What would you do with visiting family if you had no money?

[bertha katzenengel]

We're way shorter of cash than I thought we'd be, and prolly won't be able to do a lot of the things we'd planned.

I don't feel real creative because I am disappointed. The only thing I can think of is sit around and stare at each other, and maybe watch a movie or two.

We're gonna find a place to play pool, but I don't know how much that costs. We're gonna go to miniature golf & batting cages, but for five people even that's not cheap.

Any ideas?

My threads usually sink like a stone, though. So . . .

[JVS]

1. Sit around drinking cheap hooch.

[bertha katzenengel]

3. oh, yeah, well, that's a given

:hi:

[JVS]

2. Oh yeah. About playing pool. I was at the bar a while ago and noticed that the guys...

playing pool put plastic cups in the pockets so that they wouldn't lose the balls (and have to pay for another game, because this was a crummy vend-a-game system). They played pool all night.

[Richardo]

4. Can you get comp tickets from your minor league foster child?

What's the age bracket of your guests? All adults? Kids?

On edit: I can sympathize: My brother, sister-in-law and two kids visited us this spring and I'm amazed how much we spent even though they were very conscientious about 'paying their way' as much as possible (rented their own car, helped with the groceries, etc.)

[bertha katzenengel]

6. Oh, yeah, we are going to a game.

He gets us tix to every game :thumbsup:

But get this: I called a couple of weeks ago to see if they sold single tix to the suites. The guy I talked to said that they don't, but instead of saying "sorry, bye," he asked what the occasion was. I told him, and he asked if I was a season ticket holder. Although I only bought a 25-game package,* I told him I was, and I told him we're a host family.

He's gonna hook us up with a suite for nothing. All I have to do is get Derrick (who got the save last night) to talk to him and get us the tickets and we're in.

:woohoo:

* This was before we heard about hosting players

Oh, yeah - all adults, my sister and her kids, 20 and 17.

[Richardo]

7. Sweet!

What a great deal :thumbsup:

[bertha katzenengel]

14. heh heh... sweet... suite...

never let it be said that i don't enjoy a mild joke from time to time. ;)

edit: my sister cashed out a week's vacation for this trip, and she won't accept "no" when it comes to helping w/ gas & groceries. i feel so bad about accepting her money, though, and if the shoe were on the other foot she'd feel exactly the same way. so there it is. :) she rox.

[Richardo]

15. Geez. I didn't even see my own pun.

I'm slippin' :(

"Mild joke": you're WAY too kind, B! :D

[Tektonik]

5. Watch lots of baseball

:P

[bertha katzenengel]

26. I wish they dug baseball. They're going to suffer enough when

I take them to a Blue Crabs game.

:hi:

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. A day at a park: picnic, volleyball, badminton, croquet?

Whatever you do, enjoy the visit.

[bertha katzenengel]

11. Pic-a-nik! Great idea.

No shortage of great parks, including national and state, around here. Not to mention the banks of the Potomac, and the shores of the Bay.

Duh.

:hi: :loveya:

[MonkeyFunk]

9. got any games in the house?

pictionary, stuff like that

[bertha katzenengel]

12. good idea

for those really hot days when my sister won't leave the A/C... thanks!

[yellowdogintexas]

33. get a big set of Dominoes and learn to play Chickenfoot and/or Mexican Train

this game is great for a widely ranging age group
Anyone old enough to know colors and count dots can play this game and just about any number can play.

you need at least a set of double nines but double twelves are better.


Also, my family LOVES a game called Shanghai Rummy, card game. If you want the rules PM me and I will try to put them together. Large numbers can play, doesn't have to be an even number..

[raccoon]

10. Any free local stuff? For instance, in my city there are free concerts at

a local college during the summer, free jazz concerts downtown too. Of course, it would also depend on your visitors' tastes.

[bertha katzenengel]

13. great idea - i'll dig around in the local paper

and on somd.com and see what i can find. thanks!

[Symarip]

16. My favorite thing to do when I'm broke and I have to entertain someone:

Take them to Toys R Us and play with every single toy you can get your hands on. If you're dating, this one works well too.

[bertha katzenengel]

17. Hahahaha that's fantastic!

What a great idea for a date. Obviously you're a fun date. ;)

[demmiblue]

18. There are some interesting finds on the county tourism website...

especially the events calendar. Some of the things look interesting!

http://www.charlescounty.org/tourism/#


:hi:

[bertha katzenengel]

21. Would you believe I'd forgotten about the Mudd House?

Duh. And we can go down to Solomon's Island, and the tobacco barns, and Historic St. Mary's... Duh!

Thanks!

[LibertyLover]

29. Come and wander around Annapolis

City Dock was just renovated and is really nice. Main Street is amusing and the people watching at Ego Alley is fun.

[bertha katzenengel]

35. we're taking a Bay lighthouse cruise

so i'm eager to see the City Dock. :)

[zanne]

19. Swimming and a BBQ?

Any lakes around your area with picnic tables and BBQ pits?

[bertha katzenengel]

25. we'll definitely have a cookout - more than one

probably on the deck :bounce: but there are plenty of places to go for cooking out, too

tahnks!

[MonkeyFunk]

20. Rob a liquor store!

make it a family affair!

Fun AND lucrative!

[Midlodemocrat]

22. How about a cook out and some water games?

It's certainly hot enough.

[bertha katzenengel]

24. water games!

we can squirt each other with the hose, and have a water balloon fight!

great idea!

[LiberalEsto]

23. Take some nice walks.

Walk your own neighborhood, or go to a park, or some local point of interest and just walk around. Take pix of yourselves. Stop someplace for ice cream cones.

[bertha katzenengel]

28. all excellent ideas, Lib-Esto

plenty of places around here for nice walks

thanks!

[redqueen]

27. The same thing I always do. Cause I hardly ever have money.

Hang out at the park... have family dinners... go shopping (for needs, not wants)... that kinda stuff.

[yellowdogintexas]

30. well, if it were in Fort Worth I would :

take them to Glen Rose to the Dinosaur State Park, play in the river, see the dinosaur footprints, take a picnic lunch

go the the Kimball Museum (free)

we have a great zoo so would pack up a lunch in a rolling cooler and head for the zoo ..that would be the big spend, I think

Botanic Gardens free except for the Japanese Garden, but even that isn't pricey and you can play with the Koi

hang out in Sundance Square downtown..

OH if there is an Equestrian event in town, go hang out in the barns. Free, and tons of fun ..I used to entertain my daughter and her friend regularly for the price of 3 large McDonald's beverages. (cheaper than the stuff sold in the arena concession and right across the street)

we have a minor league baseball team

ride the Trinity Rail to Dallas and see some stuff over there.

Go on a Public Art Display tour of Fort Worth. One of these days I am going to post an album of the public art we have here. I just have to get all the pictures made.

and finally check out any local festivals that might be going on. We have Parker County PeachFest coming up in July as an example.

[bif]

31. Do you know anyone who has a set of Bocci balls?

I love that game. And it's free, if you can borrow a set.

[yellowdogintexas]

34. or croquet? nt

[bif]

32. Or play the dictionary game.

[bertha katzenengel]

36. what is it?

[bif]

37. It's a riot. And folks of all ages can play!

Dictionary Game



Object of the game:

The object of Dictionary is to learn new words and to trick people. You need at least 4 people to play, but the more people that play the better!

Supplies Needed:

One dictionary

Small note sized pieces of paper (like Post It Notes)

Pencils

How to Play:

Decide who will go first. This person is the Reader for this round of the game.

One person will need to keep track of the points for each player.
The Reader opens the dictionary to a random page. They have one minute to pick a word from that page. (The most unusual words are the best!) The Reader reads the word out loud, then spells it – but they do not tell what the word means.

Everyone secretly writes down what they think the definition of the word is. The more the word sounds like a dictionary definition, the better chance you have to fool everyone! The Reader writes down the real meaning of the word on his or her own piece of paper. It’s important to write neatly so the Reader can read what you wrote!

Everyone gives their made up definitions to the Reader, who mixes them up and reads them, including the real meaning of the word. Everyone (except the Reader) votes for his or her choice of the real meaning of the word.

The Reader then tells what the real definition of the word is, and points are given out as follows:

Each player who chooses the correct meaning of the word gets 2 points.

Each player gets a point for every vote of his or her made up definition.

If no one votes for the real definition, the Reader gets 2 points.

The Reader then gives the dictionary to the next player, and the next round starts. You can play to 10 points, 20 points, or whatever – just say before you start!

[bertha katzenengel]

39. it's Balderdash! but without the expense

I'm so glad you posted this. We'll definitely play this. We are a reading family. We play Balderdash when I go home to CA, but I honestly never thought of playing without the game-in-a-box.

Thanks!!

[SOteric]

41. Our family has been playing this since we were kids, -

we call it "Fictionary."

We also give a point to the person with the most humourous answer.

[RainDog]

38. if you do want to go out to a restaurant, etc.

the prices are cheaper, in lots of places, for the lunch menu.. even tho they may be the exact same thing.

looks like lots of ppl have given you good suggestions. if your area has any lunch or evening free concerts in a park or something, those are always good places to go for picnics too.

you might want to check out your local library and see what sorts of free programs they have. sometimes here they show free movies. also, if you want to save money on renting dvds, you can reserve titles in advance from your library and check them out for free.

[applegrove]

40. Sometimes Art Museums and Zoo have 'free days' so that the poor

can enjoy these public institutions too. Find out if there is one near you.

[dembotoz]

42. church festivals, shop rummage sales, free concerts

Here is wisconsin, when our lakes are not draining away, there are a fair amount of free festivals and such. Some are better than others
Swiming, picnics, summer is too short--get outside and use it.