Holidays are coming, freeper relatives are going to be hard to take

[catmandu57]

well, inlaws anyway, I'm going to be expected to go with the wife to her family dinners, thanksgiving and christmas. I don't know if I can do it, I don't want to hurt her feelings, but I didn't marry her family. I've got to find a way to beg off without hurting her feelings. I know there are many others in the same boat, how do we do this?

[Maple]

1. Can you suggest

that in the spirit of the season...cough...the topic of politics should be banned?

[catmandu57]

4. They're pigboy loving freepers

unless something really embarrising happens between now and then I'm afraid not. I just feel so outnumbered there, my mil I like but the rest of them. Well, the right word just doesn't come to mind.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. Hey Freddie...for Christmas buy them all a copy of BIG LIES!

:evilgrin:

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

13. Take a huge bottle of candy pills labeled "Hillbilly Heroin"

and as soon as they start talking their politics, start shoving handfuls of the pills into your mouth and letting them fall out while you laugh in their faces about their hypocritical hero.

[roguevalley]

25. Don't rise to their bait. Do what we do. Get up and go to another room.

If they force it on you, smile and say, 'yes. heroin addicts, baby killing war mongers, coke heads. I can see why you like them. They are the epitome of Republican family values." Then get up and leave the room. I guarantee they won't bring it up again.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. For the last several years my sister has invited her neighbor

to thanksgiving with us. She didn't vote for Bush but now thinks he is a great president. She voted for Arnold. She crosses picket lines.

I made it clear to my family that I will not be thankful if I have to share the dinner table with someone who basically spits on my fathers grave by going counter to everything he stood for while he was alive. The neighbor will be dining elsewhere this year....I told them...it's HER or ME and I don't really care if anyone doesn't like it.

[SiobhanClancy]

3. Can you find a way to get away?

At least for one of the holidays,,,,a little jaunt down to the Bahamas might be a different way for you to spend Christmas

[tridim]

5. I'm planning on saying one thing

when it inevitably comes up, "Everything I've predicted about Bush and his war in Iraq has come true. You can deny and suppress it if you wish, but you know I was right. The facts are the reality."

It's up to my relatives if they want to continue the conversation.

[catmandu57]

17. I like that

that might just work, thanks.

[Misinformed01]

6. Bad news

But, you did "marry her family." They are your family now too.

My poor husband is going to spend Thanksgiving with some of the meanest Republicans I have ever met in my life: my grandparents. Southern small town Republicans at that-

I feel sorry for him having to sit at the table with them...but, there it is. The only thing I know to do to make it easier for him is to stock up on Rolling Rocks, and appoint myself the designated driver.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

9. ROFL.....

I'll bet JM turns them into full on socialists before the turkey is out of the oven. ;-)

BTW, um, the Rolling Rock could escalate things...besides..it tastes like piss (not that I have ever drank piss, but I suspect it tastes like Rolling Rock..it looks just like it)

[Misinformed01]

14. Michael will turn my grandfather into a socialist

right after my pet unicorn sneaks in and devours the cranberry sauce.

Let me give you an example: last year, at the Thanksgiving table...or Christmas...my grandmother said to everyone at the table, "has anyone else read the book about George and Laura's marriage?? He used to blow up frogs!! Isn't that hilarious?"

We ALL just sat there in shock watching them giggle together over that.

My mother said, "well, I don't know about that, but isn't this honey baked ham delicious? You have to take some home for sandwiches..."

Then she poured more vodka into the punchbowl, and we all got ripped.

My father has to eat Tums like candy every Thanksgiving, and it has nothing to do with over eating--and he has been dealing with this for 44 years.

Here's the very worst part...nobody even has to mention Bush or Clinton...usually the argument is over the Roosevelts.

Maybe Michael and I should just call a cab instead.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

16. HAHAHAHAHA!

Do what I do...smoke a peace pipe before you get there. Hell my family isn't even freepers and I still need a little something to "take the edge off" before we all get together.

[Misinformed01]

21. Oh yeah! Now there's an idea!

Introduce a stoned socialist to the family! On Thanksgiving, no less!

Oh! Ohhhhh THIS is really funny! They also don't know he's an atheist!!!

Bwhahahahahahahahaha....OK, I am going to open a bottle of jack now....

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

22. You are the only DU'er I like to see post

when you are drunk...you are ten times more funny when you are drunk :D

[JanMichael]

29. Yep, a stoned Socialist would certainly liven things up!

JM: "Have you read read any Marx?"

GP: "Kill the Commie!"

[JanMichael]

31. That's ok baby...I can play like I'm a neo-CON.

I'll roll a nice fatty with a new $20.

[Philostopher]

8. After the year at Christmas

when one of Mr. Nownow's relatives (all of whom are white-collar people, most of whom can afford to own their own houses) stood up to announce to a room full of people, 'the problem with the economy is all the G*ddamn n***ers,' and the only ones who objected to this appraisal were the two of us, he and I have an agreement. If somebody says something patently offensive, I just get up and go outside to cool off. He's welcome to join me, but he doesn't have to -- I just won't sit and listen to the stuff. I wait about ten minutes and try to come back in. If the conversation continues in that vein, we leave. No explanations, no discussions, no bargaining -- he has the same political attitudes as me, but he's had to tolerate his family, agree or not, for the past forty years. Nobody should have to tolerate it, and I won't. As you said, you married her not her family - same here.

Doesn't happen with my family -- we range from rabidly liberal to ambivalent, and the ambivalent ones sure don't jump into the fray if they disagree with the rest of us.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. You guys are TOLERANT

I would leave or if they were in my house THEY would leave.

That word isn't allowed in my home unless it's on a rap record by a transformed rapper using it to make a point.

[Philostopher]

15. I know -- when I grew up,

My grandmother, who was born before the turn of the 20th Century, got a bye from my father on using the word ... but anybody else in my family who used it was punished, one way or another.

I honestly had a hard time breathing. It was the first time in 35 years of my life I'd ever heard that word in what was supposed to be a polite conversation between white people -- and we left soon afterward. Someone must have jumped on the relative who said it, after we left, because I've never heard a plainly racist remark again ... although they (including my MIL) will use phrases like 'those people,' which is a white, suburban code word for the same thing.

And hubby's relatives certainly weren't in our home. They won't come here -- at least half of them are allergic to cats, or claim they are. We have four cats, and a dog. They'll never come here unless they can be outside, and we never invite them for the warm weather holidays.

And just for the record, I sat on the sofa for the little while we stayed and fantasized about kicking the asshole in the groin repeatedly while I stared at my wristwatch. He seems to be an okay guy, otherwise, that's one of the reasons it pissed me off so much -- how can you behave so decently toward your family, but use such hateful language? It affected the way my husband looked at this particular family member from then on, too. He has a hard time reconciling that with the guy's behavior for the other 30-odd years he'd known him.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

18. I am far too confrontational for that

If anyone uses the word, I say "What makes you think I would enjoy/approve of a racist comment like that?"

I can be REAL INTIMIDATING (learned it from my mom)

[NightTrain]

10. It's times like this when...

...I'm glad not to have any family to speak of. Frankly, I'd much rather spend the holidays alone than with freeper relatives!

[SiobhanClancy]

12. I agree...

My parents and brother are gone,my sister and my daughter don't live around here and that is basically all the family I have. I have to say that I'm at a point in my life where I won't put up with hanging out with people I can't stand...I just won't put myself through that anymore.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

19. You can come to my house...bring your rare records

My entire family are music buffs!

[GinaMaria]

20. You have earned your holidays, no?

You work all year and deserve a functional event to express your gratitude. What is wrong with declaring that you will only have functional peaceful celebrations? I did this years ago, not with in-laws but with my family. I've never been happier. I got to a point where I thought 'I would rather spend X holiday alone than spend it with people who make me feel terrible about myself, who are miserable and unhappy, and who ruin every holiday. I developed zero tolerance for family and or holiday BS..

I'm recently married, and anticipate holiday in law problems. I told my husband 'I don't tolerate this kind of crap from my own family, I certainly won't tolerate it from someone elses'. Get strong and assert yourselves. It's your holiday too and you should enjoy it. Just my 2 cents. We really don't have that many holidays in a year that we can just sacrifice them to rotten family members.

Peace

Gina

[leftyandproud]

23. YOUR MISSION...should you choose to accept it...

is to convert as many pugs as possible into libertarians. DON'T debate the Iraq war...This will simply piss them off and waste your time. It's a much better idea to hit them on the ECONOMY...talk about the hundreds of billions in DEBT Bush is adding on..and make sure you mention how his SPENDING far outstrips even Clinton's wildest dreams. Tell them the Republicans are big spenders across the board, and they need to vote libertarian to change it. (anything to peel votes away from shrub!;)

[bearfan454]

24. My wife's family are freepers. I just smile at them.

One of them said I like Bush. I looked at her and said Can I ? She said no. I said please ? She said no. Oh well.

[Maddy McCall]

27. That is funny!

So you were muzzled, eh?

[bearfan454]

28. Yes I was.

It happens sometimes when you are married.

[Maddy McCall]

26. Will be spending the day with my mom and pop, and since my pop was just

diagnosed with cancer, I really won't be worrying about what his political stance is...I WILL be focusing on enjoying every moment with him.

[realFedUp]

30. Make them a big buncha homemade taffy

they'll be trying to unstick their dentures for days...

[FloridaJudy]

32. Arrgghh! Relatives!

I HATE the Holidays!!

I have to make nice with Family Members that I have to bite my lip in order to stand.

I'm a polite, well-mannered lady. My parents taught me the basics of ettiquette. Those creeps who expect me to make excuses for their biases are idiots, even if they are relatives!

I LOVE Halloween!

You get to dress up as the fantasy of your choice, wring door-bells and ask for candy.

What could be better than that?

[Melsky]

33. Mine are pretty liberal

hubby's relatives are thankfully on the other side of the country.