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April 19, 2007
Family family everywhere
And being driven to drink
I'm leaving tonight (yes, on a jet plane) for my cousin's wedding in San Diego. Thing One is coming with me. Cowboy and Thing Two are heading to Nevada for a soccer tournament that was inconsiderately scheduled for the same weekend that my cousin has decided to join his life to a woman who, from all reports, is beautiful, intelligent, kind and delightful. It's supposed to snow in Nevada. It's supposed to be sunny and sixty-five degrees in San Diego. I do not want to begin to think about what I'm going to owe in marital capital by the time the weekend's over.
But that's not what I want to blog about. I want to blog about the fact that my sisters are insane and are locked in a fierce battle over our itinerary and Thing One and I are clearly going to be drawn into the fight completely against our will.
We'll have most of Friday to ourselves and there are so many fabulous places to go and things to do in the San Diego area it's hard to decide. Well, it's hard for me to decide. It's apparently quite easy for Sissies One and Two to decide and then start an insidious behind the scenes battle to try and each get their way.
In case you haven't guessed, neither of my sisters ever read this blog. I don't encourage them to do so either.
Anyway, the campaign started last week when Sissy One e-mailed me pictures of a fabulous sculpture garden full of wild ceramic pieces and dedicated to Queen Calafia (the fabulous black queen after whom California was named . . . don't say I never taught you anything, 'kay?). Wouldn't I just love to go see that? Well, of course! Who wouldn't?
Sissy One neglected to tell me that the garden is an hour and half drive from where we're staying. Trust me, Sissy Two filled me in along with her proposal of going to something close by and then maybe while our mother is napping, going for a little shopping.
So I mention to Sissy One that it seems a little far to drive to look at sculpture and she dangles the prospect of the Wild Animal Park in front of my dazzled eyes. I love the Wild Animal Park. Sissy Two counters with the possibility of Sea World and no time appreciating art at all. I love Sea World! Splash me, Shamu! Splash me!
At any rate, they've spent the past week playing me against each other and, as usual, I've only just caught on and stopped playing. Sometimes it's tough to be the swing vote.
So does your family do this to you? How do you handle it?
Posted by Eileen at 7:00 AM | Comments (8)
Comments
Oh, you have my sympathy, Eileen :-) I have a similar problem when I visit my family - except the problem is that they don't have any plan at all about what they want to do. This results in much sitting around and tea drinking (which isn't a bad thing!). Finally, someone will say, "Gosh, is it really that time already? Where did the day go?"
One way around this would be to plan your very own itinerary without consulting anyone, then tell your sisters what it is. This works for me!
Have a great time at the wedding!
Posted by: Michelle C at April 19, 2007 1:43 PM
Are you suggesting I defy Sissy One and Sissy Two SIMULTANEOUSLY!!!! Egad, woman! Are you trying to get me killed?
Posted by: The LC Eileen ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.literarychicks.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 19, 2007 2:32 PM
LOL, Eileen, no, not at all. It's not the what it's the how. Can you think of something they both like doing, and that you like doing, but neither has yet suggested?
The main thing is to take control of the itinerary. It's your trip, therefore you should get to choose - but without them realizing :-)
Posted by: Michelle C at April 19, 2007 2:47 PM
My family has different machinations, which are usually complicated by one sibling deciding to do something with another branch and therefore robbing me of my buffer.
I like Michelle's suggestion, but it may require more subtlety than I possess.
Posted by: RandomRanter at April 19, 2007 4:33 PM
Ha! I suggested to Thing One that if he didn't want to go to the sculpture garden, he would have to help stand up to his auntie (who, for the record, would pretty much walk through busted glass for him) and he actually blanched and said that would be too scary. She is a powerful force!
I am taking your advice though. I found an aquarium (Thing One loves fish) that's near the ocean (I love the beach) and restaurants and shops. Wish me luck. I'll report back next week. :-)
Posted by: The LC Eileen at April 19, 2007 5:21 PM
I have an even better idea. I'll pick you up (I'm local) and we'll go across the border to Tijuana (yo hablo Espanol) and get snot-flinging drunk. The next day we'll head over to one of many indian casinos and play slots. Fun yes?
Posted by: Janina at April 19, 2007 8:17 PM
I'm thinking Janina is on to something....
Non LC Eileen
Posted by: Eileen Cook at April 20, 2007 10:58 PM
Ooooooh yes! My family is a family of control freaks. Could explain why I don't speak to half of them at all and the other half too often.
I find avoidence works great. It's also easy to pick what you really want to do and then blame your kid "AWww, sis, "son" had his heart set on going to Sea World. You wouldn't want to break his little heart?" Voila! Works every time.
As for my two cents. I really didn't like the Animal Park (too far to drive, too curvy a road to get there, too humid to enjoy, all the animals were hot and hiding), but Sea World is amazing. We all loved it.
Posted by: Antoinette at April 27, 2007 1:45 PM
