"Scott Taylor" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
>
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "zxcvbob" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > Vox Humana wrote:
> > > > "Sam D." > wrote in message
> > > > ...
> > > >
> > > >>"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> > > .. .
> > > >>
> > > >>>I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad
> > > >
> > > > experience
> > > >
> > > >>>all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the
> > > >
> > > > unpleasant
> > > >
> > > >>>circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
> > > >>
> > > >>You have me wondering. Did the cook who prepared this dinner receive
> any
> > > >>comments about it from the guests? I mean, what can you say when you
> get
> > > >>served food like that from a relative?
> > > >>
> > > >>Either my own memory is fading or I've been fortunate. I remember
some
> > > >>individual items that have been bad but I can't recall ever having a
> > > >>Thanksgiving dinner that was bad overall, and I've eaten
Thanksgiving
> at
> > a
> > > >>lot of different places. What I can recall are a couple of
unpleasant
> > > >>Thanksgiving experiences because of some family bickering.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > There were only three of us. It is my policy to never criticize
food
> > that
> > > > someone prepares for me. I was very cautious about the portion size
> > that I
> > > > took knowing that there was a good chance that it wasn't going to be
> > tasty.
> > > > I ate what I could, but I couldn't eat the stuffing. No one said a
> > word.
> > > > The "cook" said "If I had to cook like this every day I wouldn't
eat."
> > I
> > > > silently agreed with her.
> > > >
> > > > In addition to the bad food, there were 15 dogs. I had to wear
shoes
> > the
> > > > entire time because the carpet had wet spots everywhere as did the
> > > > furniture. A couple of dogs crapped on the floor during dinner.
And,
> > as
> > > > unbelievable as this might seem, the adult son (and I use the term
> > "adult"
> > > > in reference to his age only) had used the upstairs toilet, flushed
> it,
> > and
> > > > it overflowed. He threw a couple of towels on the floor and went to
> > bed.
> > > > The filthy water soaked into the living room ceiling and all the
> drywall
> > > > tape was hanging. The carpet was wet with the contents of the
toilet
> > water.
> > > > Unfortunately, he did this twice within a few days. It was like
> eating
> > > > dinner in a badly maintained kennel attached to an outhouse!
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > And then what happened! Did the host fly into a drunken rage and cut
> > > you in half with a bread knife?
> > >
> > > (This story just keeps getting more and more believable!)
> >
> > Nothing violent happened. However, after dinner, I had to work on her
> > bathroom. The reason that I went early was because she wanted me to
> > wallpaper her bathroom. (We all know how much fun that is!) She had
her
> > son-in-law put in a new ceramic floor and a new vanity and sink top (Her
> son
> > destroyed the old one.) I asked her to removed the old wallpaper and
> scrub
> > the walls so the room was ready to paper. She didn't bother with
removing
> > the paper -- she said "It wasn't calling me so I never got around to
it."
> > The SIL put in the floor but didn't grout it properly, nor did he finish
> the
> > cove tile that made up the baseboard. He didn't attempt to grout that
> > incomplete cove tile. The new vanity and sink top were simple set in
> > place - not attached to the walls or each other. There were a couple of
> > large holes in the wall were someone had used a towel bar as a grab bar
> and
> > pulled the anchors through the drywall blowing out fist sized chunks of
> > gypsum. It took me three days to get the paper off, the walls patched,
> > ceiling painted, and cabinet installed. When I prepared to hang the
paper
> > it was obvious that she hadn't purchased enough. I hung all I could,
but
> > was short an entire double roll. On Thanksgiving day I had to install a
> new
> > light fixture and grout the floor. The next day she decided she wanted
> the
> > remaining scrap strip of paper hung regardless of the fact that it
wasn't
> > possible to match the pattern and that she would have to purchase more
> paper
> > anyway. That is the point where I thought there was going to be
shouting.
> > I went ahead and hung the paper. Amidst all the chaos and other work,
she
> > wanted me to install a new laminate floor in her master bath! I told
her
> > that I couldn't do it. She went out and bought the materials anyway and
> > told me where I could find them when I needed them. I told her that I
> > wouldn't be needing them because I wasn't going to start another
project!
>
>
> Wow, you have incredible patience, relative or no relative. I think at
some
> point during that ordeal I would have just gotten into my car and driven
> off. From your postings it's obvious you're a super cook--next time cook
> the dinner at your house and invite friends over. You'll be much happier
> and I'm sure they'll be ecstatic

Sometimes it's better to bite your tongue knowing that in a few days it will
be all over. I was tempted to leave soon after I arrived but I felt I was
committed. I used to have the family to my place and do the cooking.
However, I don't want 15 dogs as houseguests so that wasn't even a
consideration. I probably should just volunteer at a shelter. It would
give me a great excuse to avoid the family dinner, save me a five hour drive
each way, and help others -- all at the same time. As I said, I will be
spending Christmas at home!