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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My mom is a weirdo about having garbage in the garbage can. She will take things out of the garbage and take it to the garbage can outside. She goes to the outside garbage can no less than 5 times a day.

I'm the PP with the mom who doesn't allow anything that's not a Kleenex in trash outside the kitchen. Does she have an auxiliary trash bag hanging on a cabinet knob for trash in the kitchen that she deems urgent?

She puts a plastic grocery bag in the garbage can (and there's a regular garbage bag in the can too) and then when the grocery bag is "full", she takes it outside. She also gets mad if you put something in the garbage that takes up too much room. I crushed an empty cracker box and threw it away. She took it out of the garbage and took it outside. It's bizarre. I've never seen someone so obsessed with the garbage.

I have the cabinet knob mom and she would be really disappointed if she realized that she could just have a bag inside a bag. Very innovative, but would also ruin her system for when she uses the saved "nice" white Giant bags vs. "not nice" brown Kroger bags. How would she display her nice white bags?!

This is when I fear I am turning into an old woman... (I am 45). I do keep the "nice" white Target bags and use the "not nice" white or blue Food Lion ones for recycling of bags. I guess it's because sometimes I need a bag and the Target ones are sturdier so I tend to reuse those for actual bagging purposes, whereas the FL ones just store plastic bags until I drop them off at the store.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9 yo daughter goes with Dad to pick up some last minute groceries. she gets apple cider, her favorite and a treat.

FIL and MIL drink most of it and at dinner MIL pours two glasses and gives it to each of themselves, right in front of 9 yo.

9 yo looks around sad, as she realizes the whole gallon is empty somehow within one day, and she never got more than one glass and here were the last two.

MIL, the grandmother, says: “What’s wrong, are you jealous?”

All the children look at each other like they saw a witch.

My mom would do something like this. She will give her grandkids' belongings or beloved items away and when they are upset, spit "oh come, just be generous, you have enough things. "

I'm not even exaggerating, this is a running issue through the years.

Which begs the question, why do you subject your family and kids to this horrible person?

[Anonymous]

My SIL is very into composting so no matter how good of a job you think you did putting your food scraps in the compost bin she will go through your trash and then chide you about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My IL’s are weird about the trash stuff too. They won’t use real garbage bags even when people are coming over and thus creating more trash. Just paper grocery bags in a too-large trash can, so like a PP mentioned you have to be super careful about making sure the trash actually makes it into the trash can and doesn’t fall over the side or what have you. The trash then gets emptied into a very large outdoor style trash bag, which goes out for trash pickup, and the paper bag is reused until it basically gives up the ghost. This is because as seniors, the city gives them one free trash bag per pickup, so they use the biggest size possible and then drive all their recycling to the bins at the municipal building/police station. Yes they are very cheap. Aluminum foil and plastic ziploc bags also must be washed/rinsed and re-used as many times as possible. Apparently they’ve always been like that even when both of them were working and they had 3 school age kids with busy schedules and what not.

I have never, ever heard of this before. Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MIL will precook broccoli in the morning because it “takes too long to cook” at a mealtime. She will then reheat it when it’s time to eat. Also food safety means nothing. Meat left on the counter for hours is a common occurrence. I won’t eat what she makes. Luckily we are at our house this year so no issues.

One of my favorite things here is the never ending bottle of salad dressing. Some years ago they bought a bottle of strawberry vinaigrette. They just keep adding vinegar, oil, whatever to the bottle and shaking it. That bottle is at least three years old and to my knowledge it has never been washed. Pretty much if it was cooked in or sourced from this house, and you didn’t witness it being opened in a reasonable timeframe you are taking your life into your hands if you eat it.

Living at the intersection of this and the oldest spices in the world, my mom has had the same bottle of Vanilla Extract since I was a child. She just keeps adding alcohol to it, so now it's just a bottle of vodka.

This was absolutely the funniest thing on here so far

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My MIL is paranoid about her dining table. She first covers it in blankets. (DH’s teenaged mutant ninja turtles one from his childhood) then she adds a layer of cardboard cut to shape. Then, three different table cloths, then a lace table cloth, with a final layer of plastic. It’s not an antique table either, it’s a cherry colored table she bought in the 90s from value city furniture. It’s such a joy to eat off of a thickly padded table!

I'm picturing you all trying to get your glasses to balance on this thing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are only allowed to eat in the kitchen. No snacks in the living room (which is where we all hang out, next to kitchen.) Once they found a bag of chips that were in the upstairs bathroom garbage and they lost their minds. One of the kids had it in their bags from a rest stop before we got there and threw it away. We heard about it for weeks after we left.

My mom still talks about my brother’s ex-girlfriend who left a snack wrapper in the upstairs trash can. Not only is eating only allowed during meals, but “everyone knows that trash cans outside the kitchen are only for tissues.”

You can’t even take a tag off new clothing and leave it in the bathroom trash without a comment. It was really fun going through puberty as a girl under those conditions.

Come on you know you have to pack in and pack out the snack wrappers! lol

My aunt is a vegan for ethical reasons and is very strict that everyone in her house must eat by her rules. So yes, we pack in and pack out food, and also eat while out during the day.

I’d stop visiting. No thanks.

[Anonymous]

The dishwasher is on its last legs but they won't admit it or replace it. I've been using my water bottle and hoarding disposable utensils when I can. And re washing things by hand if they don't notice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My IL’s are weird about the trash stuff too. They won’t use real garbage bags even when people are coming over and thus creating more trash. Just paper grocery bags in a too-large trash can, so like a PP mentioned you have to be super careful about making sure the trash actually makes it into the trash can and doesn’t fall over the side or what have you. The trash then gets emptied into a very large outdoor style trash bag, which goes out for trash pickup, and the paper bag is reused until it basically gives up the ghost. This is because as seniors, the city gives them one free trash bag per pickup, so they use the biggest size possible and then drive all their recycling to the bins at the municipal building/police station. Yes they are very cheap. Aluminum foil and plastic ziploc bags also must be washed/rinsed and re-used as many times as possible. Apparently they’ve always been like that even when both of them were working and they had 3 school age kids with busy schedules and what not.

I have never, ever heard of this before. Wow.

No Yankees in your family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MIL will precook broccoli in the morning because it “takes too long to cook” at a mealtime. She will then reheat it when it’s time to eat. Also food safety means nothing. Meat left on the counter for hours is a common occurrence. I won’t eat what she makes. Luckily we are at our house this year so no issues.

One of my favorite things here is the never ending bottle of salad dressing. Some years ago they bought a bottle of strawberry vinaigrette. They just keep adding vinegar, oil, whatever to the bottle and shaking it. That bottle is at least three years old and to my knowledge it has never been washed. Pretty much if it was cooked in or sourced from this house, and you didn’t witness it being opened in a reasonable timeframe you are taking your life into your hands if you eat it.

Living at the intersection of this and the oldest spices in the world, my mom has had the same bottle of Vanilla Extract since I was a child. She just keeps adding alcohol to it, so now it's just a bottle of vodka.

This was absolutely the funniest thing on here so far

I'm the PP and what's even funnier is that when I was a teen I used to sometimes pour a little of the Vanilla extract vodka into my coke. At that time, it was like Absolut Vanilla. By now, it has no hint of Vanilla, it's just vodka.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My IL’s are weird about the trash stuff too. They won’t use real garbage bags even when people are coming over and thus creating more trash. Just paper grocery bags in a too-large trash can, so like a PP mentioned you have to be super careful about making sure the trash actually makes it into the trash can and doesn’t fall over the side or what have you. The trash then gets emptied into a very large outdoor style trash bag, which goes out for trash pickup, and the paper bag is reused until it basically gives up the ghost. This is because as seniors, the city gives them one free trash bag per pickup, so they use the biggest size possible and then drive all their recycling to the bins at the municipal building/police station. Yes they are very cheap. Aluminum foil and plastic ziploc bags also must be washed/rinsed and re-used as many times as possible. Apparently they’ve always been like that even when both of them were working and they had 3 school age kids with busy schedules and what not.

I have never, ever heard of this before. Wow.

My friend's dad is a partner at a top biglaw firm and is obsessive about re-using aluminum foil. One time I was over there after the holidays and he was telling me which pieces of foil from the leftovers would be good for wrapping his sandwiches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My IL’s are weird about the trash stuff too. They won’t use real garbage bags even when people are coming over and thus creating more trash. Just paper grocery bags in a too-large trash can, so like a PP mentioned you have to be super careful about making sure the trash actually makes it into the trash can and doesn’t fall over the side or what have you. The trash then gets emptied into a very large outdoor style trash bag, which goes out for trash pickup, and the paper bag is reused until it basically gives up the ghost. This is because as seniors, the city gives them one free trash bag per pickup, so they use the biggest size possible and then drive all their recycling to the bins at the municipal building/police station. Yes they are very cheap. Aluminum foil and plastic ziploc bags also must be washed/rinsed and re-used as many times as possible. Apparently they’ve always been like that even when both of them were working and they had 3 school age kids with busy schedules and what not.

I have never, ever heard of this before. Wow.

No Yankees in your family?

Nope, I'm from Southern California and my dad's family is also from CA and so is my mom's. Beyond that they're from Nebraska and Minnesota, but no Yankees in there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MIL will precook broccoli in the morning because it “takes too long to cook” at a mealtime. She will then reheat it when it’s time to eat. Also food safety means nothing. Meat left on the counter for hours is a common occurrence. I won’t eat what she makes. Luckily we are at our house this year so no issues.

One of my favorite things here is the never ending bottle of salad dressing. Some years ago they bought a bottle of strawberry vinaigrette. They just keep adding vinegar, oil, whatever to the bottle and shaking it. That bottle is at least three years old and to my knowledge it has never been washed. Pretty much if it was cooked in or sourced from this house, and you didn’t witness it being opened in a reasonable timeframe you are taking your life into your hands if you eat it.

Living at the intersection of this and the oldest spices in the world, my mom has had the same bottle of Vanilla Extract since I was a child. She just keeps adding alcohol to it, so now it's just a bottle of vodka.

This was absolutely the funniest thing on here so far

I'm the PP and what's even funnier is that when I was a teen I used to sometimes pour a little of the Vanilla extract vodka into my coke. At that time, it was like Absolut Vanilla. By now, it has no hint of Vanilla, it's just vodka.

Amazing.

[Anonymous]

My late father used to stand over the kitchen sink and fuss/scream/yell at anyone who’d dare put anything down the garbage disposal, but didn’t want any actual food tossed in the kitchen trash (a paper grocery bag in an open plastic bin). He’d rinse the dishes, pluck off anything of concern (bones, leftover meat) and sort and rinse. Never did load the dishwasher or nor would he let anyone get close enough to help.

As our family grew, we stopped having dinner at our parents’ house and would instead invite them to ours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arrived at MIL's yesterday, and am here for the whole week. Need a distraction from her fretting over cooking (which I am doing all of) and financial planning (which she only trusts DH around).

I'll start:

- House is freezing. MIL considers setting temp to 65 high, and says it's because kids are from south (California). I grew up in Midwest, BTW. I've been wrapped up in blanket since getting here...MIL nearly fainted when I suggested setting temp to 67.
- MIL insists on hosting dinner. Will no longer let me host, which involves travel, nor SIL who is 15 minutes away. But MIL hates cooking and does not have a full size oven...so getting meal together is lots of coordination and drama.

Where does MIL live? Is it cold outside and she can’t afford to heat her house higher than 65? I can’t quite follow. Most older people have real circulation issues and insist on the house being in the 80s, so you may be a lucky one there. You can always put more layers on.

PNW. MIL is actually very wealthy, hence financial planning stress. It's a weird thing about DH's family. They keep house at 60 and wear jackets inside. It's a favor that house is set at 65, but I'm still freezing. DD is wearing gloves!

Now you know why they're weathly. Go buy a sweater