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T-day at the in-laws

LostinSpaceandTime's picture

DH's parents invited us for T-day. They live 5-6 hr drive south of us in the same house as his brother and SIL. We only see BIL and SIL once or twice a year if that. There is no real relationship there for me or DH.

His parents come up to stay with us a couple times a year. They just stayed almost a week in June.

I am disengaged from DH's three adult daughters. They will not be there but there is sure to be talk about them and of course the ancient past that always is discussed.

I did not want to go yet agreed with the condition we stay in a hotel instead of their house. DH was ok with this but let his parents steamroll him ( it didn't take much). To stay at their house.
I am angry that again my concerns are not considered. I told DH the reasons I did not want to stay with them. He was fine with it just as long as I would go. He cannot stand up to his parents or brother or kids. So I feel tossed under the bus again.

On top of this there is a bad winter storm here now and thru tomorrow when we are to travel. I do not want to travel on dangerous icy or wet roads. I am hoping he will make a decision on his own today that it is not safe to go but I doubt he will as then he would have to call his folks to cancel. Much better to put our lives at risk than to do that.

On top of this. I have to leave my very old dog with my groomer for boarding for two nights. I know she takes good care of her but the dog must be crated all the time at her place and she is not used to that and the routine will be more stressful for her. She has a lot of health problems and meds. I worry that the stress will be bad on her. And why put the dog thru this for a trip I don't even want to go on?

Also I have final projects to work on for my classes this semester that end next week. I am not where I thought I would be on them when I agreed to go. And I thought I would have some time on the trip to work on them at the hotel in the evenings.

If I just tell DH that I have decided not to go but he can go if he wants to, then he will not go either but will likely be mopey and miserable to be around. Whatever, that doesn't bother me, he didn't care about my concerns to plan the trip as we agreed to anyway.

And DH is so overwhelmed by his work that he will likely be sitting there at his parents checking his work email on his phone or getting calls about problems at work anyway. That happens non stop here at home. Why should it stop just because we drive to another state. So then I will be pissed at him for going all that way to visit his family when he would be distracted by work stuff anyway.
And in the past he has always drank too much when we are there so he passes out to sleep when we go up to bed but snores so much I can't get any sleep or even get away from it into another room. I just know that even though he promised he would not do the work or excess drinking so I would go with him, that he will anyway because he already changed the plan about the hotel. Another reason I wanted the hotel was because if he had to drive to go to it then he couldn't drink as much. He does not have a problem with drinking normally, I think it is just a way to cope with his family during these visits.

So I just don't want to go. If I go I have to spend the better part of today preparing for the trip and getting laundry done and dogs stuff packed and cats set up for being home alone for two nights. DH will likely work late and not get home to help in any way. He will just pack his stuff...probably in the morning will I have to take dog to kennel. So a whole day of not working on my school projects.

I just want to tell him I am staying home. Why is that so hard to do? It shouldn't be. He has no problem doing what he wants to do or in this case what his parents tell him as in regarding the hotel issue.

I just still have so much anger and resentment brewing inside from the mess with his daughters for the past two years that I don't want anything to do with his family at all. Why in hell would I want to spent T-day with them and pretend I want to be there. It just stresses me out and I need to focus now to finish my projects.
Just when I thought I was moving forward and working it all out how I feel towards DH then bam. Something else comes up. I never thought he would get invited to travel away as he can never get away from work this time of year. Yet he just goes along with what others want of him but forget the little I ask to make it bearable for me.

Sorry for the rambling. I know a lot of you here have it so much worse during the holidays. I just dread them all now when I used to have such joy for them.

I may as well just tell him I am not going. Either way I am going to be miserable. May as well be in my own bed. I just need to stand up for myself. No one else does even when the MSD went on a text rant this summer and ruined our anniversary...and she copied his parents on the text along with her BM and the OSD and YSD. No one even spoke up against all the horrible things she was saying about me. I have not had to see the in-laws since before that happened.
I should have just said no to the t-day invite off the bat. But I wanted to not be the spouse who never compromises on something DH wants to do. Stupid me...should have know it would bite me anyway.

LostinSpaceandTime's picture

You are so wise echo. Maybe that will work. It has been a week or more since the last 'nudge wink'. And thinking on this trip has not put me in the mood at all. And there definitely will not be any of that the two nights we are in his brothers guest room with the step nephew in the next room.
We have had no time off lately. A day of movies and relaxation would be great. I don't even care about the food thing.
And if he doesn't want to do that with me he can still drive down in the snow and see his parents on his own. Either way I will get blamed for not going.
However I not go is a win win for me. Quiet day with or without DH. Doesn't matter.
Maybe I should be a little tipsy when I break the news...err sell it to him.

Step-Volgirl's picture

I definitely agree to try to get him to stay home with you.

However, if that doesn't work you can "agree" to go. Just remind him that he already agreed to a hotel and you had your little heart (and some equally little lingerie) set on some alone time. It's amazing how a little hint of booty can change even the stubborn-est minds! I suggest you don't cave - and make this your tradition when you visit the in-laws.

SMof2Girls's picture

It's this kind of stress that makes me so thankful that DH's family lives on the other side of the country.

We take a dish to my sister's house who makes a HUGE spread. We eat, drink a little, let the kids play, and head home to quiet, clean house.

Christmas gets a bit more hectic because all my OTHER siblings tend to compete to host (WHY in the world they WANT to is beyond me) .. so when it gets too crazy, we just skip town and take a vacation instead Blum 3

LostinSpaceandTime's picture

Well I told DH that I decided not to travel to his parents tomorrow. I blamed the weather and having too much to do to get finished with this semester. I only have one more semester to finish my degree. More than 30 + years after I started. This is too important to me to not do my best.

He had a very surprised and disappointed look for a moment then he shut down into moping. I left him to do his pouting and silent treatment. I tried later to draw him out some but he was working at his computer. Again with the work stuff. I offered him his fav pie and mentioned using the whipped cream in a creative way ' wink' , but he would rather mope and not tell me if he has decided to go without me. I know he is just avoiding telling his folks to avoid their reaction. He went to bed without telling me goodnight.

I just feel so detached on the surface with that inner resentment and anger about where we are now. I feel empty. I do not feel secure and loved like I did before everything happened with MSD living here for 5 long weeks over a year ago . There is a broken part of our marriage that I can't fix on my own. I am the only one who has tried. He went to a couple counseling sessions. Then buried himself in work since then. I have gained a lot of understanding by reading others stories here. But it does not fix that I lost the man I thought was my best friend.

He has just not been there for me or even for himself.

For example. My daughter just miscarried last week what was to be her second child. It was very early, she had just done the home test and had told me the news a couple days before. DH did not express any concern or empathy for the loss. At least nothing that I could see .

I am tired. Time to get some sleep.
Thanks for all the replies to my post.
I am relieved I am not going. I even got started on my projects tonight.

LostinSpaceandTime's picture

We had a nice peaceful T-day just the two of us. We cooked some turkey cutlets, stuffing, scalloped potatoes and asparagus. Watched some tv and movies.
I wasn't sure how it would be since he was so quiet on Wednesday and he went to bed without kissing me goodnight. But it was ok.
He told me later on that he didn't understand at first about me not going but that he got it later.

I decided not to bring up about the hotel issue. I will save that talk for the next time he wants me to go ...which can be never as far as I am concerned.

He does not like to be away from home. Or away from me overnight. I miss him tonight but I also enjoy the quiet.

I don't chase after him anymore when he is moody. He is responsible for his feelings. Not me.

He may stop on his way home to visit OSD who lives on the way. She has two kids, the youngest is 6 months and DH has seen him one time I think. If I had gone on the trip that would not have been an option to stop for a visit. I want nothing to do with any of his three bitchy daughters. So it is best that I stayed home.

It all worked out. I am glad I said no. No regrets.

LostinSpaceandTime's picture

Yes it was.
DH even got a 'wink ' on Thurs morn for staying home with me.

It almost felt like being back to just 'us'. I am so glad I did not go and have to
Spend three days pretending to want to be somewhere that I didn't want to be.
I am over 50 ...why would I even do that is just crazy thinking.

Bradymom's picture

So happy it worked out. Next time... Book the hotel room right away before the in laws can change his mind!