Oh the drama of the in-law's
I have new drama to report.
My mother -in-law's birthday is coming up on the 15th, so Craig and I discussed what to get her. She's been needing a new computer badly. She finally decided to go high-tech and get DSL service, but the computer is just so old that it really barely runs it, though it's much faster than her old dial-up with AOHell. Anyway, she's been having problems getting games now because she's still running Windows 98 and only has 256 MB RAM. Not a very good system for what she needs.
So, Craig and I decided to get her a new system, or an overhaul really. I went shopping at Newegg.com and got a barebones system, slapped on a processor, a stick of RAM, a new harddrive, and an OEM copy of Windows XP. Grand total with tax and shipping to be $325. Not bad for a Intel Celeron D 2.5 Ghz, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Harddrive and XP. Plus it's a spiffy black case with front USB and audio and 4 rear USB ports, onboard audio, video, and a LAN card. Not GREAT, but not a bad little system. Certainly all she needs. And I pull the old CD ROM and floppy disk drives from the old system and she's good to go.
Craig and I decide to ask my sister-in-law if she'd like to go in on it with us. I call her up and ask her if there were any plans in the work for Meme's birthday. Then moved into asking what she'd gotten her mom for her birthday. I figure if she's already gotten something, there's no need in even bringing it up. But she didn't. And said she was clueless as to what to get her. So, I proceed. I give her the rundown about her mom's computer being so slow and old, yadda.
Me: I was wondering if you'd like to go in on the computer with us.
Cristy: Well how much did it cost?
Me: (knowing she's gonna flip in a way, so I lowball... okay, I lie) Around $275
Cristy: WHAT!!!!! You spent what? *starts huffing* That's just *huff* That's just *huff*
Me: I'm not asking *gets cut off* (already prepared to state I didn't want her to go half on it)
Cristy: I can't put that kind of money in a present! Are you crazy?
Me: Cristy, I know that. I wasn't going to say go half, just whatever you can spend.
Cristy: *more huffing* But why?! Why are you going and spending THAT much money?!
Me: Because she watches Carter for us everyday while we are at work. And if you figure how much money we would have to spend in daycare alone if she didn't, we could have bought 4 computers at least. It's partly our way of saying thank you. That's why I'm saying, again, you don't have to go half.
Cristy: *very snotty attitude* Well I can't spend that kind of money. I usually only spend about $50.
Me: That's fine Cristy. Whatever you want to do. I was just offering it up. If you want to get her something else, that's totally okay with us. I just thought we'd offer it if you didn't have anything already picked out.
Cristy: *huffs more (at which point I'm ready to bitch slap her across the phone)* Well, I guess I'll talk to Nane and see if she knows anything Momma might REALLY want. If she doesn't then I GUESS I will.
Me: *counts to 10 and takes a deep breath* Okay, that's fine. Just let me know.
What I REALLY want to say: BITCH, DON'T DO ME ANY FUCKING FAVORS! SORRY I ASKED YOUR ASS IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND YOU CAN KISS IT!
The deal is definitely off the table. The more I think about it the angrier I get about it. What the hell did I do to fucking offend her? I offered to help for chrissakes! I know she doesn't have a lot of money, that's why I offered that she just go in on it. Her mom doesn't have to know she didn't pay half and I was trying to do a favor. And she certainly can't tell me she's jealous, because I built a system for my nephew (her son) for his birthday, that was just as good, if not actually better in some ways!
Damn frackin' In-Law's! I swear this is why you should never get married!
My mother -in-law's birthday is coming up on the 15th, so Craig and I discussed what to get her. She's been needing a new computer badly. She finally decided to go high-tech and get DSL service, but the computer is just so old that it really barely runs it, though it's much faster than her old dial-up with AOHell. Anyway, she's been having problems getting games now because she's still running Windows 98 and only has 256 MB RAM. Not a very good system for what she needs.
So, Craig and I decided to get her a new system, or an overhaul really. I went shopping at Newegg.com and got a barebones system, slapped on a processor, a stick of RAM, a new harddrive, and an OEM copy of Windows XP. Grand total with tax and shipping to be $325. Not bad for a Intel Celeron D 2.5 Ghz, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Harddrive and XP. Plus it's a spiffy black case with front USB and audio and 4 rear USB ports, onboard audio, video, and a LAN card. Not GREAT, but not a bad little system. Certainly all she needs. And I pull the old CD ROM and floppy disk drives from the old system and she's good to go.
Craig and I decide to ask my sister-in-law if she'd like to go in on it with us. I call her up and ask her if there were any plans in the work for Meme's birthday. Then moved into asking what she'd gotten her mom for her birthday. I figure if she's already gotten something, there's no need in even bringing it up. But she didn't. And said she was clueless as to what to get her. So, I proceed. I give her the rundown about her mom's computer being so slow and old, yadda.
Me: I was wondering if you'd like to go in on the computer with us.
Cristy: Well how much did it cost?
Me: (knowing she's gonna flip in a way, so I lowball... okay, I lie) Around $275
Cristy: WHAT!!!!! You spent what? *starts huffing* That's just *huff* That's just *huff*
Me: I'm not asking *gets cut off* (already prepared to state I didn't want her to go half on it)
Cristy: I can't put that kind of money in a present! Are you crazy?
Me: Cristy, I know that. I wasn't going to say go half, just whatever you can spend.
Cristy: *more huffing* But why?! Why are you going and spending THAT much money?!
Me: Because she watches Carter for us everyday while we are at work. And if you figure how much money we would have to spend in daycare alone if she didn't, we could have bought 4 computers at least. It's partly our way of saying thank you. That's why I'm saying, again, you don't have to go half.
Cristy: *very snotty attitude* Well I can't spend that kind of money. I usually only spend about $50.
Me: That's fine Cristy. Whatever you want to do. I was just offering it up. If you want to get her something else, that's totally okay with us. I just thought we'd offer it if you didn't have anything already picked out.
Cristy: *huffs more (at which point I'm ready to bitch slap her across the phone)* Well, I guess I'll talk to Nane and see if she knows anything Momma might REALLY want. If she doesn't then I GUESS I will.
Me: *counts to 10 and takes a deep breath* Okay, that's fine. Just let me know.
What I REALLY want to say: BITCH, DON'T DO ME ANY FUCKING FAVORS! SORRY I ASKED YOUR ASS IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND YOU CAN KISS IT!
The deal is definitely off the table. The more I think about it the angrier I get about it. What the hell did I do to fucking offend her? I offered to help for chrissakes! I know she doesn't have a lot of money, that's why I offered that she just go in on it. Her mom doesn't have to know she didn't pay half and I was trying to do a favor. And she certainly can't tell me she's jealous, because I built a system for my nephew (her son) for his birthday, that was just as good, if not actually better in some ways!
Damn frackin' In-Law's! I swear this is why you should never get married!