Tales from the beach house

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MIL sent an advance email outlining all the rules for the long weekend getaway at their river house with extended family. It included a dress code for lunches and dinners that stated explicitly that no shorts were permitted. All males were to wear long pants and collared shirts to meals.

At a river house? I didn't know there were such things as river houses. But being from Missouri, I'm picturing something like what Huck Finn lived in before he ran away. At least, I'm thinking canoes and kayaks and fishing and kids catching tadpoles and crawdads. Seriously, where is this house located, and how posh is it that you must dress for lunch?

I know you think you're being cute, PP, but your boorish remark actually highlights your ignorance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait. Someone denying "me" coffee would mean war.

I know, right? I totally sympathize with the nauseous pregnant lady. But dang I need my coffee. Take the pot outside and brew it on the balcony. Then bring it back inside and enjoy.

No way. Pregnant lady can go outside.

Oh, come on. You don't make a woman with morning sickness drag herself out of bed and away from the toilet, out onto the balcony while you brew your coffee inside like a big old jerk. Just take the pot outside, sit on the balcony enjoying the sunrise while your coffee brews next to you. You won't even have to get up to pour yourself a cup. Just sit there enjoying that salty sea air with the smell of fresh coffee wafting in the wind - absolute heaven.

So we should run an extension cord to the balcony to brew coffee and the rest of the house of 10+ adults should sit outside while the one person bothered by it sits inside? You're kidding right?

Use the outdoor outlet. Or run an extension cord. Brew the pot outside. People can come out and get a cup and go back inside. It is the brewing that is making the pregnant woman sick. So a small effort on your part to avoid that would be nice.

If pregnant woman is really getting that sick from ordinary smells, she should consider skipping this trip or staying at a condo or some other space nearby. It is incredibly inconsiderate to ask the entire house to be inconvenienced by her personal choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait. Someone denying "me" coffee would mean war.

I know, right? I totally sympathize with the nauseous pregnant lady. But dang I need my coffee. Take the pot outside and brew it on the balcony. Then bring it back inside and enjoy.

No way. Pregnant lady can go outside.

Oh, come on. You don't make a woman with morning sickness drag herself out of bed and away from the toilet, out onto the balcony while you brew your coffee inside like a big old jerk. Just take the pot outside, sit on the balcony enjoying the sunrise while your coffee brews next to you. You won't even have to get up to pour yourself a cup. Just sit there enjoying that salty sea air with the smell of fresh coffee wafting in the wind - absolute heaven.

So we should run an extension cord to the balcony to brew coffee and the rest of the house of 10+ adults should sit outside while the one person bothered by it sits inside? You're kidding right?

Use the outdoor outlet. Or run an extension cord. Brew the pot outside. People can come out and get a cup and go back inside. It is the brewing that is making the pregnant woman sick. So a small effort on your part to avoid that would be nice.

Sorry, you're wrong. I would not be inconveniencing the whole house over someone's deliberate choice to get pregnant.

I just responded, and yes, I agree! That is ridiculous to ask of the group!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait. Someone denying "me" coffee would mean war.

I know, right? I totally sympathize with the nauseous pregnant lady. But dang I need my coffee. Take the pot outside and brew it on the balcony. Then bring it back inside and enjoy.

No way. Pregnant lady can go outside.

Oh, come on. You don't make a woman with morning sickness drag herself out of bed and away from the toilet, out onto the balcony while you brew your coffee inside like a big old jerk. Just take the pot outside, sit on the balcony enjoying the sunrise while your coffee brews next to you. You won't even have to get up to pour yourself a cup. Just sit there enjoying that salty sea air with the smell of fresh coffee wafting in the wind - absolute heaven.

So we should run an extension cord to the balcony to brew coffee and the rest of the house of 10+ adults should sit outside while the one person bothered by it sits inside? You're kidding right?

Use the outdoor outlet. Or run an extension cord. Brew the pot outside. People can come out and get a cup and go back inside. It is the brewing that is making the pregnant woman sick. So a small effort on your part to avoid that would be nice.

If pregnant woman is really getting that sick from ordinary smells, she should consider skipping this trip or staying at a condo or some other space nearby. It is incredibly inconsiderate to ask the entire house to be inconvenienced by her personal choices.

Good grief. Aren't you going on vacation with people that you like and care about? This particular woman has only asked that people not brew coffee in the morning - the smell makes her sick. She hasn't asked them to not scramble eggs, cook seafood, wear sunscreen around her or anything else like that. Brewing coffee out on the deck would be absolutely no big deal at all to me. Now if she started to rule out other cooking smells...that wouldn't be fair to everyone else and it might be time for her to find her own accommodations or even go home early.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am allergic to the smell of fresh coffee...just a delightful allergy to have. You think avoiding nuts is hard!

If it makes grandparents uncomfortable, put a shirt on. Your kids will survive wearing a shirt.

My family weekend at the beachhouse led to me seething with rage at my SIL and sending her texts that should never have been sent...but they were true!

You must tell us the gist of the texts.

[Anonymous]

I am allergic to the smell of fresh coffee...just a delightful allergy to have. You think avoiding nuts is hard!

If it makes grandparents uncomfortable, put a shirt on. Your kids will survive wearing a shirt.

My family weekend at the beachhouse led to me seething with rage at my SIL and sending her texts that should never have been sent...but they were true!

I've never heard/read about anyone having a 'histamine' reaction to the sell of coffee. Are you sure you just aren't 'intolerant' of the smell? Do you have reactions to other smells?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I am allergic to the smell of fresh coffee...just a delightful allergy to have. You think avoiding nuts is hard!

If it makes grandparents uncomfortable, put a shirt on. Your kids will survive wearing a shirt.

My family weekend at the beachhouse led to me seething with rage at my SIL and sending her texts that should never have been sent...but they were true!

I've never heard/read about anyone having a 'histamine' reaction to the sell of coffee. Are you sure you just aren't 'intolerant' of the smell? Do you have reactions to other smells?

I had a strong aversion to the smell of brewing hazelnut coffee when I was pregnant with one of my kids. And I normally loved hazelnut coffee. But when I got pregnant - ugh, could not handle the smell of it, made me so sick.

Interestingly enough, my son turned out to have a peanut allergy - tested and confirmed at the allergist when he was around 3 years old. We were lucky, he did later outgrow it. But maybe that aversion to the smell of hazelnut coffee was my body's way of protecting my baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All this talk about underwear brings to mind how women would not walk around their FIL etc. in a modest bra and panties but will walk in the room wearing a bikini. WTH is the difference?

I mean, its not a man or woman thing- men wouldn't wear their boxers either but wear swim trunks. It just IS. But I suppose that wasn't your point, I'm thinking you were angling just to police women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait. Someone denying "me" coffee would mean war.

I know, right? I totally sympathize with the nauseous pregnant lady. But dang I need my coffee. Take the pot outside and brew it on the balcony. Then bring it back inside and enjoy.

No way. Pregnant lady can go outside.

Oh, come on. You don't make a woman with morning sickness drag herself out of bed and away from the toilet, out onto the balcony while you brew your coffee inside like a big old jerk. Just take the pot outside, sit on the balcony enjoying the sunrise while your coffee brews next to you. You won't even have to get up to pour yourself a cup. Just sit there enjoying that salty sea air with the smell of fresh coffee wafting in the wind - absolute heaven.

So we should run an extension cord to the balcony to brew coffee and the rest of the house of 10+ adults should sit outside while the one person bothered by it sits inside? You're kidding right?

Use the outdoor outlet. Or run an extension cord. Brew the pot outside. People can come out and get a cup and go back inside. It is the brewing that is making the pregnant woman sick. So a small effort on your part to avoid that would be nice.

If pregnant woman is really getting that sick from ordinary smells, she should consider skipping this trip or staying at a condo or some other space nearby. It is incredibly inconsiderate to ask the entire house to be inconvenienced by her personal choices.

Good grief. Aren't you going on vacation with people that you like and care about? This particular woman has only asked that people not brew coffee in the morning - the smell makes her sick. She hasn't asked them to not scramble eggs, cook seafood, wear sunscreen around her or anything else like that. Brewing coffee out on the deck would be absolutely no big deal at all to me. Now if she started to rule out other cooking smells...that wouldn't be fair to everyone else and it might be time for her to find her own accommodations or even go home early.

Only asked? Coffee is a basic staple for most people, not something that people are willing to forego or be super inconvenienced about on vacation. Not to mention, I assume we're all paying to use the kitchen and basic facilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait. Someone denying "me" coffee would mean war.

I know, right? I totally sympathize with the nauseous pregnant lady. But dang I need my coffee. Take the pot outside and brew it on the balcony. Then bring it back inside and enjoy.

No way. Pregnant lady can go outside.

Oh, come on. You don't make a woman with morning sickness drag herself out of bed and away from the toilet, out onto the balcony while you brew your coffee inside like a big old jerk. Just take the pot outside, sit on the balcony enjoying the sunrise while your coffee brews next to you. You won't even have to get up to pour yourself a cup. Just sit there enjoying that salty sea air with the smell of fresh coffee wafting in the wind - absolute heaven.

So we should run an extension cord to the balcony to brew coffee and the rest of the house of 10+ adults should sit outside while the one person bothered by it sits inside? You're kidding right?

Use the outdoor outlet. Or run an extension cord. Brew the pot outside. People can come out and get a cup and go back inside. It is the brewing that is making the pregnant woman sick. So a small effort on your part to avoid that would be nice.

If pregnant woman is really getting that sick from ordinary smells, she should consider skipping this trip or staying at a condo or some other space nearby. It is incredibly inconsiderate to ask the entire house to be inconvenienced by her personal choices.

Good grief. Aren't you going on vacation with people that you like and care about? This particular woman has only asked that people not brew coffee in the morning - the smell makes her sick. She hasn't asked them to not scramble eggs, cook seafood, wear sunscreen around her or anything else like that. Brewing coffee out on the deck would be absolutely no big deal at all to me. Now if she started to rule out other cooking smells...that wouldn't be fair to everyone else and it might be time for her to find her own accommodations or even go home early.

Only asked? Coffee is a basic staple for most people, not something that people are willing to forego or be super inconvenienced about on vacation. Not to mention, I assume we're all paying to use the kitchen and basic facilities.

Have your coffee already. Just brew it on the deck so that you don't make the pregnant lady in your group vomit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I am allergic to the smell of fresh coffee...just a delightful allergy to have. You think avoiding nuts is hard!

If it makes grandparents uncomfortable, put a shirt on. Your kids will survive wearing a shirt.

My family weekend at the beachhouse led to me seething with rage at my SIL and sending her texts that should never have been sent...but they were true!

I've never heard/read about anyone having a 'histamine' reaction to the sell of coffee. Are you sure you just aren't 'intolerant' of the smell? Do you have reactions to other smells?

No other smells. Just fresh coffee. I do have all kinds of other environmental allergies (trees, pollens, grass) as well as oral allergy syndrome, and allergies to about a dozen other things so I am not surprised my sysytem has a histamine reaction to coffee. It makes me sneeze repeatedly, nose gets itchy and runny and my eyes get red, itchy, and weepy.

When my other allergies are more reactive, so is my allergy and reaction to coffee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait. Someone denying "me" coffee would mean war.

I know, right? I totally sympathize with the nauseous pregnant lady. But dang I need my coffee. Take the pot outside and brew it on the balcony. Then bring it back inside and enjoy.

No way. Pregnant lady can go outside.

Oh, come on. You don't make a woman with morning sickness drag herself out of bed and away from the toilet, out onto the balcony while you brew your coffee inside like a big old jerk. Just take the pot outside, sit on the balcony enjoying the sunrise while your coffee brews next to you. You won't even have to get up to pour yourself a cup. Just sit there enjoying that salty sea air with the smell of fresh coffee wafting in the wind - absolute heaven.

So we should run an extension cord to the balcony to brew coffee and the rest of the house of 10+ adults should sit outside while the one person bothered by it sits inside? You're kidding right?

Use the outdoor outlet. Or run an extension cord. Brew the pot outside. People can come out and get a cup and go back inside. It is the brewing that is making the pregnant woman sick. So a small effort on your part to avoid that would be nice.

If pregnant woman is really getting that sick from ordinary smells, she should consider skipping this trip or staying at a condo or some other space nearby. It is incredibly inconsiderate to ask the entire house to be inconvenienced by her personal choices.

Good grief. Aren't you going on vacation with people that you like and care about? This particular woman has only asked that people not brew coffee in the morning - the smell makes her sick. She hasn't asked them to not scramble eggs, cook seafood, wear sunscreen around her or anything else like that. Brewing coffee out on the deck would be absolutely no big deal at all to me. Now if she started to rule out other cooking smells...that wouldn't be fair to everyone else and it might be time for her to find her own accommodations or even go home early.

Only asked? Coffee is a basic staple for most people, not something that people are willing to forego or be super inconvenienced about on vacation. Not to mention, I assume we're all paying to use the kitchen and basic facilities.

Have your coffee already. Just brew it on the deck so that you don't make the pregnant lady in your group vomit.

Seems to me the person who is sensitive to the smell of coffee should be the one hanging out outdoors...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am allergic to the smell of fresh coffee...just a delightful allergy to have. You think avoiding nuts is hard!

If it makes grandparents uncomfortable, put a shirt on. Your kids will survive wearing a shirt.

My family weekend at the beachhouse led to me seething with rage at my SIL and sending her texts that should never have been sent...but they were true!

I've never heard/read about anyone having a 'histamine' reaction to the sell of coffee. Are you sure you just aren't 'intolerant' of the smell? Do you have reactions to other smells?

No other smells. Just fresh coffee. I do have all kinds of other environmental allergies (trees, pollens, grass) as well as oral allergy syndrome, and allergies to about a dozen other things so I am not surprised my sysytem has a histamine reaction to coffee. It makes me sneeze repeatedly, nose gets itchy and runny and my eyes get red, itchy, and weepy.

When my other allergies are more reactive, so is my allergy and reaction to coffee.

Well then, let's eliminate the trees, pollen, and grass, as well as the coffee. That's only fair, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the no clothes in front of grandma and grandpa totally depends on how close you all are. I would never do this in front of my parents, but we hardly see them. Some grandparents are around all time and are truly like immediate family. In our home with just us, my kids run around in their underwear at times.

But even then, walking around naked in front of immediate family? We're not talking about in bathing suits right? We're talking straight up naked?

I think the kids had underwear/bathing suits in the original post. But I can't see the problem with being fully naked if the kid is happy with it. It's just a human body!

Because the grandparents are unhappy with it, and they get a vote too. In fact, as the elders, their vote counts more.

But the question is WHY are the grandparents unhappy with seeing their 7 year old grandchild without a top on? I think that is very weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pretending-not-to-eat MIL...I have one of those, too. Is it a generational thing or an old people thing?

Ugh, me too! So annoying. Only mine is a "vegetarian" who lets herself "live a little" and have steak every once in a while. And fish! And chicken. And that hamburger...

Me, three! It is a generational thing, however, there are exceptions. My own mother never dieted and never obsessed about food (maybe, because she's naturally thin with crazy metabolism). MIL, however.. don't even get me started! Every time I see her all she talks about is how she 'lost those 10 pounds'. First, that tremendous weight loss is not visible with a naked eye... and second, you are 72 years old, who cares??