The Hobbit Hole XXIV - Sand and Stone and Pool and Dell...

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[Overtaxed]

Sometimes things just happen...:)

[Corin Stormhands]

Sometimes things just happen...:)

"We're so sorry you couldn't make the conference last year. The enclosed certificate is for you. Merry Christmas."

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks Corin..... we have to sit and chew on this while we go to the dump.

My husband is now very tense and I feel for him... It's his parents, and his brother, that he doesn't want to confront or disappoint.

It's quite a pickle they've gotten us into. If I was a better person, I'd have been enthusiastic about going, and he'd probably have still hated it, but it'd have been easier than confronting this.

Question from the 'homework book' we're supposed to complete before going: "What three things produce the most stress in our marriage? What can we do to overcome them?"

But you have to tell them. If you don't, it WILL come up again.

Or, we can tell them, and it will still come up again :~D

Like wedding pictures :~D

[Overtaxed]

I guess it wouldn't do to tell them you've founded your own church, would it?

[HairOfTheDog]

He wants to tell them we've become Buddhist.

[RosieCotton]

I dunno who DOES like that kinda thing. Seriously. I'm kinda angry you've been put in this situation.

I mean...I'm a pretty "churchy" person, if you wanna put it that way. My Mom was much more so, and my Dad is too, to an extent. But I can't think of anything they'd have liked LESS than a retreat like the one described on that website. My Dad would have been absolutely embarrassed and miserable at anything like that. Not to mention retreats are something very personal...you pick them when and where *you* want, and with speakers *you* are interested in, IMO.

I don't know that there *is* a good way out at this point. If there ever was.

[Lil'freeper]

Ok - if I were to take you shopping at Penney's, here's what I'd suggest: Basic pant suit like this. Maybe not this one, per se. But something like it. And wear it with a simple tank like this. (the cami that sells with it is not very pretty.)

At Chico's I'd recommend black slacks with a jacket like this and a tank with bit of color.

At Talbots, I'd recommend something like this. It's not black, but it's sharp and isn't too old looking.

[JenB]

I wouldn't go either, if there's a good way you can tell 'em that. Those things are scary, man. It's really mean of them to give you a present like that.

Corin: "Growing Kids God's Way", shudder. My dad nearly got shunned by our church for three months after that seminar. Of course, the people using it couldn't tell why their kids were turning into little automatons.... one woman followed their breastfeeding schedule and all her milk dried up...

[ecurbh]

We've gone and joined The Church of St. Loony-up-the-Cream-Bun-and-Jam.

[Corin Stormhands]

Well, I hope I didn't make things more tense. But, the older I get the more I realize you gotta take care of these things when they start.

This is not about you being a better person. This is about them pushing their agenda on you. They have the best of intentions, but their methods are all wrong.

What three things produce the most stress in our marriage?

...Nana...Luke....Jr....oh wait, you weren't asking ~me~...

[RosieCotton]

I've never owned a pantsuit. They look pricey.

After all this...I'm thinking I'll just wear a church dress. *sigh* Nothing fancy, but I'm not interviewing at a corporate kinda place.

I just want this job soooo badly that I'm obsessing about everything. At least I'm aware that I'm obsessing.

[Lil'freeper]

It's quite a pickle they've gotten us into.

Is this something they have all done and they want you to do it to so you can be in their little group of alums?

[LSAggie]

While Corin has the most proper solution; I think I would be tempted to just burn the d@mn thing. If you return the certificate it could be a real slap in their faces, while if it expires, the justification would be that you thought you had a solution to the overnight hassle, but it just didn't work out. It is just not worth either of you two getting an ulcer over!!

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I have to say I'm feeling a little better just knowing all of you good people also would find it to be dreadful. I thought it was just me, and I thought it was quite possible some of you would say that we should just go, that it will be a wonderful experience we'd cherish.

[ecurbh]

I dunno who DOES like that kinda thing.

My brother. He loved the one they went to, and thought it was the best thing ever for their marriage. So there's that. ;~D

[Overtaxed]

If you just up and tell them you don't want to go, will that solve your Christmas Problem too?

[HairOfTheDog]

Is this something they have all done and they want you to do it to so you can be in their little group of alums?

Yes.

[Corin Stormhands]

Exactly. Dr. Laura calls "GKGW" child abuse because you feed the child when YOU want to, not when the child is hungry.

Luke would have died on that schedule.

That was our big problem. No means to deal with an ADHD kid. And there was a woman in our group whose husband didn't come with her and who resented her going to church at all. What was she supposd to do?

Nursery workers have told us more than once the GKGW kids are the crankiest. 'Cause they're HUNGRY!

[LSAggie]

LOL, I love your sense of humor!!

[Corin Stormhands]

and I thought it was quite possible some of you would say that we should just go, that it will be a wonderful experience we'd cherish.

I'm sorry. Did you mean to ping ksen? ;-)