We Made It!
Well, here I am, still standing. I have made it to the-day-after-Christmas, that day you pray for when family is in town. If you make it to this day in one piece, you’re lucky. If you make it to this day without pissing off anyone in the family, then you need to book a trip to Vegas.
I’m not going to Vegas.
The In-Law trip was not quite a complete disaster, but it was pretty uncomfortable a couple of times. The night following the octopus incident was pretty excruciating; Alex was in a foul mood from the beginning. Upon entering the restaurant, she proceeded to wiggle & wail (would have been a hit in the fifties) until Chip decided to bail on dinner. Seriously. The whole dinner.
“Where did Chip go?”
“He took the baby for a ride.”
“Isn’t he going to eat?”
“Um, I don’t think so….”
“Then why are we here? It’s supposed to be a family dinner, & my son & grandaughter aren’t even here.”
(Because you’ve been mean & miserable the whole trip, & he doesn’t want to deal with you torturing another waiter mercilessly because it embarasses us all & we’re afraid they might spit in our food. Or worse.)
“Um, waiter….. can you bring me another merlot, please? A BIG one…”
Seriously, I don’t wish my MIL ill-will. She just seems so UNHAPPY, and I think all she needs is for someone to ask her WHY. I’m somewhat of a connoisseur of mental illness, if you will. I recognize depression when I see it, and this woman is almost textbook. I wish she would seek help. I wish others would seek help for her. In the meantime, I choose to fall to my own family’s particular brand of medicine when dealing with her.
Drink more booze.