Yesterday's BAD Attitude

So, if you read my fill-ins yesterday, you probably picked up on the fact that I wasn't my pleasant self. I don't really even have an excuse. No "Aunt Flo" to blame. No PMS. I just got annoyed and decided to let my bad attitude rule my day.

It started about a week ago, but gained momentum on Thursday night. You see, my MIL's mother is dying...again. I know that sounds bad. You should know that, according to my MIL, both her mom & FIL's mom have been dying since I met DH. Seriously...it's gotten to the point that we really don't know when to truly be concerned.

Well, DH felt that this time she isn't crying wolf or trying to add a guilt trip. She wanted to travel to Nebraska ASAP, but doesn't own a vehicle.

You see where I'm going???

She wanted to borrow ours. We just got a nice, reliable used car a few months ago. So we have that one plus a 1994 Jeep & a 1995 Jeep. We were planning on giving her the 1994 so she wouldn't have to rent a car whenever she wants to come for a visit. She lives about 2 hours away. DH had told my FIL about it & he told DH to wait until the Spring. So, that's what we were doing until this came up. FIL told MIL about it and she wanted to get it now to drive out to NE. I told DH that it's not in good enough shape for that kind of trip. Back & forth once every 2-3 months to our house is one thing. Back & forth to NE is a whole other story! I asked him, "Why doesn't she just fly out?" That made more sense to me.

You have to know my MIL. Common sense isn't one of her traits! She's a very sensitive, loving kind of person, but is stubborn as a mule. Once she found out we were going to give her the Jeep in the spring, she called at least 14 times a day to argue with DH about driving it out t0 NE. He kept telling her that it wouldn't make trips back & forth that far & that she'd be without a vehicle again once she killed this one. She didn't care.

So, a gift is a gift. What she did with the gift was really her business. I was worried about her driving that far by herself in an unreliable vehicle, so I decided to add her to our AAA. DH decided to take the Jeep to our mechanic to do routine stuff & just check it out before the trip. That ended up costing $$ we don't have. Guess what he said?? "This vehicle won't make that trip." Hmmm...I know I heard that already from someone.

So, he called his mom & told her what the mechanic said. She said, "Well, what about your other one?" Okay, that one is the one we kept for when I'm driving again. We need 2 vehicles. Besides, it has to be babied. It wouldn't hold up to what his Mom would put it through and then we'd be in trouble. But, despite my rather vocal reservations, DH took that one to the mechanic. Again costing us $$. Again, the mechanic echoed my words..."It won't hold up under that kind of trip."

I forgot to mention that this trip to the mechanic was yesterday and that DH ended up taking the day off work without pay. His boss isn't giving any vacation time or personal days off with pay this year. He can't because of the economy. So, again, this cost us even more $$. And DH didn't take the day off because of the appointment with the mechanic. No. He spent the morning car shopping for a good, used car for his mom to buy at her request.

So, DH comes in the door at Noon and tells me all about what had transpired. By this time I was more than annoyed. I asked him why he didn't just call me from work which is when I found out he took the day off to shop around for a car for his mom.

Later on in the evening he gets another call from his mom. She's decided to buy one that he had told her about earlier that day & she's only minutes from our house. Now, I wasn't expecting company and had nothing prepared. Quickly we decided that he & DD could take them to the dealership & just eat out. I needed some time alone anyway. I was more than extremely annoyed at this point! I was at my breaking point & needed to cry and pray...maybe scream. And, WHERE IS THE CHOCOLATE???

So, that's what they did. As I went into my room & laid on my bread crying, I realized I was acting like a baby. Sure, I had logic on my side...but her Mom needs her. I got to thinking about if it were my mom needing me. Then, I realized how childish I was acting. I was being like my SIL's and I NEVER, EVER want to act toward my MIL the way they treat my Mom!

When they came back I was back to being myself. We had a nice visit. Just before they left I found out that, after all we'd been through over the past week, she decided to just fly out.

Tell me God doesn't have a sense of humor!