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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Similar--BIL stopped trash service in a mid-sized city in the South. Loads all trash into his pickup truck and drives 2 hours away to family property to burn it. He has a job, no idea why he thinks this is a good use of his time. Let alone the smoke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MIL puts cooked meat back on raw meat plate.

+1, when we complain she explains that she has been doing it all her life and has survived well. She's 90.

[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.

I would leave an apple pie on the counter-- what's the concern here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My little nephew is “helping” with the pies… interspersed with throwing a slobbery tennis ball for their puppy.

DH won't go near any food that kids have "helped" prepare. Not in people's homes, not at school bake sales, nada. He's completely grossed out by it. I'm less so, but even I don't eat from younger helpers (8 and younger)

You and your husband are way too dainty. We cook food, and shockingly, it kills pathogens. And I wish you understood the cleanliness of restaurants and commercial kitchens, and the hands of many food service workers.

[Anonymous]

Pp here whose FIL was eating olives with the serving spoon and putting it back. MIL showed up while he had the olive spoon in his mouth so she just used her fingers to eat the olives and licked them between olives.

[Anonymous]

I’m fine with apple pie on the counter.

I can’t complain about my parents or their house. It’s way bigger and fancier than where I grew up and we are very comfortable.

We did get in a WASP argument yesterday about whether or not it was ok to leave the cooked turkey sitting out for 2.5 hours, sliced. This means we whispered politely and brought it up again a few times later in the evening.

As an entertaining bonus, every time my parents mention someone in conversation we get to learn where they went to school and how much their house is valued at. Sometimes we are treated to a brief history of their or their parents’ or siblings’ drug problems or sexual identity preferences. Very chill. Very non-judgmental. Totally laid back normal things that matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It sounds more like the kids have an “anxious and uptight Mom” disorder.

[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.

Those were more than likely absolutely fine. Most pies can be left sitting out. I doubt there is anything in the squash that would go bad. You really don’t know much about food safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I would leave an apple pie on the counter-- what's the concern here?

The Washington Post says it is fine! https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/11/22/how-to-store-pie-refrigerate/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzMyNzcwMDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzM0MTUyMzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MzI3NzAwMDAsImp0aSI6IjE5NzEzZDU5LWEzYjUtNDM5ZS05NjZjLTg2MGM2NTFiYmNiMiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9mb29kLzIwMjQvMTEvMjIvaG93LXRvLXN0b3JlLXBpZS1yZWZyaWdlcmF0ZS8ifQ.OXChFzs5lMgcwL5_5WYICF10dB_xBnVb427KtTMdX-8

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My little nephew is “helping” with the pies… interspersed with throwing a slobbery tennis ball for their puppy.

DH won't go near any food that kids have "helped" prepare. Not in people's homes, not at school bake sales, nada. He's completely grossed out by it. I'm less so, but even I don't eat from younger helpers (8 and younger)

You and your husband are way too dainty. We cook food, and shockingly, it kills pathogens. And I wish you understood the cleanliness of restaurants and commercial kitchens, and the hands of many food service workers.

You need to educate yourself. Cooking does not kill all food borne pathogens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your DH is mentally ill

You're not wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to my husband's family. First time staying at the in-laws. The main bathroom in the hallway does not have a doorknob. This is where I'm to shower and get ready with two other families.

I asked my husband if we could check into a hotel but he said it would hurt his moms feelings.

Girl, rubber door stopper. Fits in your purse. Amazon.com or hardware store or Target/Walmart.

I'm confused. This person thinks the PP should carry a rubber door stopper around with her? To somehow stop up the hole in the spot missing the doorknob? What?

To stop the door from being opened. It's a door stopper.

The hole was already addressed. Learn to read.

[Anonymous]

FIL buried the lede - long elaborate story about how a neighbor ran over to help elderly (recently diagnosed with dementia) MIL when she literally fell face first into a leaf pile.

That MIL fell and required assistance from two men wasn’t important - no- FIL’s story focused upon neighbor’s sudden gaunt appearance and subsequent retelling of how this neighbor lost weight from Ozempic.

FIL was impatient with my follow up questions about MIL - he wanted to gossip about the newly skinny neighbor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last thing, I had never seen anyone store food in a cold garage until I got married. When MIL walked out with a pan of leftover turkey and put it on a cloth that was on the car hood, it blew my mind. And I don't care how cold it was, it bothered me that our food was sitting out in the garage with the cars and the lawn chemicals and boxes of books and broken garden tools.

And spiders. Don't forget the spiders. That is who lives in the garage.

If the food is in a sealed container, I don't really see what the issue is. Some of you are absurdly squeamish.

Boxes of books? WTH.

Some people revel in disgust. It's a competition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just made the relish tray and FIL is using the serving spoon to shovel olives in his mouth.

Can someone explain where the relish tray fits into the overall culinary experience, other than as a visually appealing dish to add richness to the visual presentation? I’ve seen them for years but nobody ever seems to consume anything, except perhaps as a “sneak-snack” like poster’s FIL while waiting to officially be called to the table.