Anonymous wrote:We invited our niece, because her family is a trainwreck and she had no place to go, knowing that her 2 dogs are part of the package (we also have 2 dogs).

Although we asked her to keep her dogs downstairs where she is staying in our walkout basement, they are underfoot in the kitchen, 2 90lb beasts, who counter surf. When one dog manages to access some food, all the others revert to pack animal behavior.

I am envisioning a Christmas Story type fiasco later today when the turkey is sitting on the counter and the pack of wild dogs descend. Yes, we must live with our bad decisions. More wine, please.

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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.

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 probably rodents.

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.

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Anonymous wrote:I would not put up with that. If I’m not comfortable. I’m staying in a hotel.

Of course MIL also lives relatively far from nearest hotel etc. DS is now wearing a hat and puffer jacket...

This is why I have no shame about day drinking here

Since it’s not a money issue, just go turn the thermostat up to 70. Have one of your kids distract everyone if necessary.

Not all at once. You have to do it a degree or two at time.

I am that person -- I grew up with the house at 60 and have it set to 63-64 pretty much all the time. (We also have bad circulation, so even when it is higher there are rooms that are too hot and too cold). We have some targeted space heaters in certain places that we can turn on/off if we want. We have the money, and I know I drive my husband nuts, but I can't get over the feeling of wastefulness. its a hard habit to break!

(my father still turns it to 55 downstairs overnight, so at least I'm better than that).

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.

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Anonymous wrote:Cereal for breakfast. Do not know when any other food is happening.

You expect a cooked breakfast on Thanksgiving? You are the problem. Forage.

+1

What’s wrong with cereal, on Thanksgiving of all days? Reminds me of the poster who wanted to disrupt her host’s Thanksgiving prep to cook a full hot breakfast for her “adult boys” because they’d simply wither away if they ate a bagel.

I remember that! Her boys needed a full hot breakfast so she wanted to get into the host's kitchen and whip one up each morning, while displacing the host.

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Anonymous wrote:My mom proudly told me on Monday that she just finished cooking the turkey so she can re-heat it for us Thursday.

I feel your pain. I am looking at a frozen turkey sitting on the counter. It was fully defrosted LAST YEAR and then REFROZEN when a contingent family did not make it up from the twin cities. This is an 18 pounder. Early tomorrow morning, crimes against nature will be committed in order to finish the thawing. This is one of many attempts on our lives that have/will occur this Thanksgiving. I’m going to go eat a snickers bar and have a Bloody Mary. They don’t believe in food allergies or food safety here, but they believe in large supplies of junk food and nobody monitors your drinking. #winnng

RED PLASTIC BIN IN THE FREEZER LADY PLEASE COME BACK

No, no, no, no, NO. Tell you don't have children who will be eating that killer turkey!

There are children here but none on my watch will eat the Turkey. All of the sane adults work together to protect ourselves and the innocents. The perpetrators don’t get sick. I don’t know if they’ve evolved to have cast iron stomachs or if it’s the alcohol (I’m indulging, not judging, but they drink SO MUCH).

My mother is 97, lives in her home on her own and still drives. She's never had cancer, has normal cholesterol etc. She is a unicorn according to my internist, who doesn't believe she exists. She still gardens and does stuff on her own. She has never been a person concerned with eating healthy foods. She has always eaten a lot of vegetables and few sweets but she's Southern and loves her Southern food. She's never had a heart attack, heart issues, or strokes. She lives in the hot South. She leaves food out all the time. We just visited and she made sausage and biscuits several mornings and they sat out all day. We didn't realize and the first day, most of us had stomach issues. I'm pretty certain she has poisoned herself so many times with every possible food borne illness that it has killed anything that can kill her.

My mom is only 78 but is like this (and also a Southerner). She doesn’t wash her hands, leaves food out, eats old leftovers; licks the spoon, doesn’t stay away from sick people, etc. and never gets sick. There have been holidays when every single one of us catches a stomach bug, she is right in the mix without taking any precaution, and she is the only one who avoids it. My BIL says she’s like a cockroach.

This whole generation is like this. I virtually never saw my mother wash her hands. Even after using the bathroom. It’s pretty gross.

I never knew so many people of that generation had some compulsion to leave food sitting out. My mom is like another posters in that she thinks putting the food in the fridge is something bad. My entire life she left food sitting out for hours. I thought it was our shameful secret.

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 probably rodents.

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

We stopped going to a neighbor’s for Thanksgiving and dinner parties because her cat “loved to keep her company in the kitchen.” He would walk on the counters and watch while she prepped food. We didn’t realize this for many years because of the layout of the house. We started hosting her but we’re a bit relieved when she moved away even though she was lovely about bringing people together.

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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.

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Anonymous wrote:My mom proudly told me on Monday that she just finished cooking the turkey so she can re-heat it for us Thursday.

I feel your pain. I am looking at a frozen turkey sitting on the counter. It was fully defrosted LAST YEAR and then REFROZEN when a contingent family did not make it up from the twin cities. This is an 18 pounder. Early tomorrow morning, crimes against nature will be committed in order to finish the thawing. This is one of many attempts on our lives that have/will occur this Thanksgiving. I’m going to go eat a snickers bar and have a Bloody Mary. They don’t believe in food allergies or food safety here, but they believe in large supplies of junk food and nobody monitors your drinking. #winnng

RED PLASTIC BIN IN THE FREEZER LADY PLEASE COME BACK

No, no, no, no, NO. Tell you don't have children who will be eating that killer turkey!

There are children here but none on my watch will eat the Turkey. All of the sane adults work together to protect ourselves and the innocents. The perpetrators don’t get sick. I don’t know if they’ve evolved to have cast iron stomachs or if it’s the alcohol (I’m indulging, not judging, but they drink SO MUCH).

My mother is 97, lives in her home on her own and still drives. She's never had cancer, has normal cholesterol etc. She is a unicorn according to my internist, who doesn't believe she exists. She still gardens and does stuff on her own. She has never been a person concerned with eating healthy foods. She has always eaten a lot of vegetables and few sweets but she's Southern and loves her Southern food. She's never had a heart attack, heart issues, or strokes. She lives in the hot South. She leaves food out all the time. We just visited and she made sausage and biscuits several mornings and they sat out all day. We didn't realize and the first day, most of us had stomach issues. I'm pretty certain she has poisoned herself so many times with every possible food borne illness that it has killed anything that can kill her.

My mom is only 78 but is like this (and also a Southerner). She doesn’t wash her hands, leaves food out, eats old leftovers; licks the spoon, doesn’t stay away from sick people, etc. and never gets sick. There have been holidays when every single one of us catches a stomach bug, she is right in the mix without taking any precaution, and she is the only one who avoids it. My BIL says she’s like a cockroach.

This whole generation is like this. I virtually never saw my mother wash her hands. Even after using the bathroom. It’s pretty gross.

There is a theory that the increase in allergies is due to having a more sterile environment. Antidotes like these make me wonder if we’re the ones doing something wrong and these old ladies have the right idea.

Maybe. When I was in India, our driver brought up cleanliness quite a bit. He said that we Westerners are more subject to infection because we don’t have good immune systems because we keep everything too clean. I suppose it’s possible.

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

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Anonymous wrote:

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

We stopped going to a neighbor’s for Thanksgiving and dinner parties because her cat “loved to keep her company in the kitchen.” He would walk on the counters and watch while she prepped food. We didn’t realize this for many years because of the layout of the house. We started hosting her but we’re a bit relieved when she moved away even though she was lovely about bringing people together.

I love cats, but this is so gross! In the litter box and then on the counter… yum.