No More Easter Dinners

Peter and I went over to his mom's house yesterday and today we have arrived at the conclusion that we are no longer subjecting ourselves to family events. Not because it went terribly, or that anyone made a scene or said anything to us -- everyone was very civil. There's just no point in spending any time with people who are just going through the motions.

I had a really difficult time even looking Peter's sister in the face. Every time I found myself near her, I walked to the other side of the room. I just don't have that gift of being able to act all phony with a smile on my face. The awfulness was just exuding out of her like noxious alien puss.

When her kids came into the room, her daughter kept screaming, "I Don't REMEMBER Any Of You PEOPLE!" over and over again. I was all -- I wish I could say the SAME thing.

I thought about all the times my aunts and uncles would take me to the movies and pizza and how I really got to know them and I'm sad that Peter's not going to have that kind of relationship with his little niece and nephew. Hopefully, one day, when they're older, we can try to forge our own relationship with them. But having to deal with his sister is just not a good thing.

Peter's nephew brought his datebook and during the entire visit, he was copying his "year-at-a-glance" into his "week-at-a-glance." That's an activity I don't usually save for Easter dinner.

The one jab I did get in was, while we were seated, Peter's mom brought out spinach lasagna, and Peter's sister complained because she didn't like it. And then when Peter's mom brought out the steamed artichokes, she complained again. She said, "Maaaaaaaa! Why didn't you bread them?"

Peter's mom got all upset and said, "Next time! I'll do it next time."

I said, "Well, she served that on THANKSGIVING."

Peter's brother-in-law caught that, laughed loudly and said, "I guess we're going to have to start coming on THANKSGIVING...If we want the breaded artichokes."