Visiting the In-laws
Feb. 4th, 2009 02:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
abracanabraGot home yesterday evening from a trip to the in-laws in Wisconsin. I've been skimming through LJ entries, but tell me what happened while I was gone. We left last Thursday. Saturday was one grandmother's 80th birthday party; Sunday was the other grandmother's funeral.
I had a relatively good time, though I seem to have picked up an illness from one of the kidlets. We survived hitting a deer on the way in, an 80th birthday party for the crankiest grandma in the world, the Artificial Christmas Tree Incident, and a funeral and afterparty. The niece and nephew were adorable, though the girl was croupy (in an "aww, that poor little sick kid" sort of way)--and I think she passed the sickness on to me, 'cause my respiratory system is feeling sub-par. There was much pointed nagging about when we are planning on trying to reproduce. (Answer: This year, except that Phil is bribing me to postpone by promising an exotic vacation.) Apparently, there is even furniture set aside for when we do.
I always have a bit of culture shock when I visit the in-laws. Phil's parents persist in not having any internet access. The television is always on, even if nobody's in the room. Even if they're eating dinner in another room. Even if people are over and there's conversation going on. (Wonder who Phil got that from?) They proudly display things they killed on the walls. The hard water tastes bad and leaves a slick residue on the skin when I shower. The bed is way too small for me, let alone me and Phil. We are not small people. And I really, really need to learn not to drink along with the family.
Because she knows that Phil is a Scrooge and hates getting Christmas trees, my sis-in-law tried to get a gift we'd both appreciate: an artificial Christmas tree. Unfortunately, I hate artificial Christmas trees. Equally unfortunately, I was taken by surprise when she presented this--specimen--to us as a gift. Let's just say I was, ah, reprehensibly blunt. Phil attempts to reassure me by saying that grouchy grandma's antics overshadowed my utter lack of tact, so my ingratitude probably won't be much of a topic of conversation. Much. :P
The funeral was the first one I've attended that lacked a body. Grandma was off being cremated, while the service took place behind a barrier of flowers and photos. I didn't know this grandma well--she had an inordinate fondness for giraffes, painted landscapes, loved pets, and was brave enough to go to India for her granddaughter's wedding a couple of years ago. It's not an unflattering character sketch. May she rest in peace. Side note: Am I the only one that finds "modern"-style stained glass creepy? Eyeless crucified Jesus was unsettling.
I am very happy to be home, with my cats and my bed and my pantry and my water supply and my my my my. I have no work today, so I've spent it unpacking, cleaning, and catching up on the internets. The cats haven't been letting me out of their sight. For a change, Foundling was in his usual people-coming-home spot: lurking at the top of the stairs. We didn't have to search all his hiding places to find him. Strange. I think I'll put some birdseed out in the feeder, even if it means the fat mouse living in our back porch has to cut back a bit.
I had a relatively good time, though I seem to have picked up an illness from one of the kidlets. We survived hitting a deer on the way in, an 80th birthday party for the crankiest grandma in the world, the Artificial Christmas Tree Incident, and a funeral and afterparty. The niece and nephew were adorable, though the girl was croupy (in an "aww, that poor little sick kid" sort of way)--and I think she passed the sickness on to me, 'cause my respiratory system is feeling sub-par. There was much pointed nagging about when we are planning on trying to reproduce. (Answer: This year, except that Phil is bribing me to postpone by promising an exotic vacation.) Apparently, there is even furniture set aside for when we do.
I always have a bit of culture shock when I visit the in-laws. Phil's parents persist in not having any internet access. The television is always on, even if nobody's in the room. Even if they're eating dinner in another room. Even if people are over and there's conversation going on. (Wonder who Phil got that from?) They proudly display things they killed on the walls. The hard water tastes bad and leaves a slick residue on the skin when I shower. The bed is way too small for me, let alone me and Phil. We are not small people. And I really, really need to learn not to drink along with the family.
Because she knows that Phil is a Scrooge and hates getting Christmas trees, my sis-in-law tried to get a gift we'd both appreciate: an artificial Christmas tree. Unfortunately, I hate artificial Christmas trees. Equally unfortunately, I was taken by surprise when she presented this--specimen--to us as a gift. Let's just say I was, ah, reprehensibly blunt. Phil attempts to reassure me by saying that grouchy grandma's antics overshadowed my utter lack of tact, so my ingratitude probably won't be much of a topic of conversation. Much. :P
The funeral was the first one I've attended that lacked a body. Grandma was off being cremated, while the service took place behind a barrier of flowers and photos. I didn't know this grandma well--she had an inordinate fondness for giraffes, painted landscapes, loved pets, and was brave enough to go to India for her granddaughter's wedding a couple of years ago. It's not an unflattering character sketch. May she rest in peace. Side note: Am I the only one that finds "modern"-style stained glass creepy? Eyeless crucified Jesus was unsettling.
I am very happy to be home, with my cats and my bed and my pantry and my water supply and my my my my. I have no work today, so I've spent it unpacking, cleaning, and catching up on the internets. The cats haven't been letting me out of their sight. For a change, Foundling was in his usual people-coming-home spot: lurking at the top of the stairs. We didn't have to search all his hiding places to find him. Strange. I think I'll put some birdseed out in the feeder, even if it means the fat mouse living in our back porch has to cut back a bit.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-05 12:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-07 04:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-07 01:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-05 03:17 am (UTC)Also, did you find the package for Phil that I put on the dinning room table? It was in the porch door on Monday.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-07 04:10 am (UTC)And yup, we got the package just fine.
Thanks for checking in on things!