i complain about my parents a lot. mostly that they don't seem to care, no matter how big an effort i make. in anything. for over a decade, i have complained that they don't make an effort to visit me. never have. missed my wedding. only visited us once while we were in the military, and that was a joint family adventure to visit her sister, because i flew my brother to the east coast to see us for a graduation gift. even now that we have been living in the same time zone since 2003, i was once a rest stop on her drive to visit her sister and really, traffic between us is just too much for her to bear. i have complained about the fact that my brother and i both have pets and they are not allowed on my parents' property, period. if we want to visit, we have to make arrangements for our dogs. i last told them that since they won't budge on their dog position, we can't afford to board our dog for three days just to spend time in their house watching star trek and eating steak. my brother, luckily, has a sister who is able to puppysit so he can go visit. *ahem* and yes, that was mother's idea.
so we tossed around the idea last fall about them coming up to visit for my birthday week. in july. i always take that week off.
imagine my surprise last weekend when i was informed that they (parents and brother and his dog) were arriving for memorial day weekend instead. memorial day weekend.... the weekend that i couldn't take vacation days so we get to miss the bi-annual camping fest with all of our closest friends. so i will be at work. but that's ok. kevin has leave this weekend and won't the week of the fourth, so this works out better.
they are booking a suite at the hilton. of course, it's only one exit away from ours, so it's nice and close. in white marsh. she will find out what traffic REALLY is and how close that one exit ISN'T once she gets here. it is actually about 7 miles away, as the crow flies. depending on the traffic and the preferred route, time of day, how many people are texting and driving on the 95 and how many lanes are closed for that/those accident(s), it could take 20 minutes to an hour to go those 7 miles. she does not believe me. because the map shows that it is only one exit up the 95 from ours. whatever, lady. i don't live here or drive that route several times a week. i tried to tell her that the sheraton and marriott in towson are closer. it's about 4 miles. but that is three exits away. that is obviously much-much further. but there are about 35 ways to get to my house from towson, as opposed to four from white marsh. and a LOT less traffic.
now, they will be driving up on saturday. i work both sunday and monday. they want to do stuff with the kids in downtown baltimore. i don't drive in baltimore, so i suggested we take the light rail. great idea. it is way cheaper and easier than trying to find a parking garage. BUT on saturday, when they are driving here, they have to be at the hotel at 3:00pm for check-in. not 4. not 6:30. and heavens to betsy, 8:00 are you out of your mind??? but check-in is at 3:00!! which means we will be right there near chili's for dinner at 4pm. on a saturday. of a holiday weekend. at the busiest mall i have ever seen outside of the christmas frenzy. so, they want to drive from VA, take the light rail, do something expensive, eat lunch in there somewhere, take the light rail back and fight traffic at the busiest mall ever to arrive at the hotel by 3 pm. right. and have i mentioned the reason they want to eat out is because my mother thinks my house isn't clean enough to eat in? yeah. feeeeeel that love.
oh, and i haven't even gotten into the dogs. i am sure you know that trixie doesn't like other animals. my brother's dog, lexi, has been here a few times and trixie can tolerate her for a time. lexi barks. lexi chews furniture and bedding while my brother is asleep. in the bedding. lexi cries at night, howls when she wants to play. my mother doesn't want to risk lexi eating hotel furniture and howling and disturbing hotel guests. so she thinks lexi should stay with us for the weekend. so that lexi can chew my furniture and howl while i am trying to sleep those ample 5 hours i get between 9pm and 2am on work nights. seems fair.
the hives have started.
exactly why did i want them to visit again?
