DotH repost: Family reunion post
I'm going to talk about my family reunion. An event where a large section of my family on my great-grandmother's side gets together an makes me wish we did these kind of things every five years instead of every year. Though I have to admit this year was better than previous years. But they me tell you about my experience.
For starters, you have to realize that the responsibility of holding/organizing the family reunion rotates between the various branches of the family. This year, it was my branch's turn. This meant that I couldn't just show up Sunday, stay the required two hours, and then leave. Oh no. I had to show up Saturday and help them set up. Which basically meant that I would voice an opinion and everyone would ignore what I said in favor of doing it the "right way" (ie, the way they want it). After all, I'm just a child (even though I am not an adult and have been such in the eyes of the American Government for four years now) and my opinion doesn't matter.
Can you feel my pain?
So I went in expecting the worse. Like the incident four years ago, last time my branch ran the thing. The whole group (aka all seven out of twenty three that showed up) spent two hours arguing about decorations. Not who was bringing what. Not even how to best set up the tables or how many chairs we might need. But decorations. My great-aunt and her daughters almost got into a cat fight over the bloody decorations. I just knew that this year was going to be a disaster.
Starts off my great-aunt and two of her daughters have all the decorations done. Don't like them? Too bad. They invited everyone to help. If you didn't show up you lost your right to voice and opinion. It worked and the decorations were cool looking. However, the church hall where we have the thing has installed a white aluminum pole right in the center of the room. Why? To keep the room from sagging. And since my relatives will have fits if we deviate the slightest from how this re-union is done we have to find a way to set the table up exactly like always while taking into account that there is now a pole in the middle of the room. Somehow we managed.
So everything is set up and we leave after only two hours. Thank god. Because my family has started in on the gossip. So and so is out playing golf instead of coming here and helping. So and so isn't here yet I bet she'll claim it was all her idea. That sorta thing.
So I ate dinner with my immediate family and went back to my apartment. I think my Mom is finally realizing that I want to be away from my house. That I don't actually like my extended family all that much. I do not like loud noises. I do not like lots of people I don't know. I am not a touchy-feely-huggy kind of person. My family is. I don't like my family. Period. End of discussion.
So on Sunday the family reunion began. Everyone helping host the thing (ie, my branch of the family) was supposed to to show up at 10:00. I was not about to hang around with my family four five hours. So I showed up at 12:00 with brownies. That way this year when people jokingly asked me "So what did you bring this year?" I could tell them "Brownies" and point to the dessert table. Make fun of my cooking skills, will you? That okay. I only took five brownies home out of the two dozen I made. Someone liked them. So there.
Anyways, I came in late enough to miss the whole screaming fight thing that happens every year between my great-aunt and her daughters. Thank god. A whole crowd had shown up and were talking. And a total of three (3) people were trying to do the work of what should have been twenty. So I jumped in and started helping. I did this for two reasons. One, it prevented me from actually having to mingle with my family. And two, it prevented me from actually having to mingle with my family. Everytime someone tried to get me into a long conversation someone would walk in with a dessert and I would be "forced" to leave them and set up the dessert. It was great. Why didn't I think of this plan years ago?
Of course, there were the usual stupid questions. I graduated in May with a B.S. in Geology. Since I can't find any jobs in the environmental geology field, I've been working for the University as a glorified secretary (aka Administrative Assistant). That's some background. Here's the questions.
So how's archaology going?
For the last fricking time, it's geology! Geology!
I have this niece who's married to this guy who does oil stuff. Maybe you should talk to him?
Oil stuff? Turns out he was once an accountant for a oil company that only has offices in India. No, I'm not interested.
I heard you've gotten a secretarial job. I'm so glad you've decided to settle down with an actual career.
I hate you.
I see your sister has brought her boyfriend. when you going to introduce us to your man? or alternatively So when are you going to settle down and get married?
I don't have a guy. I don't want one. I'm going to grow up to be filthy rich and have many cats and buy sex whenever I want from whoever I want. So take that.
Seriously, when my relatives ask me stuff like that it makes me want to commit ritual suicide with a fork. There's no way I would invite anyone I actually liked to my family reunions. It would be the equivalent of Draco Malfoy inviting Harry Potter to one of his.
Oh come on Potter. You'd have a smashing time at my family reunion. Nevermind that over half my family would love to see you dead, and the other half is insane. You simply love Aunt Greta's crab puffs.
I think not.
Overall, it went okay. We had to set up another table for the food which was a minor crises. We had over 100 people show up which is the largest crowd we've had. Ever. Food was good as always. Stuffed myself silly on dessert. Got to leave early because I helped out so much before and during clean-up. Everyone was impressed that I was helping so much (my mom just sent me this nice tearful email about how proud she was) and I didn't actually have to socailize. Life is good.
Just one last comment about my family reunion. While I know it was a church hall we had it in, I object the the church's use of faith locks in the bathrooms. What are faith locks? When you shut the door you have faith that the door will not open because there is no physical way for you to prevent it while sitting on the toilet three feet from the door. Thank you.
I'm still considering the two offers (thanks Kemmy and Chris for volunterring) to host my pictures for my pitas page. Though according to Utopian Trunks adding a _ to the file name stops fortunecity from blocking the pictures. Might try that before anything else.
Final bragging, talya linked to my pitas page in her blog because I sent an email to VS-fic mentioning Tattered Streamers.
runs around happily chanting "Talya noticed me! Talya noticed me!" I am a genki little fangirl yes I am.
For starters, you have to realize that the responsibility of holding/organizing the family reunion rotates between the various branches of the family. This year, it was my branch's turn. This meant that I couldn't just show up Sunday, stay the required two hours, and then leave. Oh no. I had to show up Saturday and help them set up. Which basically meant that I would voice an opinion and everyone would ignore what I said in favor of doing it the "right way" (ie, the way they want it). After all, I'm just a child (even though I am not an adult and have been such in the eyes of the American Government for four years now) and my opinion doesn't matter.
Can you feel my pain?
So I went in expecting the worse. Like the incident four years ago, last time my branch ran the thing. The whole group (aka all seven out of twenty three that showed up) spent two hours arguing about decorations. Not who was bringing what. Not even how to best set up the tables or how many chairs we might need. But decorations. My great-aunt and her daughters almost got into a cat fight over the bloody decorations. I just knew that this year was going to be a disaster.
Starts off my great-aunt and two of her daughters have all the decorations done. Don't like them? Too bad. They invited everyone to help. If you didn't show up you lost your right to voice and opinion. It worked and the decorations were cool looking. However, the church hall where we have the thing has installed a white aluminum pole right in the center of the room. Why? To keep the room from sagging. And since my relatives will have fits if we deviate the slightest from how this re-union is done we have to find a way to set the table up exactly like always while taking into account that there is now a pole in the middle of the room. Somehow we managed.
So everything is set up and we leave after only two hours. Thank god. Because my family has started in on the gossip. So and so is out playing golf instead of coming here and helping. So and so isn't here yet I bet she'll claim it was all her idea. That sorta thing.
So I ate dinner with my immediate family and went back to my apartment. I think my Mom is finally realizing that I want to be away from my house. That I don't actually like my extended family all that much. I do not like loud noises. I do not like lots of people I don't know. I am not a touchy-feely-huggy kind of person. My family is. I don't like my family. Period. End of discussion.
So on Sunday the family reunion began. Everyone helping host the thing (ie, my branch of the family) was supposed to to show up at 10:00. I was not about to hang around with my family four five hours. So I showed up at 12:00 with brownies. That way this year when people jokingly asked me "So what did you bring this year?" I could tell them "Brownies" and point to the dessert table. Make fun of my cooking skills, will you? That okay. I only took five brownies home out of the two dozen I made. Someone liked them. So there.
Anyways, I came in late enough to miss the whole screaming fight thing that happens every year between my great-aunt and her daughters. Thank god. A whole crowd had shown up and were talking. And a total of three (3) people were trying to do the work of what should have been twenty. So I jumped in and started helping. I did this for two reasons. One, it prevented me from actually having to mingle with my family. And two, it prevented me from actually having to mingle with my family. Everytime someone tried to get me into a long conversation someone would walk in with a dessert and I would be "forced" to leave them and set up the dessert. It was great. Why didn't I think of this plan years ago?
Of course, there were the usual stupid questions. I graduated in May with a B.S. in Geology. Since I can't find any jobs in the environmental geology field, I've been working for the University as a glorified secretary (aka Administrative Assistant). That's some background. Here's the questions.
So how's archaology going?
For the last fricking time, it's geology! Geology!
I have this niece who's married to this guy who does oil stuff. Maybe you should talk to him?
Oil stuff? Turns out he was once an accountant for a oil company that only has offices in India. No, I'm not interested.
I heard you've gotten a secretarial job. I'm so glad you've decided to settle down with an actual career.
I hate you.
I see your sister has brought her boyfriend. when you going to introduce us to your man? or alternatively So when are you going to settle down and get married?
I don't have a guy. I don't want one. I'm going to grow up to be filthy rich and have many cats and buy sex whenever I want from whoever I want. So take that.
Seriously, when my relatives ask me stuff like that it makes me want to commit ritual suicide with a fork. There's no way I would invite anyone I actually liked to my family reunions. It would be the equivalent of Draco Malfoy inviting Harry Potter to one of his.
Oh come on Potter. You'd have a smashing time at my family reunion. Nevermind that over half my family would love to see you dead, and the other half is insane. You simply love Aunt Greta's crab puffs.
I think not.
Overall, it went okay. We had to set up another table for the food which was a minor crises. We had over 100 people show up which is the largest crowd we've had. Ever. Food was good as always. Stuffed myself silly on dessert. Got to leave early because I helped out so much before and during clean-up. Everyone was impressed that I was helping so much (my mom just sent me this nice tearful email about how proud she was) and I didn't actually have to socailize. Life is good.
Just one last comment about my family reunion. While I know it was a church hall we had it in, I object the the church's use of faith locks in the bathrooms. What are faith locks? When you shut the door you have faith that the door will not open because there is no physical way for you to prevent it while sitting on the toilet three feet from the door. Thank you.
I'm still considering the two offers (thanks Kemmy and Chris for volunterring) to host my pictures for my pitas page. Though according to Utopian Trunks adding a _ to the file name stops fortunecity from blocking the pictures. Might try that before anything else.
Final bragging, talya linked to my pitas page in her blog because I sent an email to VS-fic mentioning Tattered Streamers.
runs around happily chanting "Talya noticed me! Talya noticed me!" I am a genki little fangirl yes I am.