Be Prepared to Bow

The Princess is coming. Tomorrow night. For a few days. For her high school reunion. Can you say, "bite me"? Sorry. For those of you who haven't played our game "You Can't Kill 'Em", this is my sister-in-law who lives in Virginia. Now, taken in small doses she's fine. It's just all the lies and b.s. that comes with her.

She's the only girl. She's two years younger than Hubby. She's the one who got enough college degrees for her and both her brothers. She married a dairy farmer and has spent the next 20-something years complaining about how hard they work and how little they make and woe is me. One time she sent a letter with her usual whines, but one line stuck out "It's so frustrating when you work so hard and things go bad". We're putting it on her tombstone. It's her mantra. She lives far, far, away so it's easy to write such gibberish to her parents and siblings. We'll believe her (well, some of us will). When she talks to her mother on the phone, it's how wonderful her family is ( better in all ways than our kids) but oh, how hard they work.

My MIL talked for a long time about how hard the Princess worked on the farm, getting up at 3 a.m. to do the morning milking. Then she got a job at a nearby college where she makes good money, good benefits. Now, I hear for years about how the Princess is at work at 5 a.m.... oh, how hard she works! After a few years of this, Hubby gets up the nerve to ask what time does she go home? (Both of us having been led to believe all these years that she's sooooo overworked). She gets off at 2 p.m. Oh. Uh-huh. I see. What part of that overworked thing did we miss?

On top of that, she comes for visits and sleeps in. Think about it. I don't know about you people, but when I'm used to getting up every morning at 4, 5, 6 o'clock, then I can't sleep-in. I can go back to bed, but sleep-in? Forget it. Yet, this woman who supposedly gets up at 3 or 4 in the morning to be at work by 5 can sleep until 11? Forgive me for being a bit suspicious....

I'm also a bit jealous, I admit. According to MIL the Princess has a beautiful perennial flower bed and a lovely veggie garden. Excuse me? I've had perennial flower beds and veggie gardens since before Princess even knew there was dirt in her yard. Have I ever heard a word from MIL about my gardens? ...how hard I work in them? Arrrrggghhh!

It just gets so old. I've mentioned before about how they whine about not having money, but yet they manage to rent a house at the beach for two weeks every summer. They've been to Australia, Ireland (more than once), several states, and various other trips - funded by...wait for it...MIL. Can't prove it. Can't dis-prove it. However, a few years ago the entired family (excluding ours) went to the beach for 10 days. This included the Princess, husband and two children, and BIL, wife and two brats boys. This was to celebrate one of the Princess' kids graduation from college. They went in May, when we couldn't go because of field work. They didn't ask our kids to go (just because Hubby and I couldn't go didn't mean our kids couldn't!). Hubby wasn't happy.

He asked his mother if she was paying for this. She was evasive, then said 'no'. Yeah...right.

After they got back, sharing the photos of their wonderful time with us peons that couldn't go (thanks, people, rub it in) he happened one day to be talking to his brother - BIL.

Hubby: Sure was nice of Mom to pick up the tab for all this, wasn't it?
BIL: Yeah! Man! We couldn't have gone otherwise. It was great!

Guess MIL's a liar, huh? Like I say, this is how it goes in this family. At least with our kids if I spoil one, I try to spoil the rest.

Gotta go practice my kissing ass bowing.