What's weird about where you are staying - Thanksgiving 2025 Edition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone staying at a place where the tv is on at all times and at full volume? I feel I am being absolutely inundated with fake-nice daytime talk show banter and commercials for personal injury lawyers.

My parents and my IL’s do this and honestly I do it too at my house LOL. I find it comforting. As long as it’s not on anything controversial I think it’s fine. My go to is old game shows. Game show network if you’re at a place that has cable, otherwise there always seems to be some old rerun of Supermarket Sweep on one of the free streamers. Nature or travel shows are good too. It makes people calm. Good for when old great uncle Bob can’t stop grousing about politics.

[Anonymous]

I’d rather have a TV on than having my MIL and FIL sitting on the couch, staring at us, wondering “where Sam disappeared to” when he went to the bathroom, or “Why Larla is hiding from us” when she’s been doing a puzzle with them for an hour, ate breakfast with them for 30 minutes, chatted for 30 minutes and now needs a break in her room to read or text with friends for a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's mine.

We are going to MIL's.

Every time we visit her, I marvel that she still has the foot care product basket we gave her for Christmas in the mid-1990s sitting in the bathroom. It's a mix of squeeze bottle products (a foot scrub, etc.) and a wooden foot roller massager. I wonder if it is being used but I do not ask.

This is really funny!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's mine.

We are going to MIL's.

Every time we visit her, I marvel that she still has the foot care product basket we gave her for Christmas in the mid-1990s sitting in the bathroom. It's a mix of squeeze bottle products (a foot scrub, etc.) and a wooden foot roller massager. I wonder if it is being used but I do not ask.

This is really funny!

It's better than crocheted spare toilet roll covers.

As for thermostats, they turn heat on when it's below the setting. So if the house if hot from cooking it's likely not turning the heat on.

That said, we keep house heat on at 71 or 72, cool on at 73 or 74 and have since we bought it. 40 years ago. Money can make us happy lol.

[Anonymous]

We're hosting, we typically do. Only our kids and their spouses, we live far from extended family. They talk between themselves about the usual things about us - old condiments, up at dawn, etc. but we all get along well and it's such a fun time. They can't wait to get here.

[Anonymous]

Once we had our heat set to 72, and my MIL complained of being cold. I told her it was set to 72 and I offered her a sweater or an electric blanket and she scoffed and said “never mind”. I was running around so I was running really hot. In retrospect, I wish I had just been a better host and raised the thermostat for her, it would have been a small gesture that would have made a big difference to her.

[Anonymous]

My MIL keeps her house at 78 or 79 but also has a space heater in the dining room.

[Anonymous]

DH and I are in a bedroom at my mother's where the full sized bed can only fit up against a wall. One of us will have our nose to said wall all night, or will take up most of the bed. He's 6'4" and heavy. I'm in my 50s and get up through the night to pee. This oughtta be a blast!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Asked my dad if he needed something from the store, he didn’t. One day later he is saying he actually does and will go and get it himself. From the most expensive store, using my money, but feeling extremely self sufficient and even helpful.

?????
What was it?

[Anonymous]

MIL just rolled up and put the world’s most hideous centerpiece on our table. It’s orange, stinky lilies and other orange and brown mums, with two bigassh orange candles stuck in the middle.

It doesn’t fit—it’s spilling over onto plates. Oh well, I’ll put MIL and FIL in the center at the most-affected seats, and I’ll be happy at the end, floral-free.

I usually head her off at the pass by having my own centerpiece and relegating hers to the mantle. I’ll have to remember to do that next time because she has horrible taste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're hosting, we typically do. Only our kids and their spouses, we live far from extended family. They talk between themselves about the usual things about us - old condiments, up at dawn, etc. but we all get along well and it's such a fun time. They can't wait to get here.

But *why* the old condiments?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're hosting, we typically do. Only our kids and their spouses, we live far from extended family. They talk between themselves about the usual things about us - old condiments, up at dawn, etc. but we all get along well and it's such a fun time. They can't wait to get here.

But *why* the old condiments?

Husband: they’re good enough

I don’t use them myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MIL just rolled up and put the world’s most hideous centerpiece on our table. It’s orange, stinky lilies and other orange and brown mums, with two bigassh orange candles stuck in the middle.

It doesn’t fit—it’s spilling over onto plates. Oh well, I’ll put MIL and FIL in the center at the most-affected seats, and I’ll be happy at the end, floral-free.

I usually head her off at the pass by having my own centerpiece and relegating hers to the mantle. I’ll have to remember to do that next time because she has horrible taste.

Mums and lilies and orange candles blegh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The above-stove microwave has been broken for at least a year. The handle has been glued with Krazy Glue and Gorilla Glue, and taped heavily with clear packing tape. The man of the house refuses to believe that yes, it could be replaced, somehow and some way, even though it is an above-stove model, so they aren’t replacing it, just dealing with a broken microwave that you have to handle “just so.”

Yes, we’re staying home this year and hosting. This is my house and my life, and there’s no escape.

My above-stove microwave fizzled out a few years ago and I store bread in it now. Saves counter space. I’m also short and it was always dicey getting hot things out of there anyway, so it’s a win-win.

[Anonymous]

Y’all. My MIL has announced she’s divorcing my FIL. Which, he is a terrible person, but he’s always been terrible. Why now? Why at Thanksgiving? He’s spent the day in the garage with his hunting buddies. My DH and his siblings are having a frantic convening in the kitchen. Awkward! I’m staying out of the way with our 18 month old and very glad I put my foot down about staying in a hotel this year. Will update on the craziness.