Shit my dad does that annoys me

[tacosforlife]

Oh man. My dad just visited me for the first time in almost 7 years. We had a lot of fun. We went to some museums and monuments and ate some great foods. I think he got a good feel for my neighborhood. For a country bumpkin (seriously, he moved waaaaaaay out to the sticks about 10 years ago), he was surprisingly adventurous with taking the Metro and even the bus. He even volunteered to walk to the grocery store alone! (This is the point where I was really glad I never told him about the neighborhood masturbator.)

1) He flew into BWI even though I told him DCA was better for me. While stuck in traffic on the way home, he announced that they would definitely fly into DCA next time. Because apparently he had to SEE that it's less convenient rather than just taking my word for it.

2) He watches TV all the time. I mentioned this in my Fox & Friends thread. I realized that we really do mostly watch Hulu and Netflix, so we're like, "Hey, I want to watch X program. I will sit down and do that." I (usually) hate having TV on in the background. And the 24-hour news channels are SO bad. On top of that, our cable sucks and cuts out all the time, which prompted complaints. SORRY NOT SORRY. I pay $78 for Internet + shitty cable + HBO and have no interest in paying more. Adding insult to injury was the frequent watching of Fox News. Look, all 24-hour news is bad, but Steve Doocy is THE WORST. Scientific fact.

2a) He repeatedly asked me if I watched all manner of shows I've never heard of. This jives with my brother's report last week that my parents watch tons of TV. I must have told him 5 times a day that i) we don't get very many channels, and ii) we don't watch much live TV.

3) He is OBSESSED with the price of gas. GOOD GOD. Every.single.gas.station we drove past elicited a comment about the price. Apparently two gas stations near me are 50 cents per gallon apart. File under: things I never noticed. We drive a highly fuel efficient car and fill up an average of once every 3-4 weeks. On the plus side, he bought me a tank of gas since I picked him up at BWI.

4) He is also obsessed with the weather, both where I live and where he lives. I try to check the forecast occasionally to know whether to take a jacket or an umbrella or something. But I swear we had almost hourly conversations about what the weather was going to do. And he made frequent phone calls home to inquire about the weather because apparently the mule has to stay in his stall if it's raining or muddy out? I don't know anything about mule ownership. WHO OWNS A MULE?

5) He talked on his cell phone in the Metro station. We were about to get on the train, and I wasn't even polite about it. I just snapped: "Hang up. We're getting on the train." OMG. I would DIE if he became a train cell phone talker. SAINTS BE PRAISED that his phone never rang while we were on the bus.

6) He apparently doesn't believe in vibrate. He leaves his ringer on ALL THE TIME and has the world's most annoying text message notification. I had to make sure to tell him to turn it off before we went into the Holocaust Museum because we were NOT going to be those people.

7) He takes iPad photos. I wanted the earth to swallow me up.

8) He left his shoes on when putting his feet on my ottoman, which is made of the same fabric as the couch. I just gave up and made a note to buy upholstery cleaner.

9) He reverts to treating me like a child - remininding me to lock the car, warning me not to catch a cold going outside with wet hair, etc. I know I'm not the best at adult life, but damn, I've managed to keep myself alive for 14 years since I left home. I got this one, Dad.

I can't be the only one whose parents are nice and loving but annoying as hell. Whatcha got, CEP?

(Paging IIOY because some of these things seem like such typical OLDZ behavior.)

[ijack]

This sounds like total oldz behavior, especially the weather

[pixy0stix]

I will talk about the weather with him.

[dirtyred]

My father is also obsessed with the price of gas.  I feel your pain.

[wawa]

I have recently become obsessed with the price of gas. The variations just within my usual stomping grounds (i.e. between my house, my office and where all my friends live) is a HUUUUUUGE swing.

Also I love mules.

why would you complain!!??



My own contribution - after the wedding we attended this past weekend I learned my mom has a lot more feels these days than she used to. I never know what to do when she goes all mush and introspective and I'm not drunk enough to go there with her. NOT COMFY.

[busybodyk]

This is funny! My mom is way worse than my dad but not as bad as your dad. Its so funny how different we are from our parents once we leave home.

[meshaliuknits]

Oct 15, 2014 9:46:40 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I will talk about the weather with him.

Your version of weather talk will give him nightmares.

[iammalcolmx]

Why didn't you have him take the train from BWI to Union Station? Ain't no way I would do that drive in traffic.

[dexteroni]

You just described like 95% of retirees. Except #9 which is just cute dad behavior. All totally normal. He sounds very sweet.

[downtoearth]

I LOL at #7 - ipad photo takers crack me up big time!

#9 actually sounds sweet and dad-like.

I can't complain much Dad is pretty much a Dem or at least libertarian at random money times, he doesn't watch TV (except Hulu and Netflix - and uses our accounts to login so he doesn't have to pay), he never sits down and always is going somewhere, but he also likes to discuss money. Any time he can turn the conversation to advice on saving or retirement or noting how much we spent on Starbucks or how to conserve money, he'll mention it.

[KateAggie]

My Mom has started turning everything into a political conversation. We shar similar views, but I can't talk politics with her anymore. She's too extreme. I think it's an age thing. My BFF is a liberal having the same issues with her also liberal Mom. Like the views are the same, but the reasoning? Off the wall.

It honestly makes me sad. I love her, and we have a fabulous relationship, only now I feel like I'm on guard when she visits.

[wawa]

Oct 15, 2014 10:06:33 GMT -5 @mrsbecky said:

Um, I may have texted my brother and emailed my dad to tell them NEVER to buy gas near my brother since it was 50 cents more a gallon than the gas by me. It's like 8 miles!! WTF! But my dad was one of "those" engineers who kept a little brown book in every car. We had to note where we got gas, when we got it, how much it cost, how many gallons, and what the mileage was on the car so he could figure out the MPGs. So we are all super attuned to gas prices. I'm shocked when h will just pull in somewhere all willy-nilly. THE CITGO TWO STREETS DOWN IS 5 CENTS CHEAPER!!!

and my dad is also obsessed with the weather. he has two weather stations and the weather channel is his favorite.


So I would say that your dad and my dad are the same, except that my dad does not use his cell phone. He uses a rubber band to wrap the battery and phone together and only puts the battery in to make a phone call, then takes it out. And the only person he calls is my mom three nights a week (when he stays with my brother). He's slightly paranoid about NSA/CIA/all that jazz.

I get really annoyed when MH doesn't notice the gas price at the gas station he drives by on his way to work.  There are two ways out of our neighborhood, one way goes by the gas station, one does not.  the not way is the more direct way, so it's how I drive to work, but the less direct way goes by our DCP so that's the way MH takes in the AM.  I will often ask, "hey, did you notice if the Royal Farms is still $3.05?" and he'll be all, "uhhhhhh....no?" like it's a weird question. 

HOW DO YOU  NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THIS?? 

[tacosforlife]

Oct 15, 2014 10:09:49 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Why didn't you have him take the train from BWI to Union Station? Ain't no way I would do that drive in traffic.

Well, I didn't know traffic would be so bad at 2pm. Also, I am not sure that sending my dad alone from BWI to Union Station would have worked so well. I fear he would have somehow wound up in Rockville.

PLUS, last time I picked someone up at Union Station, some douche in a pickup truck literally backed into our car and then took off.

[iammalcolmx]

Oct 15, 2014 10:45:36 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

Oct 15, 2014 10:09:49 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Why didn't you have him take the train from BWI to Union Station? Ain't no way I would do that drive in traffic.

Well, I didn't know traffic would be so bad at 2pm. Also, I am not sure that sending my dad alone from BWI to Union Station would have worked so well. I fear he would have somehow wound up in Rockville.

PLUS, last time I picked someone up at Union Station, some douche in a pickup truck literally backed into our car and then took off.

He couldn't have ended up in Rockville. That train goes to New Carrollton and then Union Station.  I haven't lived there for a while but does the DC area not have an online traffic map where you can check road conditions? You may want to start doing that. I also had one bad experience with trying to drive from BWI, never again, I take the train.

[tacosforlife]

Oct 15, 2014 10:25:45 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

My Mom has started turning everything into a political conversation. We shar similar views, but I can't talk politics with her anymore. She's too extreme. I think it's an age thing. My BFF is a liberal having the same issues with her also liberal Mom. Like the views are the same, but the reasoning? Off the wall.

It honestly makes me sad. I love her, and we have a fabulous relationship, only now I feel like I'm on guard when she visits.

My dad will sometimes do this, except we do not at all share the same political views. He has a Sarah Palin bumper sticker on his car.


My mom is so funny. She and my stepdad do not share the same political views. Also, most people at her church are conservative, and she is not. So she is used to keeping her mouth shut. But if she is around H and me and starts drinking, she turns political. Hilarity ensues.

[tacosforlife]

Oct 15, 2014 10:48:03 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Oct 15, 2014 10:45:36 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

Well, I didn't know traffic would be so bad at 2pm. Also, I am not sure that sending my dad alone from BWI to Union Station would have worked so well. I fear he would have somehow wound up in Rockville.

PLUS, last time I picked someone up at Union Station, some douche in a pickup truck literally backed into our car and then took off.

He couldn't have ended up in Rockville. That train goes to New Carrollton and then Union Station.  I haven't lived there for a while but does the DC area not have an online traffic map where you can check road conditions? You may want to start doing that. I also had one bad experience with trying to drive from BWI, never again, I take the train.

Google maps shows traffic, but it didn't really matter because their plane came in at the same time no matter what. My dad is not used to public transit, so I was not just going to tell him to figure it out, especially when I've never been to BWI so wouldn't be able to give specific directions about where you go to get the train and whatnot.

It wasn't that big of a deal. It's more amusing to me that when he saw how bad traffic was, he immediately said he'd fly into DCA next time. He was acting brand new, asking "So what airport is closest to you?" as though I hadn't told him 5 times that DCA was most convenient.

But that's just how he rolls. He asks what works for you and then ignores your response and does his own thing. On my last visit, he picked me up from my mom's house and asked where I wanted to go for lunch. I suggested a BBQ joint, and he then said, "Let's go to the Italian restaurant." Umm, OK, that's what you wanted anyway, so why did you ask me???

When he first started planning this trip, I told him Columbus Day weekend would work. So he booked his ticket to arrive on a Sunday and leave on a Thursday. THE FUCK IS THAT? I made him change that shit because seriously dude.

[twotrue]

Oct 15, 2014 9:41:12 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

7) He takes iPad photos. I wanted the earth to swallow me up.

 My mother does this too and I want to die.  She's even done it at a wedding

My parents Skype with my kids a couple of times of week. I love it because DD has real relationship with her grandparents in spite of us living 3,000 miles apart.  However my dad is 80 years old and knows nothing about technology.  Seriously he can't even turn on the computer.  So every.single.conversation goes like this:

Dad: G (DD's name)
DD: Yes?
Dad: whatever random question he wants to ask her
DD: responds
Dad: G
DD: Yes?
Dad: another random question
and on and on like this.

It's like it doesn't get that she can hear him and he doesn't need to call her name and get her attention prior to every question.  Just have a friggin' conversation already!

[StrawberryBlondie]

My mom does #7. Well, she has a Samsung, but same idea.

[tacosforlife]

The thing with the iPad photos is that he says it takes better pictures than his phone. Except it doesn't have flash, and he kept trying to take pictures of the monuments lit up at night. So I took a bunch with my phone and promised to email them. You can get some great pictures of the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial at night, but you need flash.

[MrsAxilla]

Turn him on to weather.gov. You put in your zip code and get accurate, pinpoint weather!

[KB]

Oct 15, 2014 9:46:40 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I will talk about the weather with him.

He won't believe you anyway. He watches Steve Doocey. 

[IIOY]

Oct 15, 2014 9:59:24 GMT -5 wawa said:

 I never know what to do when she goes all mush and introspective and I'm not drunk enough to go there with her. NOT COMFY.

This was my entire childhood, except I wasn't allowed to drink to numb the pain. 

My dad is obsessed with gas prices and weather as well.  Every single phone call I have with him starts with a weather report.  I also get a daily email weather report from him.  If a day goes by and I don't know what the weather is in Bumfuck, Georgia, I worry that he's keeled over.

He's also incredibly condescending with me, as though I'm still 12.  I've simply started sassing him when he does this because he doesn't even realize he's doing it.

My goal in life is not to have my dad ever visit my house again.  He is not good when he's out of his comfort zone, and it's awkward as fuck when he's around.  Last time he was here, he spent the entire time reading the news on his phone and texting my stepmother because he was just so uncomfortable not being in his own surroundings.  He and my SM are so weird about not being able to leave their house for too long.  They won't visit us together because they think they can't go more than a couple days without someone being at home because SOMETHING might go wrong.  Fuck knows what. 

I take the kids down twice a year and we call it done.

[FloFTW]

I love this post.

Also, go visit the mule.

[MrsAxilla]

Can I bitch about MIL? I didn't bring my fancy camera to visit them and I was bummed. MIL was all "I have a fancy camera, but I just use my crappy point and shoot ALL THE TIME." So the next day, we went apple picking with all the cousins and FIL brought MIL's camera for me to use. He was so nice - "I know you're bummed you didn't bring yours, so you can use MIL's since she never uses it!" I was appropriately thankful to both of them. After about 20 minutes, I set it down for one minute and MIL snatches it up and uses it the rest of the day! And then she was bitching about how it "isn't working right" ... Because I had it on manual settings, dumbass! Learn to use your camera!!

[tacosforlife]

Oct 15, 2014 11:16:54 GMT -5 FloFTW said:

I love this post.

Also, go visit the mule.

I do not know when they got the mule, nor do I know what purpose the mule serves.

I cannot keep up with their revolving door of animals.

They have 3 cats and 2 dogs, but recently a new stray cat started coming around and gave them fleas. I know they have lost at least 2 dogs and one cat since they moved to the country. One dog and one cat got old and had to be put down, but one dog died after getting loose and then getting stomped on by a donkey.

When I visited last year, they had 3 donkeys, a miniature horse, and a full-sized horse, but the full-sized horse was away at horse school. (Horse school is apparently a thing.)

They had to put the miniature horse down earlier this year, and they got a second full-sized horse. I am not sure what the donkey situation is. I think they have one donkey and one mule, but I may have missed a donkey in there.

At one point they had cows, but feeding them is expensive. Or something. I am not sure. I don't remember if they have cows right now. I just know I once accidentally lured the cows too close to the electric fence, causing one of them to get shocked. I grew up in the suburbs.

[rosiebear]

I am dying at "Who owns a mule?"

My MIL inquires, incessantly, about whether we need to stop for gas. THE TANK IS 2/3 FULL! WE DO NOT NEED TO STOP FOR GAS!

[wawa]

Oct 15, 2014 11:28:18 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

Oct 15, 2014 11:16:54 GMT -5 FloFTW said:

I love this post.

Also, go visit the mule.

I do not know when they got the mule, nor do I know what purpose the mule serves.

I cannot keep up with their revolving door of animals.

They have 3 cats and 2 dogs, but recently a new stray cat started coming around and gave them fleas. I know they have lost at least 2 dogs and one cat since they moved to the country. One dog and one cat got old and had to be put down, but one dog died after getting loose and then getting stomped on by a donkey.

When I visited last year, they had 3 donkeys, a miniature horse, and a full-sized horse, but the full-sized horse was away at horse school. (Horse school is apparently a thing.)

They had to put the miniature horse down earlier this year, and they got a second full-sized horse. I am not sure what the donkey situation is. I think they have one donkey and one mule, but I may have missed a donkey in there.

At one point they had cows, but feeding them is expensive. Or something. I am not sure. I don't remember if they have cows right now. I just know I once accidentally lured the cows too close to the electric fence, causing one of them to get shocked. I grew up in the suburbs.

Oh yes, yes it is. If fact it is one of the many services my sister provides at her growing fancy pants horse farm.  Shit's EXPENSIVE.

[eclaires]

Lol. What is it with olds and gas prices? I'm cognizant of the places near me that are regularly priced higher or lower, but ever since my ILs got smart phones 3 or so years ago, they have been obsessed with the gas buddy app. They talk about the app and gas prices all the time. It's really weird. They also are obsessed with the weather, but it's less odd/irritating because there isn't an app they obsess over. My MIL only trusts the local weather people. She also only watches local news, and only basic cable channels but she watches every damn show on all of the channels and records them. Not to a DVR, but to a DVD. We've tried to set them up with more convenient and reasonable options but they won't use them. It's weird because they are not that old. They're only 65 and 64.

[IIOY]

Oct 15, 2014 12:19:46 GMT -5 eclaires said:

They also are obsessed with the weather, but it's less odd/irritating because there isn't an app they obsess over. My MIL only trusts the local weather people.

Tell your mom she's doing it wrong. Local weather forecasters are statistically more likely than any other forecasters to be wrong. Source: Nate Silver

[tacosforlife]

Oct 15, 2014 13:02:59 GMT -5 IIOY said:

Oct 15, 2014 12:19:46 GMT -5 eclaires said:

They also are obsessed with the weather, but it's less odd/irritating because there isn't an app they obsess over. My MIL only trusts the local weather people.

Tell your mom she's doing it wrong. Local weather forecasters are statistically more likely than any other forecasters to be wrong. Source: Nate Silver

I love that you added that.

Given my dad's farm-ish activities, I understand that the weather is probably more important to him than to me. Since the mule can't be out in the rain (I still don't understand this, but I also don't understand why he has a mule in the first place), then yeah, I guess he does need to check the weather every time he leaves the house.

But someone - either my brother or a neighbor, this was unclear - was responsible for putting the mule in the barn if it was raining. So I didn't understand his need to constantly check the weather. You're over 1,000 miles away, and someone is in charge of the mule. You can do NOTHING here! Let it goooooooooooo!