Nothing screws up a holiday like your family....

I would like to post an open letter to my siblings and to my in laws. Who I have come to believe have either spines of granite or jello... mostly I think the ones related to me by blood are the ones with the jello spinal columns.

Dear "family"

I would like you to note the return address on ANY piece of mail I have ever sent you - does it contain the abbreviation PA? No it does not. We don't live in Western PA anymore we must drive 4 hours or better to visit and spend time with you - our family. Now you may not believe this - but that road goes both ways!! Both to and FROM Western PA - not that any of you could be bothered to do so... in spite of countless invitations to this that or the other - including a do nothing weekend in mid-freaking July.

In the 20 years I have lived away from home I have worked really hard to ensure that both sides of the family get time with said relation so we could talk, bond, fight or whatever. But NEVER in 20 years have ANY of you bothered to so much as give 20 minutes of your oh-so important lives to adjust to my schedule. I must drive to you another 2 hours or so I must make do with the slivers of time you are willing to dish out of your busy lives.

Perhaps your feelings are "you moved you deal with it" and I do - however when you see your family on a pretty much daily basis why does it become such critical importance that you spend MORE time with them than the ones who must travel to see you? Can you offer an explanation? I doubt it.

So again another holiday where feelings are hurt, people are in tears and I get enough leftovers to feed a small army - and am darn grateful for it! You people decide when and where and how you can be bothered to spend time not only with me and Bubba but with the parents you DON'T vacation with every year - or the in-laws who do nothing but add to the stress in your life - or accept the shift on the day we are available for a visit - enjoy.

Next year - me and Nana are taking a cruise to a place with sunny beaches and hot and cold running cabana boys - and we'll think about taking our spouses. You people eat dried out turkey with in-laws forget all the traditions and enjoyment that WAS your family - and frankly my dear sister and brother - right now you can kiss my grits.

To my in-laws and my work-aholic husband - enjoy that 15 minutes with each other - I'll have another round.

Sorry this is so angry but like I said - nothing can screw up a holiday like your family - stay tuned I'm sure I can suck something funny out of THIS weekend. Including round one with Bubba... ponder this until I return... the office in which he is working is CLOSING at 3:00 PM today - is he coming home? No - he's not sure if he has to STAY AND WORK.

And do I need to remind anyone he's a TEMP in this job?

Oh - and if ANYONE on the planet can make sense of that bit of logic - call or write I'd love to hear it.