Since the time to leave is fast approaching (for some, not fast enough), today has been "woe is us" day.
The "talk" actually took over 2 hours and consisted of a list of items that they wanted to go to specific people, and a verbal account of every item in their house... just in case we wanted the stuff. They handed us a listing of all their assets, bonds, stocks, yadda yadda yadda, including some china that is from China but nobody has ever imported from China, but they have the china from China... except they didn't put down the number of the china from China, so who knows if its worth anything, but they seem to think it is.
We got a lot of "we're only here every 4 years so let us buy you a subway sandwich, its the least we can do". Yesterday they sprung for our car washes, today it was lattes and sandwiches, I should have dragged them into the shoe store for the boots I wanted.
I sat down and had a talk with B without M and layed it on the line about the crap they send us. He admitted it was all M's doing, which we figured, and I told him point blank that he might as well save on postage because I just toss it out. Don't know if that will stop the barrage of crap, but I can only try.
So, on the way to picking up the 4-runner, the back RAV seat was a bit loose. When we stopped at the dealership, I told them, "why don't you all go in and I'll fix the seat". They stood there, then leaned into the RAV while I was trying to get the seat locked in. "Why don't you try this, how about moving it here". Um, why don't you go in and pay the bill with Gil while I fix the seat. B gets into the back and is in the way. "I think it needs to go here". WHY DON'T YOU GET OUT OF MY WAY SO I CAN FIX THE SEAT! They stood there, stunned. Finally mosied into the car shop, took me three seconds without them yammering at me to fix the stupid seat.
Hubby has told M about 15 times to stop interupting him. First time was in the morning when she asked if we were going anywhere, he opened his mouth and she started talking again. She stopped, he opened his mouth to answer her other 14 questions, she started yammering again. She' been in full tilt pouting mode ever since.
During the "woe is us we're dying and this is the list of our valuables 2 hour talk", she sniped and harped at B about not updating the list, not putting the stuff she mentioned on the list, not taking care of the kid's inheritence items throughout the years, arguing with him about where a cane pole was in the garage. I wanted to strangle her.
So this morning, B brings out two humungous manilla envelopes just heaped with geneology things. He announces that they're items they're giving to another relative, but if hubby would like to scan them, he has until they leave. OOOH no, don't bring those out the day you get here and give him time, wait til the last minute why don't you. Then they complain because they aren't interested in the family heritage and don't want to learn the history behind stuff. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH.
On the way home we got stuck in traffic because of an accident. Luckily I was alone in the RAV (my biggest fear is M saying "oh, why don't we girls drive together so we can gossip), but I could see hubby ahead hanging his head while M prattles on with expansive arm movements. Lord knows what she was going on about. Hubby blocks it out, so he doesn't even know.
We're home now. After getting the "I don't think I've ever mentioned how much we appreciate you taking care of hubby" speech at a starbucks, and the "we'd like to visit more often" speech, and the "we have some money saved up for a gift for the deck but you bought everything, we'd still like to get you something but aren't going to tell you how much we've saved up so it could be as little as 10 cents or a few grand" speech... I'm hiding in the kitchen for now. I think M went off to pout about something (who cares), and B and hubby are in the nook scanning off the 5,000 pieces of paper he brought.
We have one more day, then a morning. Tommorrow starts the for real "we're going to die and never see you again" stuff, for which I've been saving some muscle relaxers for. Then there will be the tearful goodbyes at the airport. I'll get a for real hug from B, and a cold, limp hug from M (who will be pouting about something), and then the house will be ours again. Of course, I'm not counting out any last minute catastrophes that will keep them here longer, for which I'm saving more muscle relaxers, just in case.
