What's weird about where you are staying - Thanksgiving 2024 edition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread has been a little disappointing i was hoping for some real gossip from someone hiding in the guest bathroom posting crazy crap on here.

But there have been some fantastic gems so far - Squirrel shop-vac poster! Mystery red container poster! Keep 'em coming, and happy Thanksgiving, DCUM friends.

[Anonymous]

In Michigan at husband’s grandma’s house. Upon arrival dumped two half gallons and one full gallon of milk with chunks (expired 2-4 weeks ago). Squash and apple pie cooked yesterday were left on the counter overnight because “it’s just squash and pie”. Stomach was a bit off after dinner, hard to pinpoint what food could be the culprit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In-laws eat at restaurant and get to-go boxes of their half eaten meals and then put them all on one plate like a big germ buffet. This is not the other half of a burger that didn’t touch or baked potatoe that didn’t touch when first ordered. This is the burger that has bites out of it on multiple edges but middle wasn’t eaten and baked potatoe almost fully scooped out but some of skin left and the like - all put on one plate to be picked through by whole family as if a new meal. So this not eating your own leftovers. They think it’s so funny they I love cereal so much that I eat it for dinner and don’t eat their leftovers, but have done this for so many years that now they don’t really say anything and others marrying in to family have started to join me in my cereal eating.

Dear god.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In Michigan at husband’s grandma’s house. Upon arrival dumped two half gallons and one full gallon of milk with chunks (expired 2-4 weeks ago). Squash and apple pie cooked yesterday were left on the counter overnight because “it’s just squash and pie”. Stomach was a bit off after dinner, hard to pinpoint what food could be the culprit.

Adding that the fridge/pantry check upon arrival is a regular occurrence. I throw out the things that are moldy, rancid or well-past expiration date. Sometimes there are unidentifiable items in the fridge. In recent past I missed Easter service because I was food poisoned and vomiting up pork chops.

On a more comical note, today tradition was broken because there was no orange “salad”, made with cool whip, jello mix, mandarins etc. When I married into the family I was thankfully able to introduce Brussel sprouts as the only veggie at thanksgiving (unless baked beans count?). I don't worry about the menu but the food safety becomes more concerning as grandma ages.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I tried to clean out the fridge and was told sternly “check with me first before you throw anything out”. Cheese, lunchmeat from 2022 is apparently “still good” bc never opened.
Help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In-laws eat at restaurant and get to-go boxes of their half eaten meals and then put them all on one plate like a big germ buffet. This is not the other half of a burger that didn’t touch or baked potatoe that didn’t touch when first ordered. This is the burger that has bites out of it on multiple edges but middle wasn’t eaten and baked potatoe almost fully scooped out but some of skin left and the like - all put on one plate to be picked through by whole family as if a new meal. So this not eating your own leftovers. They think it’s so funny they I love cereal so much that I eat it for dinner and don’t eat their leftovers, but have done this for so many years that now they don’t really say anything and others marrying in to family have started to join me in my cereal eating.

I can sort of understand this if you’re saying “in laws” like your spouse’s mom and dad do this with one another’s food. Some married couples sort of share food. But yeah the whole “everybody else eat this too” is not good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MIL’s house has the fewest outlets, the dullest knives, and the oldest spices ever.

Me again her paprika is literally in this tin.

OMG. That is carbon dateable. Cut it open and count the rings!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My whole family celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday with my ILs in suburban MD. Their house was 74 and I was sweltering - kept going outside to cool off and put a cold can up to my head. I am menopausal, BTW.

Yeah, I kinda feel like the 65 degree lady upthread should count her blessings.

[Anonymous]

Still no answer on the red container I see…

Happy Thanksgiving all!

We enjoyed our annual “dinner at a really nice steakhouse” - it was lovely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We left my MIL alone in our house for a few hours yesterday while we were running errands. Later that evening, in front of the whole family, she asked what was "in the red container in the basement freezer."

The lady obviously snooped the whole house while we were gone AND THEN told on herself. (The basement is creepy and down a steep flight of stairs and she had absolutely no reason to go down there.) Lesson learned about who to leave alone, I guess.

Well, what's in it?

PAGE 20 AND WE STILL DON'T KNOW.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I have a twist on this thread. How about clueless house guests? I’m hosting SIL and she arrived over the weekend for an 8 day stay. We have had numerous discussions and conflicts in the past about how disruptive her visits are to the kids sleep. Both kids have sleep disorders and my biggest stressor in life is getting my youngest to sleep and ensuring she gets the maximum sleep possible. My husband and I were looking forward to sleeping in Saturday morning (only day for the next week) and was woken up at 6:40am to giggling and screaming laughter from SIL and daughter together in the next room. SIL seemed confused when husband went in and asked them to be quiet and asking why daughter was awake. My son woke up moments later. I couldn’t fall asleep after that. Daughter was up almost 2 hours earlier than a normal Saturday. And his family wonders why visits are so exhausting!

If your kids have sleep disorders you should offer to pay for a hotel for your visitors, you really just should not have overnight guests.

Not PP you were talking to, but my son has a sleep disorder, untreatable sleep apnea. It's NOT a joke. It will shorten his life, make him more liable to develop dementia, and worsens his existing ADHD and daily capabilities. No one should scoff at such medical troubles.

Why would I pay for hotels for guests? Our house is too small for guests. We see each other at non-Holiday times, that's all.

I’m not “scoffing,” I’m saying that if there’s a problem with guests, you should prioritize the health of the people who live in the house, and not have guests!

Sounds like you live close to your family; how nice. Some of us don’t and don’t get the chance to see each other very often. So yes, if they buy plane tickets and rent a car the least I can do is entertain them and pay for a few nights in a hotel to protect my kids’ health.

Again, no one is “scoffing,” so consider stop being so knee-jerk defensive.

DP, a m not paying for guests’ hotel rooms.
Pay for your own hotel.
You can either stay at my house or you can’t.
I don’t expect people to pay for my hotel. Are you nuts?

Generally I would not pay for a hotel for my guests....BUT, if I am so neurotic that my daughter giggling with her aunt early in the morning is going to send me into a tailspin, such that I don't want my SIL in my home, I'd pony up for the hotel. (But what I should really do is get a therapist to deal with my serious anxiety).

To that PP, I understand the stress of managing a child with a health condition, but if you truly cannot handle your daughter infrequently getting less than ten hours of sleep, get some help on this. Life happens.

Let me clarify a few things. I live in a 7000 square foot home. There are plenty of places for guests to go in my home to talk and do whatever they please. I was not upset about giggling. I was upset about ridiculously loud laughter from my SIL that woke me up out of a dead sleep while it was still dark outside. It was so loud, it woke everyone up, including my husband and son. My husband was equally as pissed. We have guests probably every month and no other guest has ever done this. They quietly go downstairs if they are up early and can talk on the main floor. It’s called manners.

She visits 3-4 times a year and it happens every time she is here. 8 day visits are a compromise because had I not set that boundary, she would come for 2-3 weeks. Believe me, 8 days of a sleep exhausted kid is not fun. We want to see my SIL and host her but just wish we could minimize sleep disruptions to the kids. I’m already letting the kids go to bed later so they have more time together in the evenings. I’m not trying to crush their fun. Just trying to ensure my kid can function at school. Her tiredness at school is so bad we are considering a low dose stimulant to help her stay awake. Sorry you think I’m so nuts. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that guests are mindful of the kids sleep schedule when you are hosting them for over a week.

SIL is a rude guest. Period. End of this boring side thread.

SIL is a good, fun aunt. This host is insufferable.

You're insufferable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I tried to clean out the fridge and was told sternly “check with me first before you throw anything out”. Cheese, lunchmeat from 2022 is apparently “still good” bc never opened.
Help.

I don't know which of these crimes against food safety is worst but this is up there!

[Anonymous]

So I can maybe explain the garbage only in the kitchen trash. Not excuse it mind you, just kinda explain it. That's bc my retired DH decided we needed to cut expenses (we are more than fine, it's just he retired with nothing to do, and why I'm still working.) Anyhow, he decided to cut our suburban trash pick up bc "it's just the two of us." And yeah about 2/3's of the time it is, however I like to cook and we host family events and have adult kids that come visit.

So back to the trash, this means he cut some sort of deal with a neighbor that we could use their recycling pick up, and DH also thinks that entitles us to one "free" bag of trash per week. What exactly the deal was I haven't bothered to question. Anyhow, there is exactly one kitchen trash can and DH monitors the trash going into it. This includes the two other bathroom trash cans (we have 4 bathrooms in the house but only 2 have cans.) When it's just us I kinda roll my eyes and let him do his thing. Trash night is always entertaining as he starts sorting and consolidating trash and fretting over whether it's all going to fit. I just let it go bc when he first told me he was doing this I warned him I wanted no parts and if he started involving me in any of this I'd restart trash service. Fast forward to TDay and guests - and he is out and about monitoring their trash. I've had to pull folks aside and explain what was going on, and I actually expected it to become a thing at dinner yesterday but luckily it didn't. Until after dinner at the turkey carcass is sitting out. I ask DH how he wants to dispose of it. And he proceeds to take the disposable pan out on the deck and chuck the contents into the woods. Then wash the disposable pan and ask me where to store it for next year.

So here's one possible explanation for the crazy trash stories.

[Anonymous]

Your DH is mentally ill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your DH is mentally ill

Yeah that is not okay. If he thinks he can’t afford trash service, dude needs a PT job. And I have a frugal husband! But nothing like that.