mother in law......ditch her,or dine her?

Some of us have so many stars in our crown that it would break our necks if we tried to wear them.

I just returned from my semiannual "predictable and obligatory" (great description, Gala) 4-day stay with the in-laws in West Texas. I know I say this every time, but those people are completely out of their minds.

There's the cranky Great Aunt on oxygen with bad hearing. (We stayed with her. She's the only relatively sane one. Four people in a 750 sq. ft. house with one tiny bathroom, though...it was claustrophobic.) Then there's the anorexic, bipolar, compulsive-liar Sister-in-Law with no teeth. She just got a new tattoo. Fairies, vines, leaves and the four elements now cover her entire back but do not disguise the ribs sticking out. The only reason I could tolerate her was because she was seriously overmedicated this time. Probably better that way. Her husband, the Human Ostrich, kept his head firmly buried in the sand...or was that the refrigerator?...the entire time. Their daughters, Ne'er-Do-Well #1 and #2, brought boyfriends this time. #2's boyfriend, the Sumbitch, was the same one as year before last, just before she kicked him out for cheating on her. He's still mooching off her...very blatantly. We weren't going to speak to him, but he beat us to it. Sat there, ate our food and left, never said a word. #1 brought a new guy that she met two months ago and moved in with after 3 weeks. Maybe he dropped clues that I didn't catch, but he actually seemed rather normal. I felt sorry for him...it would never work. #1 is way too messed up. On the bright side, #1 and #2 are both employed this Christmas, which is a first.

Distant cousins visited from Cape Cod. We haven't seen them since we went to the Cape 8 years ago. They had never been around the Texas group and were a bit shell-shocked. We piled them into our car and took them to a drive-in where they will bring beers out to your car. (Only in Texas.) They obviously needed a drink. So did we. Too bad I don't like beer...but with all the desserts that the Human Ostrich keep pushing at me, I usually passed out at about 9:30 p.m. from sugar inhalation.

All this is to say, Alex...hang in there. If I can survive a 10-day power outage followed by 4 days of Hell in Texas, you can make it through one day with the Whining Crones.

Oh, and welcome to A2K!

...they could do no wrong and we, no matter what walk of life arrived at her door from were never good enough to carry their last name.

Married into respectability and sensitive about it, was she?

I agree with the rest Alex, we just receive more stars on our crown of glory for trying to be a hospitable in-law.

I too, had one of those MIL's that would make the most sainted person hot in the collar and flustered, she was forever annoying those of us with the title of in-law, and boistering her heavenly crowned children with angel wings higher and higher at each visit, for they could do no wrong and we, no matter what walk of life arrived at her door from were never good enough to carry their last name.

>Sigh<

I tried to understand where my MIL was coming from, but I finally had to accept that she's just mean (verbally and emotionally abusive). I finally gave myself permission to say enough is enough.