Now for something completely different: an in-laws vent!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You lost me at your disdain for Cracker Barrel. That tells me you don't have an open heart, an open mind, and good intentions. If you're not game for a trip to Cracker Barrel, you have a rattling marble where your brain should be, and a shriveled raisin where your heart should be.

OP here: I didn’t post about Cracker Barrel, that was a PP. I would have loved Cracker Barrel!! Better than three day old chilli!

About the house: they love on a big swath of land but on have a 4/3 house. ILs sleep separate, one room each for extended relatives, nowhere for us. Plus they have an anxious dog that barks every time a floor board creaks so I definitely am grateful for the hotel.

I remembered another thing: the peeing. All four men have bladder issues but they all pee at different points. I noticed this early on. We’re all ready to go, then one has to pee also we all wait. Then we’re ready to go again, another decides it’s best to go now before we hit the road. Then we wait. Then an hour later (almost to the city!) #3 has to go. Yesterday before we left I said (in a light, playful tone) let’s all pee now so we don’t have to stop! Because stopping means more directions and they don’t like to pee in gas stations, only nicer restaurants or stores. My husband later said that was very offensive to his relatives and him. I just gave up at that point. I stopped offering recommendations, stopped responding to uncle’s stream of consciousness, and stop trying to justify my google maps. Lol.

Wow, OP. I get where you are coming from for a lot of this, but sing-songing to a bunch of grown-ass adults that they should Try Potty is beyond. That was rude, and you need to take a step back.

Look, you're in it. You're doing this for a good cause--family togetherness before an international move. So just do it. Who cares if it takes 10 minutes for a pit stop. What, you need to get somewhere 10 minutes earlier so the talent scout will see you and cast you in a movie? You need to get somewhere 10 minutes sooner so that you'll win a door prize? What? What does it matter, in the grand scheme.

Finally, stop driving. Throw the keys to your husband and say you're done being the chauffer. I don't get why people keep doing the same thing over and over and then bitch about it. Say you're going to spend the day on the couch with some magazines, and they should go and enjoy their day. No one is making you do anything. Grow up, take ownership of your choices, and stop complaining about your own choices to be somewhere, go somewhere, or do something.

So maybe it was a little offensive to suggest they all go at the same time, but you’re being rude here suggesting she’s just annoyed that they have to make an extra 10 minute stop. They are nitpicking the shit out of every part of her driving, INCLUDING where they want to stop for these constant pee breaks AND how she’s getting to them. I’m amazed she hasn’t stopped driving already. If it was me, the moment my DH complained that I offended him and his other already offensive-behaving relatives, I would have handed him the keys and told him to find one of them to drive because my shift was over.

Exactly - it’s not about having to stop, it’s when the announcement is made - “can we pull over? I have to go.” Grocery store: no. Gas station: HELL no. Walmart: ehhh no. MIL: there’s an Olive Garden two exits up, 5 miles out. Let’s go there.” Ok great. Now I’m taking the wrong way to Olive Garden. “If you go left here it’s faster - we really have to go!” I oblige. It’s not the faster way but I give in. I try to take the actual more direct way back to the highway. Sighing. End scene.

We get it. You're not smart enough to hand the keys to FIL or another capable driver after the pit stop, with a smile: "You all know the best routes, and I'm tired of driving. Here you go!" WE GET IT.

[Anonymous]

That example was from day 1. Day 2 DH stood up for me. Today is day 3 and I’m not driving. I learned my lesson!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That example was from day 1. Day 2 DH stood up for me. Today is day 3 and I’m not driving. I learned my lesson!

Then why are you bitching?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That example was from day 1. Day 2 DH stood up for me. Today is day 3 and I’m not driving. I learned my lesson!

Then why are you bitching?

It was a total of almost 5 hours of driving over two days. I needed to vent lol. Thank you

[Anonymous]

OP! I'm on your side. I really hope you can find the humor in all of this...you are descriptive and funny!

This summer, I was driving my elderly mom back to her hometown, just the two of us...in a car for five hours, then in a connected hotel room for four days. I believe I posted about my travails here on dcum.

My mom does not believe in conversational lags, or silence or pauses. Thus, constant chatter. She considers the GPS voice a rude interruption (and why would I need this cue anyway, this is her hometown and SHE knows where she's going and turn that voice down) and the satellite radio is annoying because it interrupts our "conversation."

Looking forward to an update.

[Anonymous]

Lol. Well, they sound like working class Midwesterners- like both my family and ILs. All the way down to the “driving to nearby big city” scenario. This doesn’t sound too bad to me.

Make someone else drive for once- not DH, but one of the others.

Food wise- sure- you can eat out. Eat at places like Cracker Barrel, Perkins, diners, log-cabin-y looking places. Just look on Yelp. They will have something you can eat. Otherwise pick up something from the store- fried chicken and some sides etc. Everyone likes that.

It is interesting that you are stuck playing “leader” here in seemingly every way- that is weird to me. They must like you! I’d have a talk with DH- he needs to take a bit more control here. I know he can’t drive but he can manage ILs, find restaurants, steer people towards activities etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol. Well, they sound like working class Midwesterners- like both my family and ILs. All the way down to the “driving to nearby big city” scenario. This doesn’t sound too bad to me.

Make someone else drive for once- not DH, but one of the others.

Food wise- sure- you can eat out. Eat at places like Cracker Barrel, Perkins, diners, log-cabin-y looking places. Just look on Yelp. They will have something you can eat. Otherwise pick up something from the store- fried chicken and some sides etc. Everyone likes that.

It is interesting that you are stuck playing “leader” here in seemingly every way- that is weird to me. They must like you! I’d have a talk with DH- he needs to take a bit more control here. I know he can’t drive but he can manage ILs, find restaurants, steer people towards activities etc

ETA: FIL must have some sort of interests? My FIL would enjoy military or history museums. Also hunting, fishing, boating. Which is difficult in cold weather- but where they live a trip to Cabela’s is a fun afternoon (my small kids actually like it) and eat at a nearby chain restaurant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol. Well, they sound like working class Midwesterners- like both my family and ILs. All the way down to the “driving to nearby big city” scenario. This doesn’t sound too bad to me.

Make someone else drive for once- not DH, but one of the others.

Food wise- sure- you can eat out. Eat at places like Cracker Barrel, Perkins, diners, log-cabin-y looking places. Just look on Yelp. They will have something you can eat. Otherwise pick up something from the store- fried chicken and some sides etc. Everyone likes that.

It is interesting that you are stuck playing “leader” here in seemingly every way- that is weird to me. They must like you! I’d have a talk with DH- he needs to take a bit more control here. I know he can’t drive but he can manage ILs, find restaurants, steer people towards activities etc

Sounds like OP is the one who wanted control. I would never even turn on navigation if everyone in the car knew the area. I have no problem going the longer way to drive by old stomping grounds and points of interest, which is probably something they enjoy.

[Anonymous]

OP, you mentioned that the grandfather and uncle are soon to be moving overseas. Are there cultural differences at play here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You lost me at your disdain for Cracker Barrel. That tells me you don't have an open heart, an open mind, and good intentions. If you're not game for a trip to Cracker Barrel, you have a rattling marble where your brain should be, and a shriveled raisin where your heart should be.

I live in the Midwest. Cracker Barrel is shitty. It sells frozen food for entrees. It has ugly, kitschy decor. It has terrible policies for its employees. It discriminates against LGBT people. Any local diner is going to be interesting, and probably have better food than Cracker Barrel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You lost me at your disdain for Cracker Barrel. That tells me you don't have an open heart, an open mind, and good intentions. If you're not game for a trip to Cracker Barrel, you have a rattling marble where your brain should be, and a shriveled raisin where your heart should be.

I live in the Midwest. Cracker Barrel is shitty. It sells frozen food for entrees. It has ugly, kitschy decor. It has terrible policies for its employees. It discriminates against LGBT people. Any local diner is going to be interesting, and probably have better food than Cracker Barrel.

I Love me some Cracker Barrel! So delicious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m really laughing at clicking the tongue in time with the turn signal. Lol!

Me too! I'm picturing the carload of folks grumbling and sighing about your driving, and dear old Uncle is constantly just trying to change the subject to lighten the mood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the uncles or ILs not have cars? Why can't they drive and you stare out the window in the backseat?

They flew in from out of town and didn’t rent a car because ILs told them they rented one big car for all of us. I think ILs want to play tour guide rather than drive, or I offered to drive the first day and it set a precedent? Not sure. At the very least it means I’m not rude when I’m not responding to uncle ramblings. I have to pay attention to the road, after all

THROW THE KEYS TO YOUR HUSBAND, NITWIT.

You’re the nitwit who didn’t actually read or comprehend the OP. And stop yelling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You lost me at your disdain for Cracker Barrel. That tells me you don't have an open heart, an open mind, and good intentions. If you're not game for a trip to Cracker Barrel, you have a rattling marble where your brain should be, and a shriveled raisin where your heart should be.

I live in the Midwest. Cracker Barrel is shitty. It sells frozen food for entrees. It has ugly, kitschy decor. It has terrible policies for its employees. It discriminates against LGBT people. Any local diner is going to be interesting, and probably have better food than Cracker Barrel.

Yeah, Midwesterner here, and Cracker Barrel is shit food. If you like it, that tells me you have no tastebuds or discernment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That example was from day 1. Day 2 DH stood up for me. Today is day 3 and I’m not driving. I learned my lesson!

Then why are you bitching?

It was a total of almost 5 hours of driving over two days. I needed to vent lol. Thank you

OP, I enjoyed your vent and would like to take you out for a spa day. There are some Nordic ones that enforce a rule of silence: you just walk around in your swimsuit and robe, dip in waters of various temperatures, enjoy herbal teas and fruit waters, read on the heated chairs outdoors. and maybe have a glass of wine and light lunch. And blessedly, blessedly quiet.

(The only ones I know aren't local, though. Alas.)