Octogenarian romances? Who has had experience with this with their parents/in-laws?

Probably not a possibility. But… still seems prudent to stay off the #1 popularity radar. And we certainly do like to be prolific on the Dressing Young topic… lots of fun!

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To be fair, dressing young had a 6 month start on this one!

This conversation has been one of my favorites in a long time

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Where are you seeing these 10 most posts?

An email

No email for me.

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If you want to keep it out of the news cycle, you can start another one called Octogenarian Romances - Post Wedding then have the admin lock the first.

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I really find it hard to believe that this thread would ever make the news cycle :joy:.

The Very Brady Christmas is tonight. I will report back when I can. I will be cordial - “warm,” might be a stretch for me.

Bob and mil came to church with us yesterday to hear me ring handbells. Though dh said she filled out all her address information on the attendance pad. So, maybe they plan to start coming regularly. I was sitting with my fellow bell choir members toward the front, so only interacted with them after the service.

Mil said she had gotten my adult beverage of choice to have tonight. I said, “Oh, I’m not drinking.” She replied, “Again (I had done a Sober September)?? I learned that Bob’s son drinks what you do.” Me: “Good - then it won’t go to waste.”

As an aside, why does anyone have to comment on whether one is drinking alcohol or not? I’m hoping I nipped it in the bud yesterday, but if she brings it up again, “I’m using a phrase I learned privately from a very wise poster here that works for lots of things: “Why does it bother you if I __________?” Useful for many actions one does or does not do!!

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Love this. :laughing:

You absolutely don’t have to explain or defend whether you drink or not. It’s nice that she thought to get something you like but sounds like someone else will enjoy it!

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This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I HATE it when people hassle me or others for not drinking.

Many moons ago, I worked at a place where there would be 1x/month casual happy hour events at a restaurant across the street from the office. I do NOT like to drink alcohol at all if I have to drive and since I had to drive home after, I ordered soda. Every time I’d do this, a couple of coworkers would hassle me about it.

I always start by replying with something like “What’s the big deal? It’s only soda. I just feel like drinking.” That wasn’t good enough. They’d hassle me some more. It would go back and forth a couple of times until I’d say “Listen, I’m not drinking and I’m not changing my mind. Why are you hassling me about it? It’s no big deal. But if you must have an answer, it’s because I really do not want to drink and drive. And I have to drive home after this. I’m here to have a good time and hang out with everybody. THAT is more important than the booze. So can we drop it already?” And then they finally shut up.

My sister hassles me about this sometimes, too, only she’s more persistent about it than coworkers. For awhile, she was bugging me a couple of times a month about how I allegedly am going to die an earlier death because I don’t drink alcohol every day. She’d quote medical research that was floating around in the news at the time. Guess what? She finally stopped when other research came out debunking THAT research.

I’ve come to the conclusion that when somebody else is bothered by you not wanting to drink alcohol, that’s more about them than it is about you.

What your MIL said to you was judgmental and a little rude.

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To be fair, I am someone who normally socially drinks. So, isn’t unreasonable for mil to expect that I would. Though her, “Again??” comment annoyed me some. As though I am only allowed to do one dry month a year. I have done Dry January for the last several years. I had stated I was taking September off I had said it was in place of January since that’s my birthday month.

But, I’m currently not drinking and may stay that way indefinitely. Undecided. Regardless, I am hopeful she does NOT bring it up again in front of Bob’s son and his wife. I am willing to give her one pass since it isn’t typical behavior for me.

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Our family has a bunch of non drinkers so it doesn’t come up in conversation very often. More so with friends.

I just say that my GERD is awful and that I don’t want to be miserable

Maybe I will expound that I can drink wine in Europe but I’m miserable in the states. At that point, their eyes usually glaze over!

But yea, I usually say my GERD is so bad, I’m old and I can’t tolerate liquor anymore

It works. It’s still rude to comment on it

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I rarely drink alcohol, so few ever bother commenting on it. Being designated driver is not a hardship for me. I will try a sip of H’s beverage and he often only drinks 1/2 of whatever he ordered

I am always surprised when anyone (particularly adults) comments on what someone else is eating and/or drinking. It is a pet peeve of mine. However, in this initial case, the MIL was I think shopping with @Hoggirl in mind, and so that’s kind of sweet.

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I agree. I’m glad Bob’s son’s poison is the same as mine so mil’s effort and $$ weren’t wasted.

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This is genius.

I have noticed that when anyone starts describing a medical issue, symptom, treatment, etc. folks eyes glaze over.

So my next move when someone asks why I ordered the grilled tofu instead of a steak, or a Perrier instead of a cocktail is to tell them exactly what my gastro told me after my last colonoscopy- including emailing me pictures and a high resolution video.

If that won’t shut them up…..

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I have NEVER had anyone hassle me or comment on my beverage of choice. And I almost never drink alcohol. I know that it’s a “thing”, but it bothers me that it seems to be so prevalent.

Although, my mother was a vegetarian from age about 30 on. And almost every single time we had dinner with her parents (frequently), my grandfather would seem surprised that she wasn’t eating meat and would comment on it!!!

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Not alcohol, but I have a friend who always brings up about me not smoking pot. I’ve answered several times and if it happens again, I’m ready.

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I know this is off-topic, but as soon as my husband’s pictures of his colonoscopy arrived, I scheduled a dryer vent cleaning because that is what the pictures reminded me of. Just spent $125 for a clean dryer vent.

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LOL - maybe you try joking, “I may be pregnant” :wink: . Or best not, since rumors (true or not) probably travel quickly in the CCRC.

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I saw that conversation as her being thoughtful about buying something for you and then just a light quick response comment, not judgy. I would probably answer back something like yes, or yes, still, or it’s my new lifestyle, or it’s not a permanent decision, or I’m being unpredictable. Or, thank you for thinking what I might like.

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