One day post gobble

[judecorp]

Thanksgiving Dinner was successful in the food arena - my uncle is a fantastic cook and everything was delicious. We don't really have any "special family" dishes, just the usual - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, rolls - although my grandmother's stuffing will literally kill you because it is made of about two pieces of bread and SEVEN POUNDS OF MEAT. I forget how many different kinds of meat, but I know there is ground beef and linguica and gah, there's probably something offensive like ground veal in it, too. I eat very very small amounts of it because it tears through my insides like woah but I also don't want to offend Grandma. My uncle likes the stuffing so much he makes sandwiches out of the leftovers. Stuffing sandwiches. PURE MEAT.

My aunt made green bean casserole this year because she had JUST HEARD OF IT. Dude, who hasn't heard of green bean casserole? Do they not see those commercials for those scary French's fried onions or Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup? Still, I like a little green bean casserole, so it's all good.

Tim seemed to have a good time and everyone was nice to him. He hit it off with my SIL because she is also a fan of karaoke and show tunes. The winning moment was when my aunt asked Tim if he would have been "watching all the football games" yesterday if he hadn't come over. HA HA HA HA HA.

I don't know when it became the family joke that I'm cheap, but it's really starting to become too much to bear. I'm not sure how someone can be called 'cheap' when she pays out more money than she brings in every month. If I were so cheap, I'd hope I'd have been able to save a couple of dollars in the last 1.5 years that we've been in Boston, or maybe not have to have endless conversations about whether or not we can even afford to have a baby. I'm just sick of hearing my brother berate me for not being able to afford to run the central air all summer long, or to keep the heat set on 75 degrees, as if somehow I have all of this utility bill money stashed away that I'm refusing to use while Jen shivers in the corner begging for another lump of coal for the furnace. If someone wants to come take a look at our finances and give us a heads up on how NOT to stress about impending $200+ heating bills when we didn't have much left over when the gas bill was $35, PLEASE, come on over! I'd love to hear what you have to say!

I especially liked the part where my grandmother called me "too cheap" to engrave the charm bracelet we bought my SIL for her birthday. Because, well, a cheap person wouldn't have bought her a freaking gift in the first place. Besides, I didn't know how she would want it engraved.

But the best part was watching my wife join in the fray, and needing my SIL in to stick up for me and tell people they were hurting my feelings. That takes the pumpkin pie.

Comments

[wendywoowho.livejournal.com]

Aaaaaaaaah, family teasing. Sucks ass.

Happy post-Gobble.

[keelamonster.livejournal.com]

Man, I hate the whole family teasing. There is a huge difference between 'cheap' and 'broke' and don't people get that. I mean, come ON. Did they never struggle for money ever?

It sucks struggling for money when the rest of the people you hang out with/are related to/love have plenty. My brother and his wife are sort of going through that now, having made a couple of moves that cost them some money. I don't think they're cheap by any stretch of the imagination, I think they can't afford a lot of things. And I respect that and don't make an issue of it. Or at least I certainly try not to.

If it really gets painful, tell your family that you're trying your best, you're not cheap, you're broke and to bugger off. It's nicer than telling them to shut the fuck up, I find. :)

[grrlpower.livejournal.com]

I never heard of green bean casserole before I moved here..

[kungfoogirl.livejournal.com]

But honey, doesn't green bean casserole have dried onions on top?

And I'm sorry about the rough time. =( Sometimes people tease folks that they think get too flustered over things (hence making it "fun" to watch someone get upset) or those that they think will just take it, because what's the harm in that?

People that take a little ribbing, but can somehow draw that line, escape teasing.

I just recently learned the tone of voice that says "I'm not upset, but I'm not having any more of this." The few times I've been able to use it have been wonderful though.

If I were in your shoes, I'd talk to people individually and tell them that your feelings were hurt and that you'd like it if they didn't tease you about that anymore. Of course, someone might suggest that you're being too sensitive or taking it too seriously (at least, that's beena common reaction when I've confronted people about excessive teasing). But if there's anything I've learned from you, it's that your feelings are valid. Regardless of how it was intended to be taken, those comments made you feel a certain way, and people shouldn't just dismiss those hurt feelings.

Anyways.

Just my long ramblings thoughts. Even if I'm totally off-base and completely wrong, at least it might help to know that someone else sympathizes.

[poopsmoothie.livejournal.com]

Wow, jerkwads.

We keep OUR heat set to 60. :)

[smurfbrother.livejournal.com]

Sorry, when I saw it was making you uncomfortable, I stopped. I didn't mean to make you sad.

[dyketit.livejournal.com]

tell them that your way more extravagent then me, (who they dont know but that is irrelevent), because when our roommate came home the other day our house was 39 degrees. oops. he's like "i tried not to care but when i went up to the attic (his room) and tried to type and couldnt feel my feet or hands i had to turn on the heat, im sorry!" lol. best advice, just buy space heaters, we never used our heat last year, just space heaters and NOONE who came over knew, we'd get lost of comments on how toasty the house was and electric is alot cheaper than gas or oil. this year we havent been able to find the ones we want, which is why we are so cold, but they normally have really safe( ie. pet safe ones) for cheap.

There's more of gravy than of grave about you.

[rizzo41.livejournal.com]

That was definately not nice of them. At all.

However, the image you painted of you being all Scrooge with the lump of coal made me giggle.