I have returned from the Land of Eternal Darkness & the Land without Time

[underpants]

My wife and I got home yesterday from my folks and her folks for the Christmas season. Luckily we were both smart enough to take today off-I have to go back to work for one day (tomorrow) and then I get Friday off, she goes back and gets Monday off.

Anyway we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at my folks. They both have good retirements and saved money their whole lives and recently cashed in on an investment but....

THEY WON'T TURN ON THE HEAT!!

There house is on a neighborhood on highground in the Shenandoah Valley so it was bitterly cold and the wind ALWAYS blows hard. It is like they have a shelter and are conserving the firewood. My stepfather has always been cheap but this is ridiculous-we think he is hording money to leave to his kids (older than me and my brother) from his first marriage. My brother just had major surgery and has a huge scar across and down his neck (lymph node and jugular vein removed) so the cold wasn't helping him any. My wife is pregnant so she can't afford to get sick-she had to sleep downstairs on a love seat Friday night-it was THAT cold upstairs in our bedroom.
My mother seems to be brainwashing herself about the whole thing:
-"Put on layers" I don't want to put on layers and you shouldn't have to wear to pairs of socks in your own home.
-"Is it cold in here?" She of the neverending questions (retired schoolteacher, that is her way of communicating) and the answer was always ----YES!!! (from everyone but my stepfather)
-"This fireplace really warms things up huh?" NO!! it is a fake gas fireplace and the only thing it warms is the mantel. She went on an on about the damned fireplace (always does) but fails to realize that there is no way it could possibly warm the four bedroom two floor house. Hell the garage was about as warm as the upstairs bedroom.

AND they are so cheap they turn off every light except the room they are sitting in. I got up to get some more coffee at 7PM and the light in the kitchen was out. Good grief. My stepfather actually asked my brother about the light being on in his bedroom at 5:30 in the morning- he gets up regularly to take pain meds and in a strange house he has a hard time moving around. That answer and the stare I gave my stepfather for asking such a stupid question (and making the obvious implication shut him right up).


We left Christmas morning to got to my in-laws. A really nice 4 day three night stay near Roanoke. Luckily my jerk brother-in-law left the next day and we didn't have to deal with that-he finally brought his girlfriend and her daughters to meet his parents(long story there) and mainly to steal attention from his PREGNANT SISTER. :eyes:
We got to see his ex and her fiancee (the brother-in-law doesn't know yet and doesn't know she knows about his girlfriend (REALLY long story)). We also visits with several old friends of my wife.

Great time but there are NO clocks anywhere in the house. Our bedroom was so dark that I actually could not see my hand in front of my face when the light was off. When I wake up in the middle of the night I like to know what time it is-I have to wear a watch to bed.

Overall a great holiday-my wife got me a big Bertha 7-wood (I was only expecting something way less expensive) and my folks got me a rolling tool box (the kitties have a fort to play in now-the box it came in). We also got $100 gift cards from Pier One, Home Depot (I know I know), and I gave my wife a $100 Target card.

I also got the thrill of running on the Blue Ridge Parkway (as a flatfooter I wasn't used to the hills at all) and I actually fed a herd of 20 cows at a "farm".

Still it was freezing at my folks place. We aren't going back until the first thaw.

[yardwork]

1. Is your mom ok?

Your FIL sounds like an extremely controlling person, and it sounds like your mother tries to cover for him while placating him. This must be exhausting for her. Do you think she is ok?

[underpants]

4. They are fighting it out about the money but she is a strong woman

I think you meant my stepfather not FIL.


It was a duel investment and he is trying to keep the money to himself. She is going to demand there be two checks.

I didn't realize how we used to live in layers. Even at our old house (with a real fireplace* ) we always wore layers of clothes. I never clued into that.

She is fine. Her VERY liberal friend swears he has brainwashed her into supporting and voting for Bush. I pointed out that having Fox News as your main news source is the problem.

*-funny story...now. The week after I graduated high school and after a long alcohol soaked week at the Outer Banks of North Carolina my friends dropped me off at our old house (different part of the state of Va.) to find 5 TREES in the driveway. My Stepfather got a deal and we chain sawed and chopped all of them into firewood. I remember listing to the Chicago Bears/Redskins NFC Championship game on the radio STILL chopping wood. Man did I have some "guns" (biceps and forearms)after that.

[yardwork]

12. Yeah, sorry about the mis-type. I was thinking about my FIL

who is a similar jerk. (Actually, he's my husband's stepfather, which I guess makes him my step-father-in-law.)

It's weird how some people get about saving money no matter what in their later years. I hope I never get like that....

[underpants]

13. It seems to be that or getting real religous real fast

You know to make sure they are in good with the big guy.

:eyes:

He will got to 5 different grocery stores to get the DEALS they offer....and no he doesn't figure the cost of gas into his "savings".

[yardwork]

15. My step-FIL is real religious too

He carries his bible around with him everywhere and calls fellow southern baptist males "brother."

[yardwork]

16. He's a freeper too. He's probably monitoring this thread

[underpants]

17. Yeah I had dinner with a freeper type

My wife's brother's ex's fiancee. Did you get all that?

I was told in advance not to bring up politics (like I was going to anyway :eyes: ) as he is very involved with the Repub party. It was funny he must have known that I (we)have become very involved with the Va. Dem party(not just DU) so the first part of the meeting was like moving around before a fight.

I liked the guy okay but I understood what was sitting right across from me. His son was there (wait until he hears how much everyone thought the boy looked like me when I was his age-my wife picked up on it right away-the haircut was almost exact) and this guy was of the "Beat the hell out of them" paternal Repub school. Nothing harmful mostly playing around but it was pretty obvious that the dad dominates the sons life. Oh and he was very proud of his military service so I asked about it (something in common I thought) ---he was in the Air Force...I almost did a spit take. No offense but guarding missile silos in North Dakota doesn't really compare to being in a Bradley in Germany. We ex-Army types don't take anything Air Force too seriously.

[katinmn]

2. Welcome back!

Sounds like you had a doozy of a time.
:donut:

Have some coffee and a doughnut and enjoy the comforts of home!

[underpants]

6. Thanks-my wife just woke up from a long sleep in OUR bed

Having coffee right now.

[demnan]

3. My cousin was so cheap

she wouldn't turn the hot water on when we opened up her beach house on weekends so showers were cool. Since we always went in summer this wasn't a big problem (no air conditioning of course). But she also turned her refridgerator off and of course it broke after that so she had to sell the place "as is". I think she would have gotten enough more for the house to cover the cost of leaving the fridge on.

If the pipes freeze in this home your folks are going to be spending a lot more money than it takes to heat the house every month. Not to mention medical bills from making someone sick from this. Try emphasizing the practical consequences of their actions. And I definitely wouldn't go back until about May. And I agree with the post above, the father in law sounds like a really controlling person.

No use being "penny wise and pound foolish".

[underpants]

9. Oh yeah about the hot water

My wife remarked about how long it took to get hot water from the freakin' sink!!!

They just installed a new heat pump on top of the gas heat they already had. "Saves a lot of money" my coupon cutting rebate hound stepfather says.

Another realization I had- I thought that every house only had two good hot showers in the water heater everyday. Growing up the third one in got ice cold water. I didn't realize this was not normal. We are talking about a middle middle class house too.

My in-laws have NO water pressure either. Taking a shower means SCRUBBING the soapy film off of yourself with a towel afterwards.

[aWaKeNoW]

5. Sounds like

you and your family could have used some of MY family's Christmas heat! My dad had the damn house SO hot with his fireplace from hell (that NEVER burns out) we actually had to stand outside to COOL off!! LOL!

[underpants]

10. Did you get hit with the snow storm?

Welcome to DU :hi:

Getting home to our old apartment with FREE radiator heat was one of the greatest joys of my life. Sounds like you had the opposite situation as we did.

[aWaKeNoW]

14. Thanks!

:) Yeah, my husband and I went "around the Carolinas in three days" for Christmas visiting my folks in Columbia, SC and his folks in upstate SC then back home here in Raleigh where we live. We only got some sleet in Columbia but when we got back home there was still snow and ice on the ground. Whew...I'm just glad we survived it all! (no family drama as usual so that was great!)

[matcom]

7. TURN OFF THE DAMNED COMPUTER WHEN YOUR NOT POSTING!!

you'll save $$$

:bounce:

welcome back pal!

not much new here whilst you were f*cking cows!

i got a thread locked for sex....
DS1 sniped a bunch of crippled children
&
Arwalden has me tied up in his basement.

same shit. different day.

:hi:

[underpants]

11. Those crippled children probably deserved it

:evilgrin:

If my stepfather ever ventured near their computer he would probably unplugged it to save on the monitor OFF light from running. I'm not kidding.

Oh yeah-I got to see "Holes" too AND we got some battery powered candles "In case there is another hurricane" (from the in-laws)

[commander bunnypants]

8. pepper was a butt hole

would not eat just wanted attention

CB

[electricmonk]

18. Should have told me you were coming to the area

Would have taken you out for a beer. Me and some friends went bar-hopping in downtown Roanoke Christmas night. Well, we actually do that every weekend but it's always fun to do on a holiday.

[underpants]

20. Damn I totally forgot

You are right I should have. We did go to a friends Christmas party Sunday night near downtown (24th street) I guess. I really don't know that much about the Star City other than getting married there.

[VaYallaDawg]

19. Welcome back to town Underpants.

Just wish it was a little warmer here!! Look at it this way, at least you went to visit them rather than the other way around!!

[underpants]

22. Next year (with a baby hopefully) everyone is coming here

Boy will THAT be fun!! I can't wait to lay the "while you are living under MY roof..." law down on them.

:bounce::evilgrin:

[VaYallaDawg]

27. Fantastic for you and Mrs. U for new baby!!

Let's see -
1. No noise after 6 pm.
2. No noise before 9 am.
3. No smoking within 2 blocks of house.
4. No farting.
5. All shots must be up to date.
6. No illnesses within past 6 months.

etc., etc., etc.

[underpants]

28. Yeah we found out one of the girls was taking antibiotics

the daughter of my wife's brother's girlf friend (god this Nuclear family thing is getting all screwed up) was taking Keflex. We found out on Sunday as my mother-in-law found the empty bottle.

My wife has a history of strep throat so this didn't go over very well. My in-laws are going to read him the riot act.

[Phillycat]

21. I missed you yesterday.

I even posted a thread about it. :) Welcome back and I'm sorry all your relatives are freaks. ;-)

[Midlodemocrat]

23. Welcome back, Underpants!

The greater Richmond area hasn't been the same without you!


When we were in San Francisco at Thanksgiving, my sister in law refuses to turn on the heat. Literally, a million dollar house with no heat. I still can't feel my toes.

[underpants]

25. Thanks-check out this link

Very interesting.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2878141

[redqueen]

24. Welcome back, , underpants!

Pity about the heat, did you consider alternate methods of heating up the bedroom?

[underpants]

26. a)parents house b)right above their bedroom

c) we have already been there (pregnant) It was my pleasure to be a part of it....so far. :evilgrin:

[Not_Giving_Up]

29. My husband's parents

Made him keep the closet door closed at all times. They weren't interested in heating and cooling the closet. Umm, people, the damn closet isn't that big!

I also have to know what time it is in the middle of the night. I'm always waking up, I have a compulsive need to know how often.