I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad experience
all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the unpleasant
circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
under-seasoned and overcooked turkey, sweet potatoes that were way too
sweet, and glue-like potatoes, the dressing was unthinkably bad. It was
make from that dried seasoned bread and had small colorful bits in it. I
thought that some frozen mixed vegetables had been blended in for color, but
unfortunately that wasn't the case. The confetti-like pieces in the
stuffing turned out to be mixed candied fruit -- the kind that people use in
fruitcakes! That's right, the stuffing had rubbery pieces of candied citrus
peel, glace cherries, and pineapple. I think the recipe came from a
mid-1960's cookbook.

I wonder if anyone can top that?

Vox Humana wrote:

> I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad experience
> all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the unpleasant
> circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
> under-seasoned and overcooked turkey, sweet potatoes that were way too
> sweet, and glue-like potatoes, the dressing was unthinkably bad. It was
> make from that dried seasoned bread and had small colorful bits in it. I
> thought that some frozen mixed vegetables had been blended in for color, but
> unfortunately that wasn't the case. The confetti-like pieces in the
> stuffing turned out to be mixed candied fruit -- the kind that people use in
> fruitcakes! That's right, the stuffing had rubbery pieces of candied citrus
> peel, glace cherries, and pineapple. I think the recipe came from a
> mid-1960's cookbook.
>
> I wonder if anyone can top that?
>
>
OMG, no. And I hope that I never can! Sounds horrible. I kinda
screwed up on the stuffing alittle bit this time with slightly too
much sage but it was still ok.

It was nice, just the two of us and nice and quiet. Christmas is gonna
be the same. I'm thinking about forgetting the turkey/ham/roast theme
this year and just turning on the fire one the porch and cookin' a
couple of two or two and a half pound live Maine lobsta... :-) I
haven't "run" that past the Boss yet though. (the Boss = Nancy of
course ;-) )

--
Steve

Men are from Earth. Women are from Earth. Deal with it.

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
> I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad experience
> all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the unpleasant
> circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
> under-seasoned and overcooked turkey, sweet potatoes that were way too
> sweet, and glue-like potatoes, the dressing was unthinkably bad. It was
> make from that dried seasoned bread and had small colorful bits in it. I
> thought that some frozen mixed vegetables had been blended in for color,
but
> unfortunately that wasn't the case. The confetti-like pieces in the
> stuffing turned out to be mixed candied fruit -- the kind that people use
in
> fruitcakes! That's right, the stuffing had rubbery pieces of candied
citrus
> peel, glace cherries, and pineapple. I think the recipe came from a
> mid-1960's cookbook.
>
> I wonder if anyone can top that?
>
>

That description just doesn't bring out the over-achiever in me.

Jack Hidden

In article >, "Vox Humana"
> wrote:

> I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad
> experience all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to
> the unpleasant circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was
> truly awful: under-seasoned and overcooked turkey, sweet potatoes
> that were way too sweet, and glue-like potatoes, the dressing was
> unthinkably bad. It was make from that dried seasoned bread and had
> small colorful bits in it. I thought that some frozen mixed
> vegetables had been blended in for color, but unfortunately that
> wasn't the case. The confetti-like pieces in the stuffing turned out
> to be mixed candied fruit -- the kind that people use in fruitcakes!
> That's right, the stuffing had rubbery pieces of candied citrus peel,
> glace cherries, and pineapple. I think the recipe came from a
> mid-1960's cookbook.
>
> I wonder if anyone can top that?

Not even close. The champion, and still standing. . . . . . . . Vox
HuMANa!
--
-Barb
<www.jamlady.eboard.com>
"If you're ever in a jam, here I am."

Vox Humana wrote:
>
> I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad experience
> all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the unpleasant
> circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
> under-seasoned and overcooked turkey, sweet potatoes that were way too
> sweet, and glue-like potatoes, the dressing was unthinkably bad. It was
> make from that dried seasoned bread and had small colorful bits in it. I
> thought that some frozen mixed vegetables had been blended in for color, but
> unfortunately that wasn't the case. The confetti-like pieces in the
> stuffing turned out to be mixed candied fruit -- the kind that people use in
> fruitcakes! That's right, the stuffing had rubbery pieces of candied citrus
> peel, glace cherries, and pineapple. I think the recipe came from a
> mid-1960's cookbook.
>
> I wonder if anyone can top that?



Ick! You win!

gloria p

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 18:18:19 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>In article >, "Vox Humana"
> wrote:
>
>> I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad
>> experience all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to
>> the unpleasant circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was
>> truly awful: under-seasoned and overcooked turkey, sweet potatoes
>> that were way too sweet, and glue-like potatoes, the dressing was
>> unthinkably bad. It was make from that dried seasoned bread and had
>> small colorful bits in it. I thought that some frozen mixed
>> vegetables had been blended in for color, but unfortunately that
>> wasn't the case. The confetti-like pieces in the stuffing turned out
>> to be mixed candied fruit -- the kind that people use in fruitcakes!
>> That's right, the stuffing had rubbery pieces of candied citrus peel,
>> glace cherries, and pineapple. I think the recipe came from a
>> mid-1960's cookbook.
>>
>> I wonder if anyone can top that?
>
>Not even close. The champion, and still standing. . . . . . . . Vox
>HuMANa!

Yeah...I'm thinking that some sort of prize should be awarded for
having to sit at a table with that stuffing....we could institute the
Golden Turkey Award for worst Thanksgiving food encountered by an RFC
member.

Boron

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message >.. .
> I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad experience
> all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the unpleasant
> circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
> under-seasoned and overcooked turkey,

Hum...how can you under-season turkey? Isn't turkey pretty awesome
without any seasonings added at all? It's prolly the only thing I
*don't* season.


> sweet potatoes that were way too
> sweet, and glue-like potatoes, the dressing was unthinkably bad. It was
> make from that dried seasoned bread and had small colorful bits in it. I
> thought that some frozen mixed vegetables had been blended in for color, but
> unfortunately that wasn't the case. The confetti-like pieces in the
> stuffing turned out to be mixed candied fruit -- the kind that people use in
> fruitcakes! That's right, the stuffing had rubbery pieces of candied citrus
> peel, glace cherries, and pineapple. I think the recipe came from a
> mid-1960's cookbook.

That has to be the worst-sounding dressing I have ever heard of!

Thankfully, since I made the entire dinner, everything came out pretty
good. I still haven't mastered my Mom's dressing recipe though -
maybe in about 20 years I'll finally have it down-pat...

-L.

(-L.) wrote in
:

> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> >.. .
>> I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad
>> experience all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to
>> the unpleasant circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was
>> truly awful: under-seasoned and overcooked turkey,
>
> Hum...how can you under-season turkey? Isn't turkey pretty awesome
> without any seasonings added at all? It's prolly the only thing I
> *don't* season.

We don't much care for turkey. If I don't season well, I can't get it
down. Seasoned nicely, and with a good gravy, it's passable fare, and I
don't mind eating it once a year. It's probably the only meat I have
to treat this way.

Wayne

>> sweet potatoes that were way too
>> sweet, and glue-like potatoes, the dressing was unthinkably bad. It
>> was make from that dried seasoned bread and had small colorful bits
>> in it. I thought that some frozen mixed vegetables had been blended
>> in for color, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. The
>> confetti-like pieces in the stuffing turned out to be mixed candied
>> fruit -- the kind that people use in fruitcakes! That's right, the
>> stuffing had rubbery pieces of candied citrus peel, glace cherries,
>> and pineapple. I think the recipe came from a mid-1960's cookbook.
>
> That has to be the worst-sounding dressing I have ever heard of!
>
> Thankfully, since I made the entire dinner, everything came out pretty
> good. I still haven't mastered my Mom's dressing recipe though -
> maybe in about 20 years I'll finally have it down-pat...
>
> -L.

Vox Humana > wrote:
> [an Account of a Horrible Crime perpetrated upon a Hapless Turkey
> Bird, &c.]
>
> I wonder if anyone can top that?

I certainly hope not!!!

Cheers,
D(yspeptic at the thought)
--
David Fetter http://fetter.org/
phone: +1 510 893 6100 cell: +1 415 235 3778

Ayn Rand could not tell the difference between being stern and
uncompromising and being an obnoxious twerp.

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
> I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad experience
> all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the unpleasant
> circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:

You have me wondering. Did the cook who prepared this dinner receive any
comments about it from the guests? I mean, what can you say when you get
served food like that from a relative?

Either my own memory is fading or I've been fortunate. I remember some
individual items that have been bad but I can't recall ever having a
Thanksgiving dinner that was bad overall, and I've eaten Thanksgiving at a
lot of different places. What I can recall are a couple of unpleasant
Thanksgiving experiences because of some family bickering.

Sam D. wrote:
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad experience
>>all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the unpleasant
>>circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
>
>
> You have me wondering. Did the cook who prepared this dinner receive any
> comments about it from the guests? I mean, what can you say when you get
> served food like that from a relative?


"Mmmm. Would you please pass the gravy?" usually works when the dressing is
barely edible.

Best regards,
Bob

Sam D. wrote:

> You have me wondering. Did the cook who prepared this dinner receive any
> comments about it from the guests? I mean, what can you say when you get
> served food like that from a relative?
>


I imagine most of us say "I absolutely insist on bringing the dressing
next year." As long as there's one edible item on the table, even if I
had to bring it myself, I can get along fine. Even if the relative
doesn't want me to bring a hot dish, there's not much she can do if I
show up with one all hot and ready to go. Both dressings get put on the
table, and guests can help themselves to whichever they want. At the
very least, bring a big fruit basket. I can get by on some nice fruit.

--Lia

"-L." > wrote in message
...
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
>.. .
> > I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad
experience
> > all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the
unpleasant
> > circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
> > under-seasoned and overcooked turkey,
>
> Hum...how can you under-season turkey? Isn't turkey pretty awesome
> without any seasonings added at all? It's prolly the only thing I
> *don't* season.
>

I think I am used to brined turkey or the frozen ones that have had solution
injected. This was a fresh turkey and I don't think that it had much if any
salt or pepper added. It tasted very bland and was dry. Even when I add
salt at the table, it doesn't taste as good as when the turkey was brined.

"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
. ..
> (-L.) wrote in
> :
>
> > "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> > >.. .
> >> I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad
> >> experience all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to
> >> the unpleasant circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was
> >> truly awful: under-seasoned and overcooked turkey,
> >
> > Hum...how can you under-season turkey? Isn't turkey pretty awesome
> > without any seasonings added at all? It's prolly the only thing I
> > *don't* season.
>
> We don't much care for turkey. If I don't season well, I can't get it
> down. Seasoned nicely, and with a good gravy, it's passable fare, and I
> don't mind eating it once a year. It's probably the only meat I have
> to treat this way.
>

Oh, I forgot to mention that the gravy was out of a can! Also, the salad
was stored in a spare refrigerator in an unheated garage. The temperatures
plunged and the salad froze. In addition, the hostess didn't put the paddle
in the bread machine properly. The dough didn't get mixed and there wasn't
any bread!

"Sam D." > wrote in message
...
>
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad
experience
> > all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the
unpleasant
> > circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
>
> You have me wondering. Did the cook who prepared this dinner receive any
> comments about it from the guests? I mean, what can you say when you get
> served food like that from a relative?
>
> Either my own memory is fading or I've been fortunate. I remember some
> individual items that have been bad but I can't recall ever having a
> Thanksgiving dinner that was bad overall, and I've eaten Thanksgiving at a
> lot of different places. What I can recall are a couple of unpleasant
> Thanksgiving experiences because of some family bickering.

There were only three of us. It is my policy to never criticize food that
someone prepares for me. I was very cautious about the portion size that I
took knowing that there was a good chance that it wasn't going to be tasty.
I ate what I could, but I couldn't eat the stuffing. No one said a word.
The "cook" said "If I had to cook like this every day I wouldn't eat." I
silently agreed with her.

In addition to the bad food, there were 15 dogs. I had to wear shoes the
entire time because the carpet had wet spots everywhere as did the
furniture. A couple of dogs crapped on the floor during dinner. And, as
unbelievable as this might seem, the adult son (and I use the term "adult"
in reference to his age only) had used the upstairs toilet, flushed it, and
it overflowed. He threw a couple of towels on the floor and went to bed.
The filthy water soaked into the living room ceiling and all the drywall
tape was hanging. The carpet was wet with the contents of the toilet water.
Unfortunately, he did this twice within a few days. It was like eating
dinner in a badly maintained kennel attached to an outhouse!

In article >, "Vox Humana"
> wrote:

> Oh, I forgot to mention that the gravy was out of a can! Also, the
> salad was stored in a spare refrigerator in an unheated garage. The
> temperatures plunged and the salad froze. In addition, the hostess
> didn't put the paddle in the bread machine properly. The dough
> didn't get mixed and there wasn't any bread!

Y'know, if you weren't a frequent poster here and an upstanding soul,
I'd have to wonder if you weren't on a great fishing trip. Your dinner
sounds un-frickin'-believable! I'm trying to find some compassion for
the cook. Does the cook lack experience with a large meal for many?
Not entertain frequently? Abuse controlled substances?
--
-Barb
<www.jamlady.eboard.com>
"If you're ever in a jam, here I am."

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
news:BuHyb.274226$ao4.943243@attbi_s51...
> Sam D. wrote:
>
> > You have me wondering. Did the cook who prepared this dinner receive any
> > comments about it from the guests? I mean, what can you say when you get
> > served food like that from a relative?
> >
>
>
> I imagine most of us say "I absolutely insist on bringing the dressing
> next year." As long as there's one edible item on the table, even if I
> had to bring it myself, I can get along fine. Even if the relative
> doesn't want me to bring a hot dish, there's not much she can do if I
> show up with one all hot and ready to go. Both dressings get put on the
> table, and guests can help themselves to whichever they want. At the
> very least, bring a big fruit basket. I can get by on some nice fruit.
>

That sounds like a great strategy. Unfortunately, I arrived there on Sunday
so bringing food was not possible. One year I was there for Christmas and
cooked the dinner myself after it was obvious that we would be eating around
midnight if someone didn't takeover. Even that wasn't possible this year
because there were four puppies confined to a very small kitchen. A large
dog kennel and a large package of "pee pads" were wedged between an island
and the refrigerator. A very large dog bed was against the 3 ft. high gate
that blocked the kitchen. I was afraid that I would squish a dog or break
my neck trying to get over the gate. You had to stand to the right of the
refrigerator to open it and then lean over to look in. I couldn't reach the
freezer nor could you open many of the cabinets or drawers because they were
blocked. It looks the early stages of what can eventually lead to the
conditions you read about in the paper where people have their house so
filled with trash and animal waste that they can barely navigate. In this
case the garage is also stacked from floor to ceiling with junk and the car
has to be parked outside.

Vox Humana wrote:

> There were only three of us. It is my policy to never criticize food that
> someone prepares for me. I was very cautious about the portion size that I
> took knowing that there was a good chance that it wasn't going to be tasty.
> I ate what I could, but I couldn't eat the stuffing. No one said a word.
> The "cook" said "If I had to cook like this every day I wouldn't eat." I
> silently agreed with her.
>
> In addition to the bad food, there were 15 dogs. I had to wear shoes the
> entire time because the carpet had wet spots everywhere as did the
> furniture. A couple of dogs crapped on the floor during dinner. And, as
> unbelievable as this might seem, the adult son (and I use the term "adult"
> in reference to his age only) had used the upstairs toilet, flushed it, and
> it overflowed. He threw a couple of towels on the floor and went to bed.
> The filthy water soaked into the living room ceiling and all the drywall
> tape was hanging. The carpet was wet with the contents of the toilet water.
> Unfortunately, he did this twice within a few days. It was like eating
> dinner in a badly maintained kennel attached to an outhouse!

I have to tell you, and I'm really sorry it was so awful, that it's
so ridiculous it's hilarious. Honestly, you can't make this stuff
up.

I have zero complaints about my Thanksgiving meal, but I didn't
realize I had taken my brother's stuffing. Okay, I didn't even
know my brother had his own stuffing. He has some kind of allergy
thing which means there are, essentially, three foods in the world
he can eat. I thought it looked bland.

It was, and halfway through the meal, my brother said, don't anyone
eat my stuffing. He was so glum. Poor guy. He can't even have
garlic, can you imagine!!!? (laugh)

nancy

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, "Vox Humana"
> > wrote:
>
> > Oh, I forgot to mention that the gravy was out of a can! Also, the
> > salad was stored in a spare refrigerator in an unheated garage. The
> > temperatures plunged and the salad froze. In addition, the hostess
> > didn't put the paddle in the bread machine properly. The dough
> > didn't get mixed and there wasn't any bread!
>
> Y'know, if you weren't a frequent poster here and an upstanding soul,
> I'd have to wonder if you weren't on a great fishing trip. Your dinner
> sounds un-frickin'-believable! I'm trying to find some compassion for
> the cook. Does the cook lack experience with a large meal for many?
> Not entertain frequently? Abuse controlled substances?
> --

She doesn't like to cook. Furthermore, she is the type of person who
expects every one to solve all her problems. When she doesn't know
something, she won't bother to open a book or do a search on the computer.
In addition, I suspect that there are some mental health issues. As I
mentioned in some other posts in this thread, she has 15 dogs in a single
family home. She isn't home all day and the dogs aren't housebroken. They
have literally destroy her home -- ****ing on the carpeting and furniture
and chewing the wallpaper, furniture, and woodwork. She has a couple of
adult children who are nearly as bad as well as some grandkids who I feel
sorry for because they are left to own devices to survive. I think that her
lifestyle has been slowly distorted and she has lost all reference to how
most people live. Her son also destroys the house. When you walk into a
situation like that it is very overwhelming -- at least it was for me. She
has had time to adapt to the dysfunction, but it was a shock to me. Even
last year it was bad, but not this bad.

I understand what you are saying about the appearance of the posts. I guess
it is a situation where truth is stranger than fiction. Believe me, it gets
worse!

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> There were only three of us. It is my policy to never criticize food that
> someone prepares for me. I was very cautious about the portion size that
I
> took knowing that there was a good chance that it wasn't going to be
tasty.
> I ate what I could, but I couldn't eat the stuffing. No one said a word.
> The "cook" said "If I had to cook like this every day I wouldn't eat." I
> silently agreed with her.
>
> In addition to the bad food, there were 15 dogs. I had to wear shoes the
> entire time because the carpet had wet spots everywhere as did the
> furniture. A couple of dogs crapped on the floor during dinner. And, as
> unbelievable as this might seem, the adult son (and I use the term "adult"
> in reference to his age only) had used the upstairs toilet, flushed it,
and
> it overflowed. He threw a couple of towels on the floor and went to bed.
> The filthy water soaked into the living room ceiling and all the drywall
> tape was hanging. The carpet was wet with the contents of the toilet
water.
> Unfortunately, he did this twice within a few days. It was like eating
> dinner in a badly maintained kennel attached to an outhouse!
>
>


ahahahahahaha!!!! I'm sorry, but it's too funny. I'm scared to ask what
dessert was. And, ummm....are you going again next year?

Jack Schidthouse

Vox Humana wrote:
> "Sam D." > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
.. .
>>
>>>I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad
>
> experience
>
>>>all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the
>
> unpleasant
>
>>>circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
>>
>>You have me wondering. Did the cook who prepared this dinner receive any
>>comments about it from the guests? I mean, what can you say when you get
>>served food like that from a relative?
>>
>>Either my own memory is fading or I've been fortunate. I remember some
>>individual items that have been bad but I can't recall ever having a
>>Thanksgiving dinner that was bad overall, and I've eaten Thanksgiving at a
>>lot of different places. What I can recall are a couple of unpleasant
>>Thanksgiving experiences because of some family bickering.
>
>
> There were only three of us. It is my policy to never criticize food that
> someone prepares for me. I was very cautious about the portion size that I
> took knowing that there was a good chance that it wasn't going to be tasty.
> I ate what I could, but I couldn't eat the stuffing. No one said a word.
> The "cook" said "If I had to cook like this every day I wouldn't eat." I
> silently agreed with her.
>
> In addition to the bad food, there were 15 dogs. I had to wear shoes the
> entire time because the carpet had wet spots everywhere as did the
> furniture. A couple of dogs crapped on the floor during dinner. And, as
> unbelievable as this might seem, the adult son (and I use the term "adult"
> in reference to his age only) had used the upstairs toilet, flushed it, and
> it overflowed. He threw a couple of towels on the floor and went to bed.
> The filthy water soaked into the living room ceiling and all the drywall
> tape was hanging. The carpet was wet with the contents of the toilet water.
> Unfortunately, he did this twice within a few days. It was like eating
> dinner in a badly maintained kennel attached to an outhouse!
>
>

And then what happened! Did the host fly into a drunken rage and cut
you in half with a bread knife?

(This story just keeps getting more and more believable!)

Bob

Vox Humana wrote:

> I understand what you are saying about the appearance of the posts. I guess
> it is a situation where truth is stranger than fiction. Believe me, it gets
> worse!
>

Fiction has to make sense, and the truth does not.

Best regards,
Bob

Vox Humana wrote:

> In addition, I suspect that there are some mental health issues. As I
> mentioned in some other posts in this thread, she has 15 dogs in a single
> family home. She isn't home all day and the dogs aren't housebroken. They
> have literally destroy her home -- ****ing on the carpeting and furniture
> and chewing the wallpaper, furniture, and woodwork. She has a couple of
> adult children who are nearly as bad as well as some grandkids who I feel
> sorry for because they are left to own devices to survive. I think that her
> lifestyle has been slowly distorted and she has lost all reference to how
> most people live. Her son also destroys the house. When you walk into a
> situation like that it is very overwhelming -- at least it was for me. She
> has had time to adapt to the dysfunction, but it was a shock to me. Even
> last year it was bad, but not this bad.

Believe it or not, I knew someone like that, you could be describing
her. Really, the stories I could tell. She was my boss for a time.
When she left (was fired), they had to fumigate her cube, it was
crawling with fleas. You get the general idea. A coworker's husband
is a roofer, he did her roof and my friend called him there. When he
got home he said NEVER CALL ME THERE AGAIN. He had to go into the
house to answer, and the filth and dog and cat feces all over the
place grossed him out.

I have no idea what the problem was, but she was/is obviously
mentally ill and should be on some kind of medication.

nancy

"Jack Schidt®" > wrote in message
. com...
>
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > There were only three of us. It is my policy to never criticize food
that
> > someone prepares for me. I was very cautious about the portion size
that
> I
> > took knowing that there was a good chance that it wasn't going to be
> tasty.
> > I ate what I could, but I couldn't eat the stuffing. No one said a
word.
> > The "cook" said "If I had to cook like this every day I wouldn't eat."
I
> > silently agreed with her.
> >
> > In addition to the bad food, there were 15 dogs. I had to wear shoes
the
> > entire time because the carpet had wet spots everywhere as did the
> > furniture. A couple of dogs crapped on the floor during dinner. And,
as
> > unbelievable as this might seem, the adult son (and I use the term
"adult"
> > in reference to his age only) had used the upstairs toilet, flushed it,
> and
> > it overflowed. He threw a couple of towels on the floor and went to
bed.
> > The filthy water soaked into the living room ceiling and all the drywall
> > tape was hanging. The carpet was wet with the contents of the toilet
> water.
> > Unfortunately, he did this twice within a few days. It was like eating
> > dinner in a badly maintained kennel attached to an outhouse!
> >
> >
>
>
> ahahahahahaha!!!! I'm sorry, but it's too funny. I'm scared to ask what
> dessert was. And, ummm....are you going again next year?
>
> Jack Schidthouse

Dessert was pie from a chain bakery. She didn't bother with dessert until
Wednesday night. When we got to the bakery, they only had a couple of kinds
of pie left. It was OK -- about the quality of a frozen pie. No. I won't
be going again for a long, long time. I have decided to spend Christmas
alone this year. It will be more pleasant.

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
> Vox Humana wrote:
> > "Sam D." > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >>"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> .. .
> >>
> >>>I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad
> >
> > experience
> >
> >>>all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the
> >
> > unpleasant
> >
> >>>circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
> >>
> >>You have me wondering. Did the cook who prepared this dinner receive any
> >>comments about it from the guests? I mean, what can you say when you get
> >>served food like that from a relative?
> >>
> >>Either my own memory is fading or I've been fortunate. I remember some
> >>individual items that have been bad but I can't recall ever having a
> >>Thanksgiving dinner that was bad overall, and I've eaten Thanksgiving at
a
> >>lot of different places. What I can recall are a couple of unpleasant
> >>Thanksgiving experiences because of some family bickering.
> >
> >
> > There were only three of us. It is my policy to never criticize food
that
> > someone prepares for me. I was very cautious about the portion size
that I
> > took knowing that there was a good chance that it wasn't going to be
tasty.
> > I ate what I could, but I couldn't eat the stuffing. No one said a
word.
> > The "cook" said "If I had to cook like this every day I wouldn't eat."
I
> > silently agreed with her.
> >
> > In addition to the bad food, there were 15 dogs. I had to wear shoes
the
> > entire time because the carpet had wet spots everywhere as did the
> > furniture. A couple of dogs crapped on the floor during dinner. And,
as
> > unbelievable as this might seem, the adult son (and I use the term
"adult"
> > in reference to his age only) had used the upstairs toilet, flushed it,
and
> > it overflowed. He threw a couple of towels on the floor and went to
bed.
> > The filthy water soaked into the living room ceiling and all the drywall
> > tape was hanging. The carpet was wet with the contents of the toilet
water.
> > Unfortunately, he did this twice within a few days. It was like eating
> > dinner in a badly maintained kennel attached to an outhouse!
> >
> >
>
> And then what happened! Did the host fly into a drunken rage and cut
> you in half with a bread knife?
>
> (This story just keeps getting more and more believable!)

Nothing violent happened. However, after dinner, I had to work on her
bathroom. The reason that I went early was because she wanted me to
wallpaper her bathroom. (We all know how much fun that is!) She had her
son-in-law put in a new ceramic floor and a new vanity and sink top (Her son
destroyed the old one.) I asked her to removed the old wallpaper and scrub
the walls so the room was ready to paper. She didn't bother with removing
the paper -- she said "It wasn't calling me so I never got around to it."
The SIL put in the floor but didn't grout it properly, nor did he finish the
cove tile that made up the baseboard. He didn't attempt to grout that
incomplete cove tile. The new vanity and sink top were simple set in
place - not attached to the walls or each other. There were a couple of
large holes in the wall were someone had used a towel bar as a grab bar and
pulled the anchors through the drywall blowing out fist sized chunks of
gypsum. It took me three days to get the paper off, the walls patched,
ceiling painted, and cabinet installed. When I prepared to hang the paper
it was obvious that she hadn't purchased enough. I hung all I could, but
was short an entire double roll. On Thanksgiving day I had to install a new
light fixture and grout the floor. The next day she decided she wanted the
remaining scrap strip of paper hung regardless of the fact that it wasn't
possible to match the pattern and that she would have to purchase more paper
anyway. That is the point where I thought there was going to be shouting.
I went ahead and hung the paper. Amidst all the chaos and other work, she
wanted me to install a new laminate floor in her master bath! I told her
that I couldn't do it. She went out and bought the materials anyway and
told me where I could find them when I needed them. I told her that I
wouldn't be needing them because I wasn't going to start another project!

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
...
> Vox Humana wrote:
>
> > In addition, I suspect that there are some mental health issues. As I
> > mentioned in some other posts in this thread, she has 15 dogs in a
single
> > family home. She isn't home all day and the dogs aren't housebroken.
They
> > have literally destroy her home -- ****ing on the carpeting and
furniture
> > and chewing the wallpaper, furniture, and woodwork. She has a couple of
> > adult children who are nearly as bad as well as some grandkids who I
feel
> > sorry for because they are left to own devices to survive. I think that
her
> > lifestyle has been slowly distorted and she has lost all reference to
how
> > most people live. Her son also destroys the house. When you walk into
a
> > situation like that it is very overwhelming -- at least it was for me.
She
> > has had time to adapt to the dysfunction, but it was a shock to me.
Even
> > last year it was bad, but not this bad.
>
> Believe it or not, I knew someone like that, you could be describing
> her. Really, the stories I could tell. She was my boss for a time.
> When she left (was fired), they had to fumigate her cube, it was
> crawling with fleas. You get the general idea. A coworker's husband
> is a roofer, he did her roof and my friend called him there. When he
> got home he said NEVER CALL ME THERE AGAIN. He had to go into the
> house to answer, and the filth and dog and cat feces all over the
> place grossed him out.
>
> I have no idea what the problem was, but she was/is obviously
> mentally ill and should be on some kind of medication.
>
> nancy

My relative had a series of dysfunctional marriages (4 in total), with the
longest one being to an alcoholic. I think she has the classic co-dependant
behavior where she tries to manipulate the environment to create her own
private reality. I can't imagine what it would be like to work with her.
She is so manipulative and demanding. Nothing is as it appears on the
surface. I was so anxious and depressed when I left. It is one of those
situations where I can't imagine it getting better. In some respects I
think she is addicted to turmoil.

Hark! I heard "Vox Humana" > say:

<snip>

> Oh, I forgot to mention that the gravy was out of a can! Also, the salad
> was stored in a spare refrigerator in an unheated garage. The temperatures
> plunged and the salad froze. In addition, the hostess didn't put the paddle
> in the bread machine properly. The dough didn't get mixed and there wasn't
> any bread!

We need some kind of RFC version of a Purple Heart for folks forced to
endure bad holiday dinners. Hmmm, perhaps a 'Green Stomach' award is in
order here...


--
j.j. ~ mom, gamer, novice cook ~
...fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, yum!

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article >, "Vox Humana"
> > > wrote:
> >
> > > Oh, I forgot to mention that the gravy was out of a can! Also, the
> > > salad was stored in a spare refrigerator in an unheated garage. The
> > > temperatures plunged and the salad froze. In addition, the hostess
> > > didn't put the paddle in the bread machine properly. The dough
> > > didn't get mixed and there wasn't any bread!
> >
> > Y'know, if you weren't a frequent poster here and an upstanding soul,
> > I'd have to wonder if you weren't on a great fishing trip. Your dinner
> > sounds un-frickin'-believable! I'm trying to find some compassion for
> > the cook. Does the cook lack experience with a large meal for many?
> > Not entertain frequently? Abuse controlled substances?
> > --
>
> She doesn't like to cook. Furthermore, she is the type of person who
> expects every one to solve all her problems. When she doesn't know
> something, she won't bother to open a book or do a search on the computer.
> In addition, I suspect that there are some mental health issues. As I
> mentioned in some other posts in this thread, she has 15 dogs in a single
> family home. She isn't home all day and the dogs aren't housebroken.
They
> have literally destroy her home -- ****ing on the carpeting and furniture
> and chewing the wallpaper, furniture, and woodwork. She has a couple of
> adult children who are nearly as bad as well as some grandkids who I feel
> sorry for because they are left to own devices to survive. I think that
her
> lifestyle has been slowly distorted and she has lost all reference to how
> most people live. Her son also destroys the house. When you walk into a
> situation like that it is very overwhelming -- at least it was for me.
She
> has had time to adapt to the dysfunction, but it was a shock to me. Even
> last year it was bad, but not this bad.

Poorly prepared food aside, I don't believe I could be persuaded to eat in
those surroundings.

Dave

>
> I understand what you are saying about the appearance of the posts. I
guess
> it is a situation where truth is stranger than fiction. Believe me, it
gets
> worse!
>
>

"Dave Brower" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > In article >, "Vox Humana"
> > > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Oh, I forgot to mention that the gravy was out of a can! Also, the
> > > > salad was stored in a spare refrigerator in an unheated garage. The
> > > > temperatures plunged and the salad froze. In addition, the hostess
> > > > didn't put the paddle in the bread machine properly. The dough
> > > > didn't get mixed and there wasn't any bread!
> > >
> > > Y'know, if you weren't a frequent poster here and an upstanding soul,
> > > I'd have to wonder if you weren't on a great fishing trip. Your
dinner
> > > sounds un-frickin'-believable! I'm trying to find some compassion
for
> > > the cook. Does the cook lack experience with a large meal for many?
> > > Not entertain frequently? Abuse controlled substances?
> > > --
> >
> > She doesn't like to cook. Furthermore, she is the type of person who
> > expects every one to solve all her problems. When she doesn't know
> > something, she won't bother to open a book or do a search on the
computer.
> > In addition, I suspect that there are some mental health issues. As I
> > mentioned in some other posts in this thread, she has 15 dogs in a
single
> > family home. She isn't home all day and the dogs aren't housebroken.
> They
> > have literally destroy her home -- ****ing on the carpeting and
furniture
> > and chewing the wallpaper, furniture, and woodwork. She has a couple of
> > adult children who are nearly as bad as well as some grandkids who I
feel
> > sorry for because they are left to own devices to survive. I think that
> her
> > lifestyle has been slowly distorted and she has lost all reference to
how
> > most people live. Her son also destroys the house. When you walk into
a
> > situation like that it is very overwhelming -- at least it was for me.
> She
> > has had time to adapt to the dysfunction, but it was a shock to me.
Even
> > last year it was bad, but not this bad.
>
> Poorly prepared food aside, I don't believe I could be persuaded to eat in
> those surroundings.
>
> Dave

The only positive spin I can put on this is that due to the stench and
turmoil, I didn't have any appetite. Therefore, the palatability of the
food wasn't the issue it otherwise could have been.

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message >.. .
> *snip*
>
> I wonder if anyone can top that?

Hmmm...last year for TG my mom made a salad that included canned
mandarin orange slices, uncooked ramen noodles, iceburg lettuce, and
dried cranberries. I realize that she just wanted to be creative, but
I would have taken plain old lettuce and tomato over that misfit salad
any day.

--Erica

For the first time ever, we decided on TG dinner at a restaurant.
No shopping, no cooking, no mess, no clean-up.

Unfortunately, the restaurant presented the meal you described !
( must be a popular preparation )

<rj>

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 20:34:39 GMT, "Vox Humana" >
wrote:

>I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad experience
>all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the unpleasant
>circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
>under-seasoned and overcooked turkey, sweet potatoes that were way too
>sweet, and glue-like potatoes, the dressing was unthinkably bad. It was
>make from that dried seasoned bread and had small colorful bits in it. I
>thought that some frozen mixed vegetables had been blended in for color, but
>unfortunately that wasn't the case. The confetti-like pieces in the
>stuffing turned out to be mixed candied fruit -- the kind that people use in
>fruitcakes! That's right, the stuffing had rubbery pieces of candied citrus
>peel, glace cherries, and pineapple. I think the recipe came from a
>mid-1960's cookbook.
>
>I wonder if anyone can top that?
>

<rj>

(Erica) writes:

>.last year for TG my mom made a salad that included canned
>mandarin orange slices, uncooked ramen noodles

Could have been very good if the noodles were cooked, and it was molded with
the mandarin segments and some lychees in orange jello, served on a bed of
chiffonaded oriental greens, and it included a spicy oriental style dressing,
and garnished with a bunch of peanuts, with a fortune cookie and a paper
umbrella... ahahahahahaha. . . .


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

> wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 20:34:39 GMT, "Vox Humana" >
> wrote:
>
> >peel, glace cherries, and pineapple. I think the recipe came from a
> >mid-1960's cookbook.
>
> That's your problem. You used an outdated and obsolete cookbook.
> Cookbooks should come with an expiration date, and it should be
> required by law to dispose of them after that date.
>

I didn't use any cookbook. I was a guest, not the cook.

On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 15:37:22 -0500, "<RJ>" >
wrote:

>For the first time ever, we decided on TG dinner at a restaurant.
>No shopping, no cooking, no mess, no clean-up.
>
NO LEFTOVERS!

We did that one year. We had guests from out of town & I spent so much
time cleaning & sprucing up, that we wound up making reservations for
TG Day. The restaurant was wonderful, but the kids moaned that they
had no "real" Thanksgiving meal, so 3 days later, I made one.

Boron

"Erica" > wrote in message
om...
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
>.. .
> > *snip*
> >
> > I wonder if anyone can top that?
>
> Hmmm...last year for TG my mom made a salad that included canned
> mandarin orange slices, uncooked ramen noodles, iceburg lettuce, and
> dried cranberries. I realize that she just wanted to be creative, but
> I would have taken plain old lettuce and tomato over that misfit salad
> any day.
>

I can understand everything but the uncooked noodles. Are you certain that
they weren't chow mein noodles? I make a salad with mixed greens,
strawberries, orange slices (sometimes canned mandarin oranges), thinly
sliced red onion, and toasted walnuts. I dress it with a poppy seed
dressing. It is similar to a strawberry and onion salad from a long defunct
restaurant called Isabella's that was in the Christopher Inn in downtown
Columbus, Ohio. It was a funky round building all decked out in 1960's
style sort of reminiscent of Mary Mekko or Vera.

"<RJ>" > wrote in message
...
> For the first time ever, we decided on TG dinner at a restaurant.
> No shopping, no cooking, no mess, no clean-up.
>
> Unfortunately, the restaurant presented the meal you described !
> ( must be a popular preparation )
>

Actually, I suggested that we just order dinner from a supermarket.
Unfortunately my suggestion fell on deaf ears. I'm sure that it would have
cost less and tasted better. There would be no dishes and there would be
left-overs. It seemed like a win-win situation to me.

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> "zxcvbob" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Vox Humana wrote:
> > > "Sam D." > wrote in message
> > > ...
> > >
> > >>"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> > .. .
> > >>
> > >>>I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad
> > >
> > > experience
> > >
> > >>>all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the
> > >
> > > unpleasant
> > >
> > >>>circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
> > >>
> > >>You have me wondering. Did the cook who prepared this dinner receive
any
> > >>comments about it from the guests? I mean, what can you say when you
get
> > >>served food like that from a relative?
> > >>
> > >>Either my own memory is fading or I've been fortunate. I remember some
> > >>individual items that have been bad but I can't recall ever having a
> > >>Thanksgiving dinner that was bad overall, and I've eaten Thanksgiving
at
> a
> > >>lot of different places. What I can recall are a couple of unpleasant
> > >>Thanksgiving experiences because of some family bickering.
> > >
> > >
> > > There were only three of us. It is my policy to never criticize food
> that
> > > someone prepares for me. I was very cautious about the portion size
> that I
> > > took knowing that there was a good chance that it wasn't going to be
> tasty.
> > > I ate what I could, but I couldn't eat the stuffing. No one said a
> word.
> > > The "cook" said "If I had to cook like this every day I wouldn't eat."
> I
> > > silently agreed with her.
> > >
> > > In addition to the bad food, there were 15 dogs. I had to wear shoes
> the
> > > entire time because the carpet had wet spots everywhere as did the
> > > furniture. A couple of dogs crapped on the floor during dinner. And,
> as
> > > unbelievable as this might seem, the adult son (and I use the term
> "adult"
> > > in reference to his age only) had used the upstairs toilet, flushed
it,
> and
> > > it overflowed. He threw a couple of towels on the floor and went to
> bed.
> > > The filthy water soaked into the living room ceiling and all the
drywall
> > > tape was hanging. The carpet was wet with the contents of the toilet
> water.
> > > Unfortunately, he did this twice within a few days. It was like
eating
> > > dinner in a badly maintained kennel attached to an outhouse!
> > >
> > >
> >
> > And then what happened! Did the host fly into a drunken rage and cut
> > you in half with a bread knife?
> >
> > (This story just keeps getting more and more believable!)
>
> Nothing violent happened. However, after dinner, I had to work on her
> bathroom. The reason that I went early was because she wanted me to
> wallpaper her bathroom. (We all know how much fun that is!) She had her
> son-in-law put in a new ceramic floor and a new vanity and sink top (Her
son
> destroyed the old one.) I asked her to removed the old wallpaper and
scrub
> the walls so the room was ready to paper. She didn't bother with removing
> the paper -- she said "It wasn't calling me so I never got around to it."
> The SIL put in the floor but didn't grout it properly, nor did he finish
the
> cove tile that made up the baseboard. He didn't attempt to grout that
> incomplete cove tile. The new vanity and sink top were simple set in
> place - not attached to the walls or each other. There were a couple of
> large holes in the wall were someone had used a towel bar as a grab bar
and
> pulled the anchors through the drywall blowing out fist sized chunks of
> gypsum. It took me three days to get the paper off, the walls patched,
> ceiling painted, and cabinet installed. When I prepared to hang the paper
> it was obvious that she hadn't purchased enough. I hung all I could, but
> was short an entire double roll. On Thanksgiving day I had to install a
new
> light fixture and grout the floor. The next day she decided she wanted
the
> remaining scrap strip of paper hung regardless of the fact that it wasn't
> possible to match the pattern and that she would have to purchase more
paper
> anyway. That is the point where I thought there was going to be shouting.
> I went ahead and hung the paper. Amidst all the chaos and other work, she
> wanted me to install a new laminate floor in her master bath! I told her
> that I couldn't do it. She went out and bought the materials anyway and
> told me where I could find them when I needed them. I told her that I
> wouldn't be needing them because I wasn't going to start another project!


Wow, you have incredible patience, relative or no relative. I think at some
point during that ordeal I would have just gotten into my car and driven
off. From your postings it's obvious you're a super cook--next time cook
the dinner at your house and invite friends over. You'll be much happier
and I'm sure they'll be ecstatic

-Scott

Scott Taylor wrote:
>
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message

> > Nothing violent happened. However, after dinner, I had to work on her
> > bathroom. The reason that I went early was because she wanted me to
> > wallpaper her bathroom. (We all know how much fun that is!) She had her
> > son-in-law put in a new ceramic floor and a new vanity and sink top (Her
> son
> > destroyed the old one.) I asked her to removed the old wallpaper and
> scrub
> > the walls so the room was ready to paper. She didn't bother with removing
> > the paper -- she said "It wasn't calling me so I never got around to it."
> > The SIL put in the floor but didn't grout it properly, nor did he finish
> the
> > cove tile that made up the baseboard. He didn't attempt to grout that
> > incomplete cove tile. The new vanity and sink top were simple set in
> > place - not attached to the walls or each other. There were a couple of
> > large holes in the wall were someone had used a towel bar as a grab bar
> and
> > pulled the anchors through the drywall blowing out fist sized chunks of
> > gypsum. It took me three days to get the paper off, the walls patched,
> > ceiling painted, and cabinet installed. When I prepared to hang the paper
> > it was obvious that she hadn't purchased enough. I hung all I could, but
> > was short an entire double roll. On Thanksgiving day I had to install a
> new
> > light fixture and grout the floor. The next day she decided she wanted
> the
> > remaining scrap strip of paper hung regardless of the fact that it wasn't
> > possible to match the pattern and that she would have to purchase more
> paper
> > anyway. That is the point where I thought there was going to be shouting.
> > I went ahead and hung the paper. Amidst all the chaos and other work, she
> > wanted me to install a new laminate floor in her master bath! I told her
> > that I couldn't do it. She went out and bought the materials anyway and
> > told me where I could find them when I needed them. I told her that I
> > wouldn't be needing them because I wasn't going to start another project!
>
> Wow, you have incredible patience, relative or no relative. I think at some
> point during that ordeal I would have just gotten into my car and driven
> off. From your postings it's obvious you're a super cook--next time cook
> the dinner at your house and invite friends over. You'll be much happier
> and I'm sure they'll be ecstatic

All I got from that was he was pretty much invited because he's
handy. If I was Vox, I would never go there again as I think he was
treated shabbily. Vox is a he, no? (laugh) You're a guest, now
get to work? Yikes. Used and abused and not even fed properly.
Thanks for nothing.

nancy

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"Scott Taylor" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
>
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "zxcvbob" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > Vox Humana wrote:
> > > > "Sam D." > wrote in message
> > > > ...
> > > >
> > > >>"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> > > .. .
> > > >>
> > > >>>I'm back from a week away at a relative's house. It was a bad
> > > >
> > > > experience
> > > >
> > > >>>all around, and home never looked so good. In addition to the
> > > >
> > > > unpleasant
> > > >
> > > >>>circumstances of the visit, Thanksgiving dinner was truly awful:
> > > >>
> > > >>You have me wondering. Did the cook who prepared this dinner receive
> any
> > > >>comments about it from the guests? I mean, what can you say when you
> get
> > > >>served food like that from a relative?
> > > >>
> > > >>Either my own memory is fading or I've been fortunate. I remember
some
> > > >>individual items that have been bad but I can't recall ever having a
> > > >>Thanksgiving dinner that was bad overall, and I've eaten
Thanksgiving
> at
> > a
> > > >>lot of different places. What I can recall are a couple of
unpleasant
> > > >>Thanksgiving experiences because of some family bickering.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > There were only three of us. It is my policy to never criticize
food
> > that
> > > > someone prepares for me. I was very cautious about the portion size
> > that I
> > > > took knowing that there was a good chance that it wasn't going to be
> > tasty.
> > > > I ate what I could, but I couldn't eat the stuffing. No one said a
> > word.
> > > > The "cook" said "If I had to cook like this every day I wouldn't
eat."
> > I
> > > > silently agreed with her.
> > > >
> > > > In addition to the bad food, there were 15 dogs. I had to wear
shoes
> > the
> > > > entire time because the carpet had wet spots everywhere as did the
> > > > furniture. A couple of dogs crapped on the floor during dinner.
And,
> > as
> > > > unbelievable as this might seem, the adult son (and I use the term
> > "adult"
> > > > in reference to his age only) had used the upstairs toilet, flushed
> it,
> > and
> > > > it overflowed. He threw a couple of towels on the floor and went to
> > bed.
> > > > The filthy water soaked into the living room ceiling and all the
> drywall
> > > > tape was hanging. The carpet was wet with the contents of the
toilet
> > water.
> > > > Unfortunately, he did this twice within a few days. It was like
> eating
> > > > dinner in a badly maintained kennel attached to an outhouse!
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > And then what happened! Did the host fly into a drunken rage and cut
> > > you in half with a bread knife?
> > >
> > > (This story just keeps getting more and more believable!)
> >
> > Nothing violent happened. However, after dinner, I had to work on her
> > bathroom. The reason that I went early was because she wanted me to
> > wallpaper her bathroom. (We all know how much fun that is!) She had
her
> > son-in-law put in a new ceramic floor and a new vanity and sink top (Her
> son
> > destroyed the old one.) I asked her to removed the old wallpaper and
> scrub
> > the walls so the room was ready to paper. She didn't bother with
removing
> > the paper -- she said "It wasn't calling me so I never got around to
it."
> > The SIL put in the floor but didn't grout it properly, nor did he finish
> the
> > cove tile that made up the baseboard. He didn't attempt to grout that
> > incomplete cove tile. The new vanity and sink top were simple set in
> > place - not attached to the walls or each other. There were a couple of
> > large holes in the wall were someone had used a towel bar as a grab bar
> and
> > pulled the anchors through the drywall blowing out fist sized chunks of
> > gypsum. It took me three days to get the paper off, the walls patched,
> > ceiling painted, and cabinet installed. When I prepared to hang the
paper
> > it was obvious that she hadn't purchased enough. I hung all I could,
but
> > was short an entire double roll. On Thanksgiving day I had to install a
> new
> > light fixture and grout the floor. The next day she decided she wanted
> the
> > remaining scrap strip of paper hung regardless of the fact that it
wasn't
> > possible to match the pattern and that she would have to purchase more
> paper
> > anyway. That is the point where I thought there was going to be
shouting.
> > I went ahead and hung the paper. Amidst all the chaos and other work,
she
> > wanted me to install a new laminate floor in her master bath! I told
her
> > that I couldn't do it. She went out and bought the materials anyway and
> > told me where I could find them when I needed them. I told her that I
> > wouldn't be needing them because I wasn't going to start another
project!
>
>
> Wow, you have incredible patience, relative or no relative. I think at
some
> point during that ordeal I would have just gotten into my car and driven
> off. From your postings it's obvious you're a super cook--next time cook
> the dinner at your house and invite friends over. You'll be much happier
> and I'm sure they'll be ecstatic

Sometimes it's better to bite your tongue knowing that in a few days it will
be all over. I was tempted to leave soon after I arrived but I felt I was
committed. I used to have the family to my place and do the cooking.
However, I don't want 15 dogs as houseguests so that wasn't even a
consideration. I probably should just volunteer at a shelter. It would
give me a great excuse to avoid the family dinner, save me a five hour drive
each way, and help others -- all at the same time. As I said, I will be
spending Christmas at home!

> wrote in message
...
: On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 20:34:39 GMT, "Vox Humana"
>
: wrote:
:
: >peel, glace cherries, and pineapple. I think the recipe came
from a
: >mid-1960's cookbook.
:
: That's your problem. You used an outdated and obsolete
cookbook.
: Cookbooks should come with an expiration date, and it should be
: required by law to dispose of them after that date.
: =========

With those thoughts in mind... you wouldn't happen to have any
old cookbooks that you're fixing to throw away, do you? I'll pay
for postage and you can just send them straight to my house...
I'll "dispose" of them properly (right into my bookcase, that
is!!).

--
Cyndi
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