Visiting Repub relatives during T day?

[n2doc]

[mulsh]

1. "did he include his price list?"

2 years ago while we were with the in-laws they received a very nice xmas card for John & Cindy McCain. FIL handed it to me, I turned the card and envelope upside down and shook them both asking "Did he include his price list?" MIL was very amused but FIL just mutter "he's a war hero" and stomped off to his office.

this year they were both big supporters and donors to the Obama campaign so I'm expecting some fun times over the week end.

[TlalocW]

4. For the most part, the big conservatives in my family

Tends to be one of my sisters and her family, and it's their house we have dinner at. They're mainly about hatin' teh gay although there's some residual racism they're trying to overcome (they've come a long way). Last Thanksgiving, I walked in to the kitchen to get some leftovers and my brother-in-law and his brothers talking about politics, and while I could have gotten involved, I decided to just point at each one individually and say very strong, "You're wrong, and you're wrong AAAAAAAND YOU'RE WRONG!" before walking out.

They found it amusing.

TlalocW

[AspenRose]

7. Next time sing it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Jcpagfieg

:rofl:

[Greyskye]

2. The bumper stickers are staying on, I'm going to gloat, I'm not above Palin humor...

...and I might just make some inflammatory remarks as well.

I've spent the last 8 years at my Republican brother-in-laws house on T-Day, and it's my turn now!

Do you think wearing my Obama/Biden t-shirt is over the top?

:evilgrin:

[gratuitous]

12. Be sure to show 'em your tattoos

Like the guy in the second panel.

Hee, hee, hee.

[tabbycat31]

3. my bumper stickers are staying ON

thankyouverymuch.

I'm not worried that much about Thanskgiving, but Christmas will be interesting. I'll be spending it with a Mitt Romney campaign staffer, an uber corporatist Republican like his political hero.

[MineralMan]

5. I don't know, but

for me, family is very important. My family is, for the most part, on the right when it comes to politics. My wife and I are staunch progressives. Everyone knows that in the family. Generally, at holiday gatherings, we talk about family news, since folks show up from all across the country. Politics are not on the Thanksgiving or Christmas table.

Humble in victory; gracious in defeat.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. going to the community feast

where everyone is an environmentalist and the politics are either Dem or Green. Don't expect much friction- we're all rational people.

[unpossibles]

8. heh. At my in-laws, we have this running debate about Global Climate Change

and my father-in-law is a nice guy, but tends to get in your face about things, and thinks it's all a liberal conspiracy. Last year was a hoot because a couple I'm good friends with happened to be in town for the holidays, and she is an incredibly intelligent oceanographic geologist who also has studied a lot of biology and other sciences. It was pretty nice to watch her just completely silence the conservatives with a steady stream of facts and anecdotes from other scientists who she knows - they just were incapable of coming up with any argument against what she told them.

I'd love to say it sank in, but who knows.

This year, I'd love to find an economist friend to bring along. :D

[Caoimhe]

9. This year we are doing something completely different

Some backtground,

My mom died in Sept of 2007 and of course the 2007 winter holidays were spent with my Dad and family. I grew up in a very VERY conservative family (lots of racism, homophobia, feminazi-hating, big-city-hating type of stuff) My Mom was always the most outspoken and opinionated, and the last few holidays were nearly unbearable as she kept defending Dubya and talking about all the islamo-fascists and of course her deep-seated hatred of Bill Clinton. She couldn't even say his name without getting visibly angry.

I butted heads with her for most of my adult life, and even as a teenager, I secretly hoped that I was actually adopted, and my real, open-minded family would emerge and come rescue me. Never happened. Right after Mom died, we were driving somewhere to make florist arrangements for the funeral and my Dad brought up the war in Iraq. My brother, another conservative (he tends to be more libertarian) and I listened as Dad said something to the effect of... "This god*****ed war. It's wrong to put those kids through this. If we are still there in a year, it will be too long, hell it's already been too long!". It was the first time I ever heard him say anything even remotely anti-war or anti-Bush policy. My brother in the back chimed in with "Oh but those military folks, they signed their life away, so they have no reason, and no right to bitch" Luckily, we arrived at our destination before I became too angry, but I have to say the whole conversation made me see my Dad in a new light.

Maybe he wasn't so staunchly conservative or hawkish after all. Maybe he had always really reflected Mom's opinions to keep the peace. After all, she was the one who watched Fox News all day and had a bookshelf full of Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter books. The last few big family dinners we had all together, my brother kept wheedling me (one year he wanted to talk about all the "lazy" black people in New Orleans who were too "stupid" to leave before Katrina, and another year he and Mom were going on and on about how gays should be lined up and shot) No-- I'm not kidding.

I really do love my brother, and I miss my Mom terribly, but after she passed, I determined that I wasn't going to have my holidays ruined anymore. My Dad remarried this year, and his new wife seems okay. He will be spending his holidays with her family, and I am thankful. I am hopeful she isn't as right wing as Mom was, but I know she's pretty religious. We'll see how that manifests itself. She is vegan, so maybe there is hope. I am a raving meat eater, but if I could get past the juicy luscious flavor of meats, cheeses and such, I'd like to be vegan. I just cannot find the will.

I have no desire to spend time with my brother and his family, sadly. Nowadays when we visit it all is about him and his new electronic gadgets. He plays movies on his massive theatre system so loud the foundation of the house shakes and nobody can converse. He has no interest in regular conversation, it's all about how much money he has and the things he buys. I just don't need it anymore. He seems to save computer projects for when we are coming over, so that he is completely engrossed in either a movie or a computer project the entire time we are there. Perhaps it is his way of avoiding conversation. To me, it just angers and saddens me. His two sons are little clones of him, and it takes an act of congress to get them to answer a question or formulate a thought that doesn't involve computers or video games. I'm harsh, aren't I?

So, to make a short story long..... This year we are going to RENO for T-Day. FFFFFFuck family! I'm gonna get myself some spa time and forget about life for a while. I'm taking my knitting loom and a bag of yarn, some paints and canvas board and plenty of relaxing music. We will be doing our part to bolster the economy, at least in NW Nevada!

Life is too short to be among miserable, hateful people.. I am 37 and this is the first holiday that I've ever spent NOT AMONG FAMILY. My family is my husband and I, at least this Thanksgiving! And I am SO THANKFUL!

PS Hoping the buffets have some good turkey and gravy, I'm sure they will!

[ceile]

10. I'll be polite, but I'm sure they won't.

On the bright side, we were supposed to stay the whole weekend and go to the RenFest on Saturday (I was actually looking forward to that), but can't find anyone to watch the diabetic cat. So, we're coming back Friday morning. Darn!

[OutNow]

11. Had Early T-day with RW Inlaws - Priceless

Since it tends to snow early on the I-5 pass in Southern Oregon on the way to Calif. we had our T-day visit with our inlaws in Calif. a couple of weeks ago. One BIL is a crazed Bushbot who KNEW that McBush would win the election in a landslide. I anticipated our conversation!!

Guess what? It never happened!

Crazy BIL told the family that I had hurt his feelings (WTF?) due to my liberal ranting and that I hated America so he would not see us during our visit. Priceless!!!!!!!!!

As we were getting ready to leave after 3 days several family members asked us to come visit more often since it was the first time in years they weren't bombarded with RW bullshit 24/7.

This is a new day in America.

[gratuitous]

13. Goodness!

Who would have guessed that your manly man brother-in-law would be such a lily-livered coward?

I mean, besides frickin' everybody? Heh, heh, heh.