATE: Just got the call, results literally just came through. Nurse apologized for the run around, she has had my chart on her desk because she knows I am waiting for this. She talked to the office manager about the situation and said "I don't blame the patient for being upset." I actually love this nurse and it was nice to talk to her.
I don't think it's related to my fall at all. I think it's either a muscle cramp (I've worked out 4 times in the last 3 days), and ovarian cyst, or another mysterious GI issue. I'll keep an eye on it. My biggest fear right now is appendicitis. Surgery would mean I couldn't make my flight back to MKE.
lol, your MIL sounds like a people pleaser of the worst kind.
Yeah, this!
She becomes an absolute nervous wreck about entertaining (and this crowd will be her children and their significant others, and her two brothers. period. so no-one to impress). It adds a lot of stress to the holidays to have to deal with her 900 questions about what kind of water we have and describing all of the potato chip options she has (no salt, light salt, and regular salt) and such.
I don't think it's related to my fall at all. I think it's either a muscle cramp (I've worked out 4 times in the last 3 days), and ovarian cyst, or another mysterious GI issue. I'll keep an eye on it. My biggest fear right now is appendicitis. Surgery would mean I couldn't make my flight back to MKE.
Oh man, AH. I hope it's not appendicitis! I had appendicitis in March, and mine presented with a weird set of symptoms. They operated right away, and I was out of the hospital 17 hours later. I even ate a full breakfast before I left. The doctor was looking at me like "are you sure you just had abdominal surgery?"
FWIW, the most common differential diagnosis for appendicitis in women is a ruptured ovarian cyst. That's why I got a CT scan before my surgery.
I hope you feel better soon and this doesn't mess up your travel plans!!