by "Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
Published 11/27/2017 at 11:39
by "Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
Published 11/27/2017 at 11:39
No Tags
STARS: 15
When we do Thanksgiving with my wife’s family, it’s at my brother-in-law’s house. In spite of the majority of her family being filthy dirty Fox News viewers, and my wife and I being angelic virtuous hippies, we usually only have to worry about my brother-in-law’s wife’s terrible cooking, and not politics.
Food offenses committed this year by our hostess-with-the-mostest included:
Killing my green bean casserole by putting it in the oven to warm at 200 with the other sides, but leaving it in there for almost 2 hours and cranking the heat up to 350 at some point. The foil on top of it saved it from being inedible, but it was quite mushy and brown. All crunch had been sapped out of the fried onions on top.
Asking me to make gravy out of the turkey drippings but neglecting to mention that they were 90% melted butter, which prevented anything resembling gravy from forming. Thankfully she had powdered gravy mix as a backup plan.
Both my wife and I were craving more Thanksgiving food so last night I made a vegetarian mini-Thanksgiving dinner that included a Tofurky “ham” , stuffing, not-cooked-to-death green bean casserole, and drop biscuits.
The Tofurky thing kinda tasted like bologna, but it was at least a semi-acceptable vehicle for vegetable stock gravy. Everything else I made from scratch and was delicious, AND THE GREEN BEANS IN THE CASSEROLE WERE INTACT AND STILL GREEN.
Aside from the food, there are only a couple of other traditional annoyances of Thanksgiving with my wife’s family. For some ungodly reason they dress up in nice clothes instead of being comfortable but this year I got sly and picked out some particularly comfy clothes that could pass as sorta-nice casual. Seriously, who the fuck dresses up on Thanksgiving? Assholes, that’s who.
And then there’s my wife’s sister who organizes Secret Santa, except a few years ago decided that instead of actually doing Secret Santa, everyone has to write a 3-item wish list on an index card and people draw index cards out of a hat. Then on Christmas we get to guess which random family member had the pleasure of fulfilling our wish list we came up with in the car on the way to Thanksgiving while cursing this stupid tradition 48 times and complaining that we can’t think of anything for our wish list. “I wonder who got me this thing I wrote down?”
But that’s not what this post is about! Nooo, it’s about that one fucking guy at Thanksgiving who decided this year he was going to talk about politics. A lot. My wife’s brother’s wife’s sister’s husband. I don’t know what official relative category he falls into, but this year he decided to put himself in the category of That One Motherfucker At Your Thanksgiving Who Talks About Politics.
It started out shortly after I arrived, when everyone was hanging around drinking and having snacks. A football game was on TV, and he complained out loud to his son that “your generation doesn’t care about the players kneeling, but I’m not watching it.” His son said something non-confrontational like, “you’re right, we just watch the games.”
Later on after most people had polished off their first plate of food, he decided that would be a good time to joyfully talk about how he was considering joining the ranks of “good conservatives” who are smashing their Keurig machines in response to Keurig pulling their ads from Sean Hannity’s show after Sean Hannity came out in support of alleged serial creeper-of-teenagers Roy Moore. He explained in great detail that if you smash the machine you won’t buy any more K-cups, and the Keurig company makes their money on the K-cups, not the machines, like razor blades, but for some reason he kept calling K-cups “bullets,” as if that was a generally-accepted term that people also call K-cups.
I felt my anger at That One Motherfucker At Your Thanksgiving Who Talks About Politics starting to rise. I thought about telling him maybe instead of being pissed off at black football players taking a knee during the national anthem, he should be pissed off at the thing they’re protesting: that black and brown people get shot and killed by the cops way more often than white people. I thought about telling him that siding with a likely sexual abuser by smashing a shitty coffee machine because the company that makes it pulled its ads from a tv show that supported that abuser, is cutting off your nose to spite your face and also means that you were stupid enough to buy that shitty coffee machine in the first place.
But I didn’t want to engage him in a real conversation, because that would extend the politics talk. So I decided it was time for sarcastic insults that would (hopefully) quickly end the conversation. I skipped the NFL topic entirely, and instead blurted out, “watching Sean Hannity doesn’t make you a good conservative,” and wanted to keep going toward some kind of a punchline, but my wife, not knowing my strategy, interrupted. “Is he the Fox News guy who sexually harassed all those people?” Which was actually kind of perfect, because I said, “no, Bill O’Reilly is the serial sexual harasser, Sean Hannity is the one who makes shit up and then when people point out he’s wrong says he’s only an entertainer not a journalist.”
The husband of the Secret Santa Wishlist Arranger, who is a hippie like me and had been sitting silently next to That One Motherfucker At Your Thanksgiving Who Talks About Politics, started grinning from ear to ear as I said this.
I threw a couple other random insults about watching Fox News only means you make questionable life choices, and if you bought a Keurig you like shitty coffee, and then the political conversation blissfully ended with a segue into the many different reasons Keurig machines make shitty coffee.
I can only assume That One Motherfucker At Your Thanksgiving Who Talks About Politics mistakenly thought everyone would agree with him when he started talking about politics. He just needed someone to get a little indignant with him so he would shut up.
So remember folks, don’t be That One Motherfucker At Your Thanksgiving Who Talks About Politics. And if you found yourself agreeing with the particular That One Motherfucker At Your Thanksgiving Who Talks About Politics at my Thanksgiving, you know what I have to say to you.
"For Sweden" (rallybeetle)
11/27/2017 at 11:49, STARS: 0
Better for them to let loose at Thanksgiving, then to have them boil over James Hodgkinson style.
"jimz" (jimz)
11/27/2017 at 11:52, STARS: 3
I think I’d rather skip the meal entirely than eat “Tofurky.”
"Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing." (granfury)
11/27/2017 at 11:55, STARS: 0
I am thankful that I am 1,800 miles away from my Fox “news” watching, heavy drinking, relatives. I am also thankful that my parents are becoming even more liberal as they get older (although I worry about them getting ulcers during holiday visits...)
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
11/27/2017 at 11:55, STARS: 2
mine started off when my hard core pro business republican cousin in law decided to let me know that he couldn’t possibly support black diamond (we were looking at ski poles) because they pushed the outdoor retail show out of Utah. We had many discussions about public lands (one of the few political debates in which I am well versed) then moved on to North Korea somehow, then onto the tax code and wealth disparity and then onto trump. my favorite return argument that kept coming back up was something along the lines of “everyone wants to talk trash about trump but the last guys plans didn’t work all the way back to carter.”
I couldn’t find the right combination of “just because its different doesn’t mean its good” to sink in, though we did come to an agreement of sorts on a few things. I didn’t mind debating him actually, I think we had a good discussion though it made everyone else uncomfortable, but I usually do after a large meal anyway so it was nice to offend in a whole new way.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 11:55, STARS: 3
If I were making a real Thanksgiving dinner with some kind of non-meat item as the star of the show, it would be vegetables wellington .
But I was just slapping together a makeup Thanksgiving on a Sunday night because we didn’t get to have any leftovers. It’s all about the sides anyway, which I made from scratch. I just wanted to have some kind of protein to pour gravy on. The “ham” served that purpose.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
11/27/2017 at 11:58, STARS: 0
Well played.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 11:58, STARS: 1
With the exception of my mom’s siblings, my family is all a bunch of typical Jewish liberals, just like me. My parents live in DC but her sister is in Chicago and brother in Denver so they’re never at Thanksgiving in DC when we go there. If/when politics comes up at least everybody’s on the same side.
My family is annoying in other ways, of course.
"450X_FTW" (mistermic)
11/27/2017 at 12:00, STARS: 0
My wife’s brother’s wife’s sister’s husband. I don’t know what official relative category he falls into,
Cousin Eddie?
As for political talks during thanksgiving, last year gave us one of the best memes possible the day of
Me: I’m so thankful everyone was able to attend thanksgiving this year
Me to Me: Ask them who they voted for.........
"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
11/27/2017 at 12:02, STARS: 4
Dude: that is the best rant I ever read on Oppo.
Too bad about the green bean casserole, but does anybody actually eat that?
And Secret Santa: I hate it when I actually
think
of something to bring and wind up receiving landfill for my present. Like I can’t wait to get home so I can throw it in the garbage because I’m too PC to do it at the scene, at the time.
"TomServo (Resides on the Satellite of Love)" (mk7silkblue)
11/27/2017 at 12:02, STARS: 0
I’m the politics guy in my family (Can nerd out for hours, I serve as an advisor to my small city’s mayor as well) but the rest of my family is not. My dad’s political beliefs are pretty much “If my investments in the market and real estate are doing fine so am I” and my mom cares deeply about local stuff, but not as much national. My aunt and uncle, however, are “Liberal” but know nothing about the news, or about the Democratic or Republican Party. So I’d put them in the uninformed category. My grandpa is a filthy rich chemist, and loves Donald Trump, and my maternal grandma watches Fox News all day.
"CalzoneGolem" (calzonegolem)
11/27/2017 at 12:05, STARS: 6
You kinda sound like a smug asshole in this story.
"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen)
11/27/2017 at 12:05, STARS: 4
“started grinning from ear to ear as I said this.”
perfect. Haha.
I was SOOOO tempted to lay into the guy that was like “are they all standing?” (commenting on the national anthem during the Lions game). Uh yeah... “Good, they better be”.
I just am so fucking pissed that it’s a thing. Let them do what the fuck they want as long as it isn’t obviously disrespectful. Kneeling is not a disrespectful thing to do.
I work with people that are not able to watch football games anymore because their are so fragile that they can’t handle someone kneeling in solidarity for a cause they believe in. It just upsets them so much. Then by the same token they get upset that people are so sensitive to racism, which is (A) racist and (B) they are sensitive motherfuckers that let themselves be bothered so much because someone kneeled.
Anyway, I would’ve loved to launch into that tirade, but I thought better of it and we DID have a great thanksgiving, I really don’t hate them. But it’s sure hard to swallow your words at times like that.
"Rico" (ricorich)
11/27/2017 at 12:06, STARS: 4
My wife’s brother’s wife’s sister’s husband
At some point this descends into silliness, not every single person and extended family member needs to be invited to Thanksgiving.
What about next year when your wife’s brother’s wife’s sister’s husband’s brother’s wife’s father’s step brother comes to back up this “good conservative” blabbermouth?
"TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts." (thebloody)
11/27/2017 at 12:10, STARS: 0
I had to endure listening talking about his 91 year old sister slipping away due to dementia and how a guy that dies at 52 is actually lucky because he doesn’t have to worry about getting old. At some point I was able to escape that conversation and go talk to my brother in-law’s father in-law about fishing and hunting.
"CalzoneGolem" (calzonegolem)
11/27/2017 at 12:10, STARS: 0
Ham > Tofurky > Turkey
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 12:13, STARS: 2
Green bean casserole can be good if done in a chef-y way and not the traditional can-emptying way, although I do still use condensed cream of mushroom soup as a binder.
We used to do a regular secret santa where you get a name out of a hat and have to come up with something but for some reason my sister in law changed it to the secret wish list fulfillment drawing a few years ago.
I made sure this year to mention to everyone possible that we spent the whole car ride from Madison to Milwaukee trying to come up with something to put on our list and getting them to also complain about it. Because seriously, it’s stupid.
My wife noticed that when it came time for dessert, we were the last ones served. My niece was taking orders of who wanted what kind of pie and the secret santa arranger was the one serving up the pie. I hadn’t even noticed but after my wife pointed it out, I think my consistent shit talk about the wish lists may have had something to do with it.
I’m totally fine with this because she’s passive-aggressive about stuff anyway and hey maybe next year we won’t have the wish lists.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 12:14, STARS: 13
I am a smug asshole.
I am being intentionally ridiculous.
"CalzoneGolem" (calzonegolem)
11/27/2017 at 12:16, STARS: 2
Ah well it translates well into the internet.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 12:17, STARS: 3
My brother-in-law’s wife is joined at the hip with her two sisters.
Next year I go to Thanksgiving at my parents where we will all be east coast Jewish limousine liberals. Also since we don’t have to drive anywhere afterwards I can drink more.
"Sir Halffast" (Sir_Halffast)
11/27/2017 at 12:17, STARS: 1
A freshly done green bean casserole is heaven. Unfortunately, it just gets mushy in the reheating.
"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
11/27/2017 at 12:23, STARS: 2
I love it. And you tell it well. And even though green been casserole should require an MSDS, I’d try yours in a heartbeat because you put so much effort into it and because Oppo.
"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
11/27/2017 at 12:25, STARS: 0
Heaven?
Just can’t talk religion with some people. I’ve never liked green beans is all. Or three-bean salad: EW!
"My bird IS the word" (mybirdistheword)
11/27/2017 at 12:26, STARS: 1
As a conservative, Sean Hannity looks uncomfortable from that hand up his ass working his mouth.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/27/2017 at 12:29, STARS: 1
My grandfather is one of those Mexicans that thinks Trump is “doing great things for america” and “Obama is a commie fucktard”
Possible jewish heritage adds +2 hypocrisy points.
"Tekamul" (tekamulburner)
11/27/2017 at 12:29, STARS: 1
who the fuck dresses up on Thanksgiving? Assholes, that’s who.
I always dress up, because my in-laws do not, and I enjoy differentiating myself from that crowd, to their chagrin. This year I wore a bow tie.
Absolutely zero political talk this year, somehow, which was great.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
11/27/2017 at 12:29, STARS: 0
So what you’re says is that people should trash their Keurigs. Got it.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 12:32, STARS: 0
It’s actually pretty simple, I just cook a bunch of onions and mushrooms first, add a little garlic, then the cream of mushroom. I defrost frozen green beans just a little bit before adding them to the mix, season with salt & pepper, quick taste test, put it all in a baking dish, and toss it in the oven. The green beans stay green & crispy this way. Then I top with mass quantities of french fried onions and bake for another few minutes just to crisp those up and it’s good to go.
"Sir Halffast" (Sir_Halffast)
11/27/2017 at 12:34, STARS: 0
That’s because three-bean salad is your dowager aunt’s admission that she only had three tins of beans left in her cupboard, and that they didn’t match.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 12:36, STARS: 7
Well, to be more accurate, my inner monologue often thinks asshole thoughts, but I try to filter it before speaking. Occasionally I let out the inner asshole for the greater good.
"CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever" (carsoffortlangley)
11/27/2017 at 12:37, STARS: 0
Thank goodness I’m a Canadian.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 12:37, STARS: 1
Dressing up on Thanksgiving makes you part of the problem, but doing it out of spite for in-laws gets you back some points.
"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
11/27/2017 at 12:38, STARS: 0
My second daughter, the brilliant and messy one,
adores
GB casserole. I’d try yours in a hot second. When’s dinner?
"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
11/27/2017 at 12:40, STARS: 0
In my case, it was my grandmother. She lived in a different state and we’d wind up at big picnics where people brought things I’d never eaten and didn’t feel strongly inclined to start eating then, and three-bean salad was one of those things. There were people who actually
liked
it.
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
11/27/2017 at 12:42, STARS: 6
My wife’s sisters husband had the book: “How to talk to liberals if you have to” by Anne Coulter on his coffee table when we showed up for thanksgiving years ago. Needless to say I did my best to not talk to him. He is a sexist asshole as well, so that made my morality more appropriate.
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
11/27/2017 at 12:44, STARS: 0
BTW, I ate too much tofurkey one time and it gave me gastro intestinal distress that was of epic proportions.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 12:45, STARS: 0
I have Jewish Mexican cousins who now live in the US because their dad or grandpa may have had something to do with being a higher-up in the Mexican army and had to leave because of some kind of political change. I know he was well connected in some way, and the cousins who are my age don’t like talking about it.
"Rico" (ricorich)
11/27/2017 at 12:46, STARS: 0
Now THAT sounds like a good time.
"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
11/27/2017 at 12:46, STARS: 6
Ironic that he takes advice from a woman.
"Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing." (granfury)
11/27/2017 at 12:47, STARS: 0
My last girlfriend would always make her green bean casserole for every holiday gathering. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was awful and perhaps she could do something else non-cooking related for the gathering and leave the cooking to me. I always had a healthy portion, even though the bitterness (and strangely, simultaneous blandness) had me reaching for the Tums as soon as I got home.
A few years back, during an extended period of unemployment, my family and I came to an agreement where we wouldn’t give out Christmas gifts. The stress of shopping and the inevitable disappointment in the gifts convinced us that perhaps it was time to give up this tradition. My little sister, who doesn’t attend anything that would be considered a Christian holiday (even though most of us are atheist/agnostic) and who was doing better than me financially, still gave out gifts at our small non-Christmas gathering. I take that back - she gave gifts to everyone except me. I don’t really care if she wants to give gifts out despite our agreement, but can she do it in a less obvious and humiliating way? Is it any wonder that we really don’t have any contact (other than the fact that I refuse to use Facebook...)
For me the holidays mean a time to grab some OT working for co-workers that want to spend time with their families. It’s quiet, the customers are more appreciative, and I get a nice meal - win, win win.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 12:47, STARS: 0
My mother-in-law has several of Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing soandso” books and asked for one of them on her not-secret santa wish list within the past couple years.
"Mid Engine" (jdlogan2006)
11/27/2017 at 12:47, STARS: 1
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
"CalzoneGolem" (calzonegolem)
11/27/2017 at 12:48, STARS: 1
Thank you for your service.
"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
11/27/2017 at 12:51, STARS: 0
My entire immediate family is very very [points to one side] and I am very much [points to the other side]. We mostly do fine, I suppose it helps we don’t all see each other often and really don’t want to make the time unpleasant. Sometimes — only sometimes — they do poke the bear, at which point I tell them to drop it as I will not be trolled by my own family.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 12:51, STARS: 2
The challenges will include getting my mom to serve dinner hopefully sometime before 8 pm and listening to her rant about her worthless sister who doesn’t take care of my grandma even though we moved grandma to an assisted living a mile from my aunt’s house. At least the food is way better, and I’ll be drunk.
"Rico" (ricorich)
11/27/2017 at 12:55, STARS: 0
Lmao damn, gotta pick your poison. I still think that’s better than listening to someone I don’t even know wax poetic about the virtues of being a good conservative!
"Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap" (ddadragon)
11/27/2017 at 12:56, STARS: 0
Fortunately no politics was had for me. Mainly because they knew i know more politics than them
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/27/2017 at 12:57, STARS: 0
I don’t blame them, anything related to the army is either very corrupt or impossibly sketchy.
There was a rumor that the army was planning a coup after Peña de-subsideced gasoline a few years ago.
But it was only three military bases that went rouge.
What fun.
"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
11/27/2017 at 13:00, STARS: 0
Wow. Great Oppo testimonials. She didn’t give you a gift? That’s downright mean . My wife and I were always extremely careful to avoid allowing the Christmas morning scene to become some sort of frenzy. We are serious about our Christianity, but view the shopping and the gifting as the true attack on Christmas. Good thing that Christmas can be the quiet, intimate thing that it can within the walls of your own home.
I’m thinking perhaps you’ve ranted to me about your sister in the past...
"ZHP Sparky, the 5th" (e30s2k)
11/27/2017 at 13:03, STARS: 2
Well in that case I hope your 3 requests for Secret Santa this year were donations to be made in your name to either the ACLU, SPLC, or some form of Dreamers legal defense fund!
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
11/27/2017 at 13:06, STARS: 0
It makes him feel better to buy a book written by a woman, even if she is an asshole.
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
11/27/2017 at 13:07, STARS: 1
Give her something written by David Sedaris. Me Talk Pretty One Day is a good place to start.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 13:10, STARS: 0
She asked for that book totally oblivious that anyone might find it offensive. Unfortunately I did not include any such provocative requests and instead ended up with a specific kind of Under Armour pullover, a pizza stone, and a movie theater gift card. I couldn’t remember the pizza stone and had to text my wife just now to ask. I care deeply about this wish list.
"promoted by the color red" (whenindoubtflatout)
11/27/2017 at 13:11, STARS: 0
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 13:13, STARS: 0
She lives about an hour and a half away and sometimes my wife and I will go visit her overnight. Usually in the morning my wife leaves to go for a walk with her sister and I get left alone with MIL who asks me to do assorted household tasks. She also will occasionally bring up some topic in the news and make some ill-informed comment on it that sounds like a Fox News talking point, because it is. But she’ll bring it up to me in the form of a question so I take the opportunity to liberal-splain why that talking point is incorrect.
"Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing." (granfury)
11/27/2017 at 13:23, STARS: 0
I might have ranted about her to you in the past, but she rarely comes up in any conversation except around the holidays. I usually talk to my folks once a week or so, and rarely does she or her family come up in conversation as she has pretty much distanced herself from the rest of us. I did see her in September when I was out to the west coast for my first visit out there in 5 years. I got to see her new $1.385M house, which has TVs outside than I have in my whole home, and gigantic F150 Limited (that they only use to haul their horses to and from their ranch or wherever it is they keep/ride them).
It was nice to see what my niece and nephew are up to but I do worry about them a bit, hoping that they don’t end up as self-absorbed as her. I did a lot of listening that night, but I don’t remember being engaged in any sort of conversation by my sister or her husband during the entire evening. I’ll have to look in the mirror - I fear that I might actually be invisible...
"ZHP Sparky, the 5th" (e30s2k)
11/27/2017 at 13:23, STARS: 0
A pizza stone certainly is a crucial requirement for any kitchen. Never going back to “pizza” baked on cookie trays or foil...wtf was that!
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
11/27/2017 at 13:33, STARS: 0
The house we typically go to on my wife’s side has a wine-making operation in the basement. It’s gotten better and better over the years. Unfortunately, it’s a 2 hour drive from home, so we can’t get into it much while we’re there. He always sends a bottle or two home, though.
Funny story related to that: one year I put the bottle (of red) he gave us in the front seat floor of my suburban, leaning at an angle in the corner of the passenger’s seat floor and the transmission tunnel/center console. Of course, I then forgot about it. Apparently, it was cold enough overnight to pop out the cork, but not actually freeze the wine - I still don’t get this, maybe the heat/cold cycle of being in the car(?) - but I did find it a FULL WEEK LATER still right side up but with the cork sitting on the floor next to it. I was one hard stop away from emptying a full (double) bottle of red wine on my passenger-side floor, for a week.
"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
11/27/2017 at 13:36, STARS: 0
What she’ll be measuring, whether she realizes it or admits it or not, is how much joy you receive in your own life because the chances are she wishes for more in her own.
"Xyl0c41n3" (i-am-xyl0c41n3)
11/27/2017 at 13:40, STARS: 1
Dude, you’re Latino. You should know this. EVERYone is invited to Thanksgiving (or just any family dinner in general). One year, so many people came over to my mom’s Thanksgiving that we had to set up folding chairs in the garage and driveway in order to seat everyone. That’s just how things are.
Shit, sometimes one of my cousin’s ex-wives shows up with HER family. Even when he, himself, doesn’t show up. We all kinda look at her funny, but we still smile and serve her a plate.
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
11/27/2017 at 13:57, STARS: 0
Politics weren’t part of the holiday conversation this year. Part of the afternoon was spent shooting powerful weapons at puny targets. When everyone at the party is armed and dangerous, everyone knows that being polite is the best course of action.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/27/2017 at 14:19, STARS: 1
"Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing." (granfury)
11/27/2017 at 14:21, STARS: 0
My thoughts exactly.
Compared to my old life I’m making less money than I have in ages (heck - I make less per year than she spends on private school for her kids), I’m thousands of miles away from the high-pressure LA rat-race I was accustomed to, and I’m working with the some of the most marginalized people in a dying Midwest town, yet I’m happier than I’ve been in decades. It’s a simple, honest life.
The question is whether she realizes what is going on in my life and how I feel. We don’t talk, email or communicate in any direct way, so how would she know? And if she did know, would she even care? Perhaps there’s a part of her that can see my relaxed nature and lack of goals and expectations (and freedom from the disappointment that comes with said goals and expectations not being met) that makes her a little jealous.
"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
11/27/2017 at 14:57, STARS: 0
Can I ask your age?
I think that where family is involved, it’s hard not to question some things, like how we measure up to each other and whether the relationship matters to us or not. I think the natural thing is for the relationship to matter. If it matters to you, you might tell her so, if it’s important to you. She may not know how you feel and may be living on a huge bundle of assumptions about how you feel about her.
And whether or not it matters, you may be wired in such a way as it simply does not matter, which would be convenient, wouldn’t it? but it doesn’t sound that way.
I’m 53 and I’m reaching a point in my life where I am asking whether I want to continue to pursue relationships where I am the only one trying. Do I throw in the towel, or do I carry on because family?
"Jason Spears" (shadestalker)
11/27/2017 at 14:58, STARS: 0
Drunk Uncle FTW though. When I heard Bobby Moynihan had a show I was hoping that was his character on it.
"diplodicus" (diplodicus)
11/27/2017 at 16:11, STARS: 1
My sister uses pizza stones wrong and it drives me crazy. She doesn’t put the stone in the oven when it’s preheating. She uses it like a pan which completely defeats the purpose of the pizza stone!
"ZHP Sparky, the 5th" (e30s2k)
11/27/2017 at 16:38, STARS: 0
What’s the point in that case?! I’m really hoping they don’t follow the same logic with deep frying…
Your E30 looks like my E30.
"Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing." (granfury)
11/27/2017 at 16:43, STARS: 0
I’m a tad younger than you, having hit the half century mark earlier this year. When I was in my forties it seemed that things like just being a teenager and graduation (high school and college) were recent events. Now that I’m past 50 I realize that a majority of my life is now behind me. It may seem a bit morbid, but I am under the impression, due to medical issues, that I likely won’t make it to my nineties, like my healthier grandparents did (smoking unfiltered cigarettes for decades took away one, and heart disease got another).
In the last year I’ve been trimming away unhealthy relationships. Life is too short to be surrounded by unhappiness and negativity, and I know that I’m not here to fix these people. Personally I would rather be alone for the right reasons than spending time with the wrong people out of guilt or obligation. Unhappy people will do what they can to reduce you to their level, probably so that they won’t be alone in their misery, and I’m not willing to do that. I’m not at that point with my sister as I don’t necessarily think that she is miserable or unhappy. Perhaps it’s more that we have different priorities in life, although I really don’t know what hers are or where they came from.
When I first moved I would write to her, but there was absolutely no reciprocation, just a comment through channels that the only way she keeps in touch with people is via Facebook. At a certain point I just had to stop and move on, not knowing the reasons for the lack of communication, and perhaps more importantly, not dwelling on it. It’s not like our family is any role model in this regard, but you would think that she, being the family-oriented type with the husband and kids, would be more inclined to keep in touch. Sure, there is always the bit of rebellion against traditional family values when one strikes out on one’s own, but eventually you get over that and appreciate family and move closer to them. Not her. She adopted a religion in order to get married and over the years has distanced herself from the rest of us.
I’m not so much worried about myself, but more about our parents. As they age they will probably need more assistance, and I question whether she will be there for them. Sure, she’s nearly two hours away, but that’s a heck of a lot closer than I am. Will they be able to count on her, or will they just be a burden? I can’t see them moving out to the Midwest, so will I be the one moving back home? They’re doing fine now, and are both probably in better shape than I am, so who knows - they’l probably outlast me...
"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
11/27/2017 at 17:31, STARS: 0
Your take on relationships is much how I see my own. I have some cousins that just will not reciprocate. It’s definitely very disappointing. My own parents? Pushing 80 and they probably don’t expect anything from us when they reach their dotage. And yes, when you hit 50, hopefully you’re in a good zone because there’s less time to begin Big New Things.
"Rico" (ricorich)
11/27/2017 at 17:50, STARS: 1
Lmao nah it’s true but my family wouldn’t tolerate any shit stirring like that during a family dinner. Especially not from someone who’s related via marriage (Like FOH you not even related!). We’d tell them to take that shit down the block!
"diplodicus" (diplodicus)
11/28/2017 at 08:10, STARS: 0
She does not deep fry anything so no worries.
I have a feeling your’s isn’t as rusty as mine. I keep telling myself I’ll stop spending money on it because it’s so rusty. But I keep spending money on it. I bought it 366days ago, it actually turned 28 on 11/25 and figured I’d drive it through the winter and find a less rusty one eventually and use mine for parts. But I haven’t found one I thought the price was right on yet, or that hasn’t been modified to shit.
I’ve got no spark at the moment and I need to figure out why. Coil, distributor, wires, plugs, rotor are all new within the past month so I’m going to take a look at the DME and relays once I get out of work.
"His Stigness" (HisStigness)
11/28/2017 at 17:36, STARS: 0
I love you and your wife. That story made me very happy.
I didn’t know that actual humans dress up for Thanksgiving dinner with family. That’s kind of sad.
"Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection" (itsalwayssteve)
11/29/2017 at 10:08, STARS: 0
This article explains that motherfucker . The tl;dr version is “liberals underestimate the number of people who agree with them because they tend to have better critical thinking skills. Conservatives overestimate the number of people who agree with them because they build a wall of “I’M RIGHT!” around themselves.”