* * * Those with nut-job family members please reply * * *

[3timesoccermom]

angeliainwonderland - no, you did a fine job!! So interesting. I've also seen many children of alcoholics become very controlling for the same reasons you mention about your Grandma. It sounds like there were a lot of good things going on in both households, in spite of the craziness and that you've put them to good use in your own life. Kudos to you!

[Smee]

I'd be really interested to know which habits/styles/beliefs you picked up from each set of family members.

I recently saw my family after 25 years of no contact at all. It was funny to see just how much I had in common with them after all this time. I get my dry sense of humor from my mother's side of the family, specifically the men in the family. You'd better have a really thick skin with them because they believe teasing = love which means I guess I can also thank them for my thick skin. I rarely get offended or have my feelings hurt. I get my questionable social filter from my dad's side of the family, that whole business of words just sometimes falling out of my mouth as soon as they cross my mind before they have a chance to be filtered. Nearly everyone on that side of the family is like that. From my parents, I got a strong work ethic and the ability to do (whatever I perceive as) the right thing even if it is very unpopular and likely to cause others to be unhappy with me. I also learned from them how to be self sufficient to a very primitive level. I can hunt, farm, garden, process my own food from earth to table.

It was also a great opportunity to ponder nature vs. nurture because I was adopted into that family at five years old, and I know my biological family as well. It is interesting to me to compare similarities and differences. I definitely have traits from my biological family, but my character and ethics seem to be most strongly influenced by my adoptive family.

[Gertie2u]

Its kinda nice to come here and see how everyone is going through sort of same song different verse in their lives. Seems like we all have some sort of nonsense at one time or another, but you can forget that when you're going through a tough patch at the time.

I just made a trip to visit my Grandma who mostly raised me. She lives in the same town with pretty much all of my relatives, excepting my parents and siblings. Having a better perspective thanks to all of your stories really helped me to be able to step back and just enjoy the spectacle of some of their goings on verses let myself be drawn in or upset by it.

[ladyspl]

Oh my, these are great! Thanks for starting this thread!

I don't know if this one will count as a "smack on the forehead story" or a "oh no she didn't" story, but its definitely one that has people breaking out their football play charts to understand!
My dh's cousin was married, until he cheated. That's not the bad part. The "other woman" was 23 years older than he (35 vs 58)! Granted, she took very good care of herself and you'd give her 48 rather than 58, but still, shes older than his mother. Still not the bad part. Dh's cousin finds herself a new love, amidst the divorce......the 58 yo's SON! Bleh! During this time, cousin gets preggo, hmmmm whose is it? paternity test reveals soon to be ex-husband. So, what does she do? Yup, finishes the divorce, and marries the son! To recap...girl marries son of woman who broke up her marriage, and is now raising ex-hubbys bio child with that son, who takes the child to visit "gramma" (the 58yo) who lives in girls ex-house ($300k+) with girls ex-hubby, the bio dad of said child. My tongue is tied just trying to type this out! Jerry Springer could retire on his own private island, if he got ahold of this story! Worst part is that, it gets worse! Granny adulteress has other kids, 2 girls (well, women, because they are in late 20's early 30's) and both of those women have slept with the ex-hubby too!

Again, my dh and I steer VERY CLEAR of these folks! Our "family get togethers" actually consist of friends we have had for years, who like the quote says "you can pick your friends, but you cannot pick your family"!

Had to update this nut-job's story for you!

Guess who's preggers!!!??? Yup! The cousin. She text me Saturday to "share the news". Makes me sick!!! All she does is complain about her current husband, threaten to kick him out, claim she's ready for divorce...
OMG, I just re-read my op, I forgot to tell you!, she's also sleeping with a father of one of the kids her daughter is in daycare with!!!!
Since I know this part of the family so darn well it makes me sick, I can predict whats going to happen now....
IF, and thats a big if, she keeps the baby to term, due to her significant drug use. She will insist on another baby shower. UMMM no, I'm not going. You have been trying for another baby for long enough to 1. not to have yard saled ALL of your baby stuff and 2. started to pick up stuff to prepare. So I sent her a text message back, "Gather up what you do have for baby, and list what you need. There are still enough yard sales this summer to replace those things. And we will start your diaper stockpile now, (like I did when I found out we were preg with #3 at 3 weeks!)" Im not paying for her to have another kid. I know that sounds harsh, and if I had more room, I would fill you in on the more disgusting aspects of this nut-job and her relationship with the family. But, when day in and day out, she is complaining of being broke, and having friends/family with food stamps buy her groceries, heck I even took over some of my stockpile, just for her to blatantly bring another life into a world she cannot support herself in, is just selfish...par for the circus course I suppose.
Sidenote: The adultress granny...is dying of breast cancer and so the cousins ex-hub and all her kids are taking care of her in shifts...just to steal her pain medication.....yup, messed up huh?

Thank you God, for my normal husband, and our normal children, and my normal life!

[3timesoccermom]

Sigh . . . my sister. A couple of weeks ago she called and we spent about 30 minutes on the phone with her saying she was going to come over and asking me repeatedly "are you sure it's ok?" to which I ASSURED her over and over again "yes, I'd love to have you come over." (She only lives 10 miles away but we don't see her much because her life is always a mess.)

So, we hang up with her having said she's leaving in a few minutes, she can't wait, she has so much to tell me, etc. Then 10 minutes later she calls back and said "Renee, I'm not coming over. I just have too much to do."

This is about 6:30 PM on a Friday night. I pretty much knew it wasn't going to happen but still why go through all that?

Tonight she calls and is complaining because she wants to "come over and pay" me "some of the money" she owes me but the auto place won't pass her vehicle for its inspection because "the blinker doesn't work, the license plate light is burned out, etc., etc., but I think those are minor and they shouldn't fail me because of those."

I tell her "well that's the law, they can't pass you when you have non-operational equipment" and she complains that they wanted too much money to fix it so she can't drive right now. UGH. For someone with a reasonable amount of intelligence she sure keeps her life in a horrible mess.

But I love her dearly.

[fungirl2727]

My divorced parents are nuts balls! My mother can't date anyone that isn't rich and spoil her with things. She has men that will do anything she wants. If a man doesnt have tons of money she wont date them. Then she is in the cool group in her town and all cool people. I really don't understand that at 56 yr old but whatever. My mother only hangs with certain people because she could get in trouble with group. How my mom talks about her social and gossip sounds like high drama with mean girls. You can only talk to certain people that are in group. Now let's get started with my rich nutty dad and girlfriend half his age. My dad has a annoying girlfriend that is 30 and he is 58 yr old. They have been dating since she was 22 yr old. She lives with me father and he pays for all her stuff. He takes her on about 15 trips. A yrthat he pays for. He pays for all her family gifts even though I don't get anything. She uses all my father credit card. The funny thing we go anywhere people think we are sister. My hubby and her are only 6 month age difference. Then my brother the anti commit and workout addict. He had a nice girlfriend for 7 yrs that he broke up with. He broke up with her to give himself more time to workout. I think he workouts about 3 hrs a day. He could never just relax ever to worried about gym. My brother only eats yogurt and turkey. That is my annoying family members.