January 09, 2007~~9:35 p.m.
A long one where I gripe about someone else's griping. Ironic, no?

I started to write in Reader's comments (because her Christmas-related gripe got me started), but then realized that it was really my own issue.

For the most part, the resolutions are going well. But I can NOT let go of how flipping annoying my mother-in-law is. ARG! That woman makes me crazy!

We went out for the husband's 40th birthday on Saturday. Elle was wearing a gorgeous brown bracelet I made her for Christmas. MIL says to her, "That's pretty. Did your mom make that for you?" When Elle said yes, MIL sighs, "I didn't get one."

Holy flippin' f***! This woman is 60 years old and she is whining to my teenager about what she didn't get for Christmas! Nevermind the fact that in December of 2005 her birthday present to Elle was a "$100 day with grama shopping spree" that she failed FOR A YEAR to ever schedule (because they are so *busy* being retired and all) and then in December of 2006, instead of just giving her a check, she gave her a promise of doubling the spree they never had together the prior year.

ARG!

And back to what MIL got for Christmas, it's not like we didn't get her plenty of presents, all of which we put a great deal of thought into. And it's not like she wasn't happy with those presents... she just thought I should have given her jewelry TOO.

The only people I made presents for this year were Elle, my teaching partner, and the ONE bracelet for my sister-in-law. If I'd had time to make more, there would have been at least a handful of people who would have been above my MIL on the list anyway. For godsakes, I didn't even make something for my aunt!

Yes, I did make one for my sister-in-law, but it was the ONLY present we gave her because we'd decided years ago, when we were all young and poor, to quit the grown-up presents and I only did so to reciprocate because she brought me a present.

Besides that, last year I spent HOURS knitting MIL a gorgeous chenille scarf (before I ever even made on for myself) and I have never seen her wear it.

I am tired, tired, tired of putting up with the sort of childish crap that woman pulls on a regular basis. I don't know if the years have gotten to me or if I've just reached the quota of what I can take, but I'm just at my wits end.

Amazingly, the husband must be growing weary of it too. In the 20 years I've known him, though he's made comments about her behavior after we've left her company, he's never said word one in her presence. Not so on Saturday.

When the server brought the salads over to the table, MIL waited until she walked away and then immediately started griping about how FIL's "baby greens salad" was a MUCH BETTER salad than the "green salad" she'd gotten. She kept blaming the waitress for not offering her that kind of salad when she ordered (though it was clearly in the salad choices on the menu and there was an ENTIRE CONVERSATION about the flippin' salad when my FIL ordered because my BIL told him that he HAD TO get the baby greens salad because it is SO delicious.

Obviously, the woman thinks she is the center of the flip-flappin' universe and doesn't pay a lick of attention to anything that doesn't directly involve her.

Anyway, she's griping about the salad and my FIL tells her that he'll happily trade with her. She declines his offer and then continues to bad-mouth the waitress and the restaurant over her inferior salad. And on and on and on and on... The woman is like the f***ing Energizer Bunny of complaining.

And the husband looks across the table at her and said, "Dad offered you his salad." And when she responded that she wasn't going to take his salad, the husband said, "Well then just stop; no one wants to listen to you complain."

I was SHOCKED.

And I swear she had to choke back tears.

And I *almost* felt sorry for her.

Except I didn't because I've been choking back those words for twenty years and I'm sick of her needing to drag down everything we ever do with her negativity.

I don't think the husband noticed the teary eyes and I haven't mentioned it to him. I don't think he needs any guilt over that and I certainly don't want to discourage him from speaking up in the future.

So, uh, yea. That whole shrug it off thing... not so much happening. But I think it was Reader who said that it's good to have five resolutions so that if you bail on one or two, you can still feel like you accomplished a lot.

~Alice