They told us they were coming on Thursday. No problem. I had planned to go down to the cabin on Thursday, light the fire so things could warm up, and shovel the snow away from the door, to the woodshed, and the shop. They called on Wednesday night. 9:30pm. We were in town. The boys had cadets. They were at my house.
Why do they do that? They think they can do whatever they want, because they're the parents, and they can look after themselves, and we don't need to worry about them.
They couldn't get in the trail to the cabin. The snow plow had filled it in since hubby last cleaned it out. Dad walked in to light the fire. The door wouldn't open. There was something wrong with the deadbolt. That's when they called. Not when they left home. Not when they got here. Not until they were stymied.
Lovely. My house is not really very welcoming to visitors. It's a small house. Three bedrooms. Small living room. I only have a love seat in there, not even a couch, let alone a fold out couch.
Four boys.
Four dogs. 8 puppies. And a cat. Who all have fleas.
My mother, the clean freak, who does not have any pets at all, who gets eaten alive by fleas, was going to have to sleep in my house. This was not going to be pretty.
Husband had an idea. Take the propane heater down to the cabin, and heat the porch. He figured the dead bolt was probably frozen. I tried calling my parents. No answer. Now what's going on? I'm driving way too fast for the snowing and blowing. Someone hit a moose. They seemed alright, already butchering when we drove by. Tried calling again. Still no answer.
I got home about an hour later. They weren't here. I called them again. My mother answered the phone. And she's cranky. Because she's having a bad day. And she's cold.
Dad broke the door down. They were in their cabin. Things were heating up. Fine. Good night.
Why? Is it really that hard to tell us that they're coming a day earlier? What's with the surprises? Some days my parents drive me crazy.
They're here now, for the winter. They'll be working on getting their new place ready to move in. They're our new neighbours. They bought the "camp" next door. It's two house trailers, an out house (no plumbing), and two small sheds. There's a natural spring, but no well, and no house hook up.
They'll be hauling drinking water from our house, and melting snow for washing, the same as they do at the cabin. The first job is to install their septic tank. #2 was busy over there digging them a big hole before the ground froze up. It's not quite ready, but low enough that Dad can attach a pipe to the tank for this year, so at least they can use the toilet when they're there. In the spring they'll have the well drilled.
For now, they'll be moving a closet from the master bedroom into the small bedroom behind it, so it'll open through the wall. Fixing some minor issues. Painting everything. Replacing the kitchen floor. Installing the wood stove. It'll be busy.
Through the summer they'll be building an add a room and a deck.
The second trailer has mostly been gutted already. Dad will be turning it into his work shop.
Another busy year to look forward to.
It's not just parents who come early without calling. My ex decided we would leave a day early for a month-long visit to his mother who lived 1000 miles away. I was forbidden to call her. Well, okey dokey, she had to sneak out her live-in boyfriend while we were there! LOL,,,was that why he did not call her? I think parents think they are entitled, maybe not. They don't have to account to a kid about their whereabouts? Outhouse in Canada? Brrr! I do know what slop jars are. I see squrrels hit by cars, maybe a 'possum. T see a moose alive or car-struck would be exciting.
ReplyDeleteParents are annoying. And the older they get, the worse they behave. I guess it's payback for when WE annoyed THEM growing up.
ReplyDeleteMine drive me nuts sometimes. I could never bear to have them living next door!