Holiday Survival

[Thirteen]

How was everyone's T-Giving?
The good, the bad, and the ugly: share it/vent here

[medpedspouse]

Re: Holiday Survival

I think the fact that there were 2 threads titled "holiday hell" should give you a rough idea.

Mine was not so bad but my ILs were only there for less than 48hrs

[MrsK]

Re: Holiday Survival

Ahem. Refer to thread titled "MIL Making Me Crazy."

I do have one funny story though. Last time (or rather, the time before last time) that they were here, MIL/FIL brought us a plant. I hate plants . . . and fish. Basically, anything that does not remind me that it's hungry will starve to death in my house. So, plants and fish don't last long. Also, they brought this thing to us just before we were leaving town for several weeks.

So, we asked the neighbor if they'd like the plant. It was a nice plant. They took it and joked that they would lend it to us the next time MIL/FIL visited. The plant is prominently displayed in a window of their home, facing our home.

A couple days before this last visit from the ILs, we were chatting with the neighbors about our Thanksgiving plans and mentioned that the ILs were coming. The neighbors cheerfully offered to lend us the plant. I hesitated but DrK thought it was likely his folks would see the plant in the neighbor's window. So, we smuggled the plant back into our house and displayed it on it's own little table in the window. I thought it was so funny -- so college. Like hiding the beer when your folks come for a visit.

So, 3 days into their visit MIL/FIL had not mentioned the plant. I even asked DrK whether they'd seen it because MIL had been sitting in a chair right in front of the plant for the last 3 days. On the final day of their visit, DrK and I are in the kitchen, MIL/FIL are in the den. We hear MIL, "Oh, is that the plant we brought you? My, it's gotten so big! Look how healthy it is! It would have died in my house long ago. . . ."

DrK and I were repressing our laughter and exchanging high fives in the kitchen.

[ladymoreta]

Re: Holiday Survival

I'm still cringing at the stories that have been posted. I never knew how great I had it with my MIL and FIL. They have their quirks, but they're pretty awesome. The best part was that somehow DH lucked into being off Wednesday - Friday AND all weekend.

Re: Holiday Survival

Ours was actually really good!!

DH was on call all weekend, so we couldn't travel back home and were orphans. However, one of our friends invited us over to her place and we had a blast! Her family turned out to be awesome. The only bad thing is that I think my mom is jealous that we had a good time without her. :huh:

[Thirteen]

Re: Holiday Survival

MrsK - I laughed so hard! Way to go!
Cassy - I am so sorry about your grandma: I'll be sending good thoughts your way.

I had dinner with mom (she flew in, and she never does that) and aunt/one of her sons in soCal.
She served ham (which I don't eat, but I nibbled on and didn't say anything) and a couple other things.
Mom flew out yesterday, and it was the best visit we've ever pulled off

I miss her.
But I avoided the normal holiday stress and drama this year, so wahoo!

[DCJenn]

Re: Holiday Survival

Fine- boring, uneventful. and just the three of us. SCORE!

Jenn

[Bittersweet]

Re: Holiday Survival

I traveled to Denver to visit DH. We ate out more than two people should and generally had a great, lazy time. Oh, except our beloved ’92 Subaru that we hoped/dreamed would make it through residency died on the Interstate. One tow truck ride and a long day in the shop later, diagnosis: fatal. We ended up begrudgingly buying a new (well, new to us) Subaru wagon. It definitely hurt me in my cheap place, but still better than having to deal with in-law drama

[ladymoreta]

Re: Holiday Survival

Aww, I'm sorry Bittersweet! I'm praying every day that my '95 Altima holds out for four more years... Luckily it only has 101,000 miles, so I think it'll make it. *crosses fingers*

[poky]

Re: Holiday Survival

Aww, I'm sorry Bittersweet! I'm praying every day that my '95 Altima holds out for four more years... Luckily it only has 101,000 miles, so I think it'll make it. *crosses fingers*

My '96 I30 with 125K miles on it has to hold on for a few more years, too. It's just now, after 13 years, that little things are starting to go wrong. *sigh*.

[HouseofWool]

Re: Holiday Survival

Aww, I'm sorry Bittersweet! I'm praying every day that my '95 Altima holds out for four more years... Luckily it only has 101,000 miles, so I think it'll make it. *crosses fingers*

My '96 I30 with 125K miles on it has to hold on for a few more years, too. It's just now, after 13 years, that little things are starting to go wrong. *sigh*.

DH's 90 Accord died the weekend before Thanksgiving, luckily it was just the distributor, so 400 bucks later we still have it, but we definately need to nurse it along until we get to residency.

Re: Holiday Survival

Stayed put. DW worked all night the night before and headed back to the hospital at 9 pm for another all-nighter on T-Day.

I made the Turkey, sides, dessert by my lonesome while she slept and everything turned out great (if I don't say so myself).

Next year (if we don't travel), I'll probably brine the Turkey and choose a larger (only 12lbs. this year).

Otherwise, T-Day was the best we could do given the schedule handed to us by the chief gods.

Sidebar, chiefs are stooges this year. All around talking about terrible scheduling. One of the two chiefs is fond of running into my DW and saying stupid stuff like, "I thought you'd be the perfect person to risk then I realized you were already working." Yeah, duh, DW is already working T-Day, X-mas and tons of nights, but thanks for thinking about her you %ss clown.

[poky]

Re: Holiday Survival

Sidebar, chiefs are stooges this year. All around talking about terrible scheduling. One of the two chiefs is fond of running into my DW and saying stupid stuff like, "I thought you'd be the perfect person to risk then I realized you were already working." Yeah, duh, DW is already working T-Day, X-mas and tons of nights, but thanks for thinking about her you %ss clown.

Ugh. That sucks. I'm hoping this doesn't happen to DH; he's so easy-going, and we don't have kids, so I'm sure he'll be a prime target for working the *#(#@ shifts when we get to that point.

I'm already jealous of the med schools that treat rotations as if the students were still, you know, IN SCHOOL. Apparently here they do get 2 weeks at Christmas, but *no* other holidays/vacation days (which is know is still better than it probably will be in residency, but is worse than it currently is).

[Thirteen]

Re: Holiday Survival

Ass clowns suck... well, ass.

Paul was on call on T-Giving too, but I had some time with fam.

Also, about everyone's car stuff -- my BF's car is probably going to die next year too, so we keep praying it will last. Ugh, car drama is THE WORST. :/

Cassy,
How's your grandma???

[scarlett09]

Re: Holiday Survival

MrsK - loved your story about the plant. Has it gone back to your neighbor's house yet?
Cassy - I am sorry to hear about your grandma. I hope she is doing better.

My Turkey Day was pretty good. The other half and I spent it with both sides of my family. It was a small dinner with my DM and her BF. We then went to my aunt & uncle's house (on my DF's side) for dessert. My other aunt (DF's sister), her husband and my three cousins decided to show up as a "surprise" (they were in the area, about an hour away). Let me tell you how well that went over. Especially when they turn their noses up at the 10 kinds of pie available and only eat the pie that they made and brought with them. Their surprise arrival was particularly funny because, 15 minutes before they showed, my grandmother commented on how quiet it was without her daughter, son-in-law and their three children!

Oh, and there was wayyyyy too much pumpkin pie. My DM made one for us, my grandmother made one for us, and my aunt (on my DM's side) stopped by with one for us on Friday after we had left for home! (All three of them have now been consumed by us. ) And then, when I had dinner with my grandmother and assorted family on Wednesday, she tried to pawn another one off on me! I had to put a stop to it because I cannot have the BF turning a shade of orange while on the interview trail!