pissed
November 26, 2011

Well, let me tell you about Thanksgiving. Got up, had coffee, was nice and relaxed, thinking about getting off my butt and getting ready to go to brunch. Wanted to be ready when Spouse came down to pick me up.

Then my phone went off. It's Spouse--and he sounds...pissed off? He has just been on the phone with P. Who informed Spouse that he had just had a big fight with E. And guess what they were fighting over? The fact that P had offered to pay for our Thanksgiving Buffet at the Pfister. When E found out about it, she pitched an enormous shit-fit. And wouldn't let up. So Patrick was calling Spouse to...well...weasel out, I guess is a good description.

Yeah, he was kind of reneging on the deal. On THANKSGIVING MORNING. When it is far too late to make any other plans. So Spouse tells me this, and talks about how we will just go to the Birchwood Grill (yeah, like we could get in!) blah blah blah, but I was not having any. I told him rather crisply that I had MADE my Thanksgiving plans, and since I was perfectly capable of paying for my OWN dinner, I saw absolutely no reason to change them. People can only ruin what you allow them to ruin, and I had no intention of allowing this. We would keep our reservations, have a lovely brunch, pay our own bill, and return P's C-note to him on his return.

And Spouse would never, ever, ever be available to dogsit again.

So that's what we did. And we had a lovely time! Oh, it was an exquisite brunch. I have never had a better buffet. And please bear in mind that I have had buffets at some of the finest hotels in LV. This beat the Bellagio, even. Elegant and historic surroundings (brunch was in the beautiful old Imperial Ballroom, where D's daughter had her wedding reception), first class service, unlimited champagne, mimosas, and bloody marys included in the $39.95 price, a variety and quality of dishes that took my breath away, and they even comped the parking. We couldn't stop talking about it all the way home--it was just amazing. I'm so glad I stuck to my guns; it was an absolute steal for the price and an experience not to be missed.

But although we put it completely aside for our Thanksgiving, the whole issue still rankles. Spouse gave up 10 days, over a holiday, to take care of that dog. He had to commute 35 miles back and forth to school. That's a pretty big sacrifice. And he did it with the understanding that we were to be treated to our holiday meal. As it stands, all he got out of it was the use of a car (which he re-filled with gas before he left) and a few groceries.

His anger was directed at E, of course. Ever since they went to LV together two years ago, he has had no time for her particular brand of crazy, so he was ready to put all the blame on her. Oh, but I begged to differ. I told Spouse that it was every bit as much P's fault, because he intentionally keeps things from her. Badly. Then, when she inevitably finds out, she has a fit. Not necessarily because he did something, but because he kept it from her. And what is more, I told him...that is a family trait. You all do it! And I hate it every bit as much as E does!

That being said, though, I really do blame them both. I know E, and I know that she is quite averse to spending money on anything or anyone that isn't E. Including her husband and her dog. And she also has a bit of an issue with understanding how things work in the real world.

Well, the next time they want to leave town, she's going to find out. Specifically, she's going to find out that boarding kennels in her area charge about $30/night for a dog that size. Vets charge $40. And in-home petcare is $50.So if she thinks $100 is a lot for 10 days of dog-sitting? Wait till she gets to pay three to five times that.. That kind of money is a trip-killer.