Friday, August 7, 2009

"Night, Lucy." "Night, Ricky."


Just got back from a week in captivity with Tom’s family. They are lovely people, and I do believe I behaved pretty well this time. Semi-psycho, but not all-out psycho.

I think my issue comes down to a concept I read about recently that in-laws just aren’t of your tribe. A different tribe doesn’t mean a bad tribe, just different. My own tribe is wracked with tragedy and riddled with dysfunction, but it’s mine so I more or less “get” it.

On a day to day basis, my vacation problems stem from the fact that I’m not in my own home, thus not able to get anything “done,” and the issue of a fundamental magazine-incompatibility. I first heard this phrase from Marinka and I fell in love with it and her fabulous blog.

In-Law’s Magazine List:

Knit Simple
Prevention
Consumer Reports
New Republic
Cooking Light
Tennis

Anna’s Far Superior and More Interesting Magazine List:

Country Living
Better Homes and Gardens
Vanity Fair
Elle Décor
Southern Living
Family Circle
Guideposts

…and the ultimate guilty pleasures: People and US Weekly.

Yes, yes I brought books to read, but I whizzed through them all. No, I couldn’t drive to the store, because after almost 18 years I still don’t know where the heck I am out in the country and how to escape if necessary.

By the end of vacation I was so desperate I was reading the labels on vitamin bottles.

I am not trying to be judge-y here; my own sister and I are magazine incompatible. Hers: Yoga Journal, Self, Health. Ewwww.

But she and I usually manage to stay occupied discussing our differing views of the same childhood incidents or stuffing our faces with jumbo marshmallows straight out of the bag.

Entertainment-wise, we did better than in the magazine department on this trip.

My mother in law has a dvd collection of “I Love Lucy.” We loved introducing the kids to the show.

Reactions:

Molly: “Lucy needs to tell Ricky to go make his own breakfast.”

Jake: “Lucy and her friend always make things worse by lying about stuff.”


And, in a case of "life imitating Lucy," Tom and I were once again assigned the room with twin beds in it.

I was PMS-ing HARD so Tom’s little bed could have been in Alaska for all I cared. The distance probably kept him safe from any vacation-induced stabbing.

In all, it was a very good trip, yet I’m glad to be home. And waiting for me when I got here? 3 crisp new magazines. Aaah.


11 comments:

  1. Ahhh is right. And your own bed! Which beats a twin! Yeah!

    I just got Elle Decor and can't wait for Fiona to go to bed and Matt to get on the computer tonight. A glass of prosecco, a chocolate bar, and my magazine: heaven.

    Glad you had fun! Fun report and I love the picture too!

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  2. I love lucy..... ( I just did a high dive right into that pun....)

    I live in the "Country" so I get to go back to civilization for vacation.......

    where they have Strawberry Coolattas, Malls, and magazines..... any time you want them.....

    Now I wanna go on vacation....

    Welcome back!

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  3. love opening the mail box and finding a new magazine. i am currently waiting desperately for the september issue of vogue....

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  4. The with in-laws vacation. I know it well, you described it perfectly. Congratulations on surviving without killing any one! Welcome home.

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  5. everytime I fly it is People and Us. Oh yeah and then I watch TV the rest of the time. Damn I'm smart

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  6. Anna!

    In this months Vanity Fair is a great essay bemoaning the loss of reading snobbery because now you can't judge people based on the book you see them read because they are reading w/ Kindles and other e-books.

    But...you probably haven't read that yet as you were having so much fun with lesser fare.....:):)

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  7. Rofl your Anna’s Far Superior and More Interesting Magazine List made me laugh - I get a lot of those! Glad you're back and didn't suffer any long standing head injuries from falling out of a twin bed!

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  8. I have never heard of Magazine Incompatibility, but it makes total sense.

    I always thought Ricky was a pompous arse. And that Lucy really should have just 'fessed up in the first place. That sort of comedy always made me really uncomfortable.

    You're amazingly candid about your time with your in-laws. Do they read your blog?

    jbhat

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  9. I love my magazines----fashion magazines all---but I have NOT had time to read them these past few months----but I can't imagine not having something to read!

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  10. When we first got married, my husband and I would alternate vacations with his family and then with mine. The first few visits to his parents, he'd wake up early and go off to visit his buddies from high school, leaving me alone with his parents for the day. We quickly broke him of that!

    I've got a copy of Martha Stewart Living and BH&G just waiting to be read!

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  11. Oh in-laws, don't even get me started on that subject! On a happier note, my daughter and I call ourselves "magazine whores"......just can't get enough of them. lol

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