family, with adaptations
Aug. 8th, 2010 01:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
minxyI shall frame this like one of those camp improve skits:
Fortunately, my family all like each other enough that they wanted to come visit and have a reunion in my beautiful town
Unfortunately, my Mom was left to the pre-planning, and she's not so good with details.
Fortunately, there's a resort next to my house, so I had fewer responsibilities as a host.
Unfortunately, I did have the only working kitchen, and many dietary limitations (which were not well-communicated.)
Fortunately-ish, two of the most complicated/least communicated diets were not able to come to the first part of the visit.
Unfortunately, I still dealt with anywhere from 5-12 guests in rotation, essentially taking over my house.
Fortunately, on the day I lost it and escaped to my bedroom, my brother and only actual houseguest ran interference and kept most people away.
Unfortunately, my house has no doors, so one (well-meaning) guest did sneak up to bond about how much she understood that I wanted to be alone. (The logic there still perplexes me.)
Fortunately, my sweetheart talked me down on the phone, and no family members were harmed. In fact, I think my brother was very impressed that the Sweetheart has that skill (they haven't met yet. It's rare that my brother visits me, and The Man I Left Behind will make his first trip to a family holiday this winter).
Unfortunately, that little breakdown was only one week into a two week event.
Fortunately, it wasn't the most dramatic breakdown?
Unfortunately, the most dramatic breakdown was when my car's fuelpump failed. Two states away from home.
Fortunately, my family was in the car with me.
Unfortunately, we were still 80 miles from my Grandfather's house,
Fortunately, my aunt came to pick us up. We thanked her muchly.
Unfortunately, we had to have my car towed 90 miles in a different direction.
Fortunately, the car was fixed within two days. And at a dealership, which means they replaced 3 recalls gratis.
Unfortunately, it cost upwards of $800
Fortunately, my parents donated the money they would have spent on a rental car, if I hadn't been driving them around already for a week, and across three states. That got me to where I could afford the rest.
Unfortunately, it did delay me a day getting home (to peace and quiet).
Fortunately, I got an extra day with my 93-year old Grandpa, who is sharp as a tack.
Also fortunately, I drove home by myself with no car troubles.
Also also fortunately, my Mom had done all the dishes and cleaned my whole kitchen so I came home to a clean-ish house. And people left half-bottles of really good booze, and significant leftovers.
Most importantly, I got to have moments with family members whom I haven't seen in years, and they were lovely. There were a *lot* of them, but the one-on-one moments were my favorites, and they made up for losing my personal space for a few weeks.
The moral of this story: weeks, dear God. A normal amount of chaos is normal, and it's amazing that my family all like each other so much. But never again for so long.
Fortunately, my family all like each other enough that they wanted to come visit and have a reunion in my beautiful town
Unfortunately, my Mom was left to the pre-planning, and she's not so good with details.
Fortunately, there's a resort next to my house, so I had fewer responsibilities as a host.
Unfortunately, I did have the only working kitchen, and many dietary limitations (which were not well-communicated.)
Fortunately-ish, two of the most complicated/least communicated diets were not able to come to the first part of the visit.
Unfortunately, I still dealt with anywhere from 5-12 guests in rotation, essentially taking over my house.
Fortunately, on the day I lost it and escaped to my bedroom, my brother and only actual houseguest ran interference and kept most people away.
Unfortunately, my house has no doors, so one (well-meaning) guest did sneak up to bond about how much she understood that I wanted to be alone. (The logic there still perplexes me.)
Fortunately, my sweetheart talked me down on the phone, and no family members were harmed. In fact, I think my brother was very impressed that the Sweetheart has that skill (they haven't met yet. It's rare that my brother visits me, and The Man I Left Behind will make his first trip to a family holiday this winter).
Unfortunately, that little breakdown was only one week into a two week event.
Fortunately, it wasn't the most dramatic breakdown?
Unfortunately, the most dramatic breakdown was when my car's fuelpump failed. Two states away from home.
Fortunately, my family was in the car with me.
Unfortunately, we were still 80 miles from my Grandfather's house,
Fortunately, my aunt came to pick us up. We thanked her muchly.
Unfortunately, we had to have my car towed 90 miles in a different direction.
Fortunately, the car was fixed within two days. And at a dealership, which means they replaced 3 recalls gratis.
Unfortunately, it cost upwards of $800
Fortunately, my parents donated the money they would have spent on a rental car, if I hadn't been driving them around already for a week, and across three states. That got me to where I could afford the rest.
Unfortunately, it did delay me a day getting home (to peace and quiet).
Fortunately, I got an extra day with my 93-year old Grandpa, who is sharp as a tack.
Also fortunately, I drove home by myself with no car troubles.
Also also fortunately, my Mom had done all the dishes and cleaned my whole kitchen so I came home to a clean-ish house. And people left half-bottles of really good booze, and significant leftovers.
Most importantly, I got to have moments with family members whom I haven't seen in years, and they were lovely. There were a *lot* of them, but the one-on-one moments were my favorites, and they made up for losing my personal space for a few weeks.
The moral of this story: weeks, dear God. A normal amount of chaos is normal, and it's amazing that my family all like each other so much. But never again for so long.