Petty Holiday Vent thread 2022

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My in-laws keep parking in my driveway. We have absolutely no parking issues on our street. Plenty of spots yet they choose the driveway. Directly under my son’s basketball hoop.

Do not invite them next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH communicates with his parents about exactly what we are making/providing and what we’d like them to bring (they offer), and he also reminds them that fridge and counter space are very limited.

Here they come again with their full-ass cooler of random, half-expired crap. They got pissy when DH told them flat out no, you can’t store an open can of Snapple in our overstuffed fridge; all this half-eaten stuff can stay in the cooler in the garage. Why they always feel the need to bring a small container of expired sour cream with one tablespoon remaining is beyond me. But at least he puts his foot down.

Tell them all is planned and tell them not to bring anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High maintenance sibling is coming for Christmas for 2 days. Super appreciate the purchase of the flight ticket, not super loving the long list of things I am required to have to host this person. I had to go to three different stores to find the specific liquid, no-sugar, no calorie sweetener drops that are needed for coffee, plus coconut water but not the kind that’s only the shelf, only the kind that’s in the fridge? Plus specific type of soap for showering and about 12 different organic fruit and veggie requests. I have 4 kids and am planning meals for 12 people, is regular sugar or Splenda really not sufficient for two mornings worth of coffee??

FU, either eat what I have or stay home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are headed back to my hometown to visit family. They don't live in an area where there is a hotel nearby and my mom's downsized house is too small to accommodate us.

That leaves my useless brother, whose entire existence is managed by SIL. They have never visited us in 20 years, or hosted overnight house guests. Not even their kid's friends.

They don't have an extra bedroom, which is fine. They do have a finished basement with a tv, ping pong table, and gym, which is where we will be staying. I asked about sleeping arrangements and he said DH and I and our teenage son could share the sectional sofa. They don't have any plans to set up a mattress or inflatable bed (money is not an issue).

So on top of loading up the car with our luggage, food, and gifts, we will also need to cram in an inflatable bed.

Stay home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are headed back to my hometown to visit family. They don't live in an area where there is a hotel nearby and my mom's downsized house is too small to accommodate us.

That leaves my useless brother, whose entire existence is managed by SIL. They have never visited us in 20 years, or hosted overnight house guests. Not even their kid's friends.

They don't have an extra bedroom, which is fine. They do have a finished basement with a tv, ping pong table, and gym, which is where we will be staying. I asked about sleeping arrangements and he said DH and I and our teenage son could share the sectional sofa. They don't have any plans to set up a mattress or inflatable bed (money is not an issue).

So on top of loading up the car with our luggage, food, and gifts, we will also need to cram in an inflatable bed.

Beggars can’t be choosers. You’re the one who needs free lodging. And I find it hard to believe there’s not a hotel. It might be a 20-minute drive, but still. I regularly drive from DC to rural Indiana, and there’s not a 20-minute stretch in MD, PA, WV, OH, or Indiana that doesn’t have signs for a hotel.

Clearly you’ve never been out west before.

Tell me the name of the town and I bet between searching for a hotel or an AirBnB/VRBO we can find you a place to stay. -np

(Cue the goalposts move about how now you can’t afford that, or his family will be insulted.)

+1 A 20 minute drive for a Hoosier is the equivalent of a 45 minute drive for someone out west.

[Anonymous]

Elbowing my way in here to please ask that the scolds/old fashioned school marms leave! This is a petty vent thread; we do not need advice or practical solutions. I do enjoy reading petty vents and this thread has the potential to be hilarious and therapeutic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My petty grievances.

My sister exclusively shops at TJ Maxx and buys me the same crap from there every year. I will never wear what she buys me and she refuses to shop at any other store. I wish she would just ask me for ideas.

My BIL gifts my spouse and I a joint giftcard every single year. I hate giftcards unless I ask for them and it's always to a restaurant that we dont go to.

My spouse insists on getting his parents expensive gifts every year fully knowing they will never get taken out of the box, worn or used in any capacity. Doesn't matter if they could really use/need the item, never ever gets used. Can't we just buy them cheaper gifts for them not to use?

Come to an agreement to quit exchanging gifts.

I've tried to have that discussion and been voted down many times.
I have talked to spouse and he doesn't care. It has to be a certain price point "out of respect for all they have done for him" but there is no problem with them being rude and never using said gift.

[Anonymous]

I’m bracing myself for all of the interesting gifts my MIL will bring. I’m still laughing at the head massager with copper metal prongs (looked like spikes) she gave to my husband a few years ago. I thought it was a gag gift but she was dead serious.

[Anonymous]

Petty vent: our Christmas gathering this afternoon has been canceled due to weather and illness. All local relatives we see often but we special ordered two smoked turkeys and I’ve been cooking and baking for the last two days.

One grandparent has Covid, another family member staying with grandparent is asymptomatic but isolating and my parents live in a semi rural area that never sees a snowplow. Had thought DH might drive out to shuttle them both here, but they understandably sent their regrets.

[Anonymous]

I’m praying for a blizzard to swoop in so I don’t have to drive tonight to see my MIL (husband and kids are already there) who has not reached out to me since I was diagnosed with cancer in May. NOT ONCE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High maintenance sibling is coming for Christmas for 2 days. Super appreciate the purchase of the flight ticket, not super loving the long list of things I am required to have to host this person. I had to go to three different stores to find the specific liquid, no-sugar, no calorie sweetener drops that are needed for coffee, plus coconut water but not the kind that’s only the shelf, only the kind that’s in the fridge? Plus specific type of soap for showering and about 12 different organic fruit and veggie requests. I have 4 kids and am planning meals for 12 people, is regular sugar or Splenda really not sufficient for two mornings worth of coffee??

FU, either eat what I have or stay home.

My suggestion would be to let her shop for her items when she arrives. That seems like an over the top request from a guest to accommodate reasonably. If you have those high of needs, you should arrive with your items.

[Anonymous]

All the kids to chipped in to surprise MIL with new washer dryer. Yet nobody wanted to pay for installation, asserting that it is super easy to DIY, a waste to put someone to plug in a machine etc.

DH paid for installation anyway (29 dollars), but MIL refused delivery man’s offer to install because “he is just a delivery man, what does he know about installing appliances?”

Welp. None of us knows how to install a washer dryer so it sits in the middle of the garage in the packaging waiting for someone to watch a YouTube and try to get it to work.

Happy Christmas everyone! We’ll be celebrating at the laundromat this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Elbowing my way in here to please ask that the scolds/old fashioned school marms leave! This is a petty vent thread; we do not need advice or practical solutions. I do enjoy reading petty vents and this thread has the potential to be hilarious and therapeutic.

Seriously! Commenters are ruining my experience of petty vents!

Mine: my performative 30 something progressive neighbor who has to text me to make a plan to support our elderly neighbor. Dude, if you care so much go visit him or take him some food. You don't get points for texting me about him and actually doing jack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re at my SIL’s. I’m a coffee addict and usually power up with several shots of espresso during the first couple hours of the morning. SIL has two options for coffee: (1) single-cup pour over, which takes 7 minutes start to finish for one measly cup at a time, or (2) a $900 espresso machine you need an engineering degree to operate. I feel like the Goldilocks of coffee.

I am hard pressed to understand your complaint, unless it is, "I am too dumb to operate a coffee machine."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We received our annual terrible gift from MIL in the mail today. We got a ceramic candy dish with a lid on it, with decorated in birds, with fake gold plating. It looks like it's circa 1982, and purchased from a thrift store or swap meet. Plus a ziplock bag of tootsie rolls. I'm LOLing as I write this. It's just so bad.

Husband has told her that we don't like knick knacks - what does she send every year for his birthday and Christmas? Knick knacks. Terrible, ugly, knick knacks.

Return them with a note "We don't want your sh*t."

I know you think you are super clever and edgy. but stop. no one wants your advice.