Man, for a self-proclaimed homebody and agoraphobe I sure seem to be traveling a lot lately.
Hubby and I went to Puyallup, Washington (it is so a real town. Look it up) to visit his mom and sister. It was a quick 3 day trip. Picture: Hambone Run Buddy coming to take us to the airport. She is so freaking adorable!
We get on the plane and THIS is what I found! An Ironman article in the airline magazine and Athena water!
The first night we went to have dinner at my mother-in-law's (MIL)) and sister-in-law's (SIL) house. They live together and my MIL is having some problems with her arthritis and isn't up to going out.
**WARNING: Hormone magnified rant and general bitchiness**
My SIL started working out with a personal trainer and dieting about 6 months ago and has lost a TON of weight. She looks fabulous. My MIL is a tiny, little Japanese woman (seriously, you could put her in your pocket) and SUPER critical of people about their weight. The FIRST thing she says to my hubby after "Hi" is "You look like you are getting fat. Have you gained weight?" He says something like, "Yeah, thanks for noticing mom." Then she says. "I noticed that about you guys right away."
You guys! Meaning me too. Fuck you, you nasty little troll!
At this point this my SIL starts laughing and says, "it is sure nice to have that said about everyone but me."
Excuse me, I mean, Fuck BOTH of you nasty little trolls!
Picture: Fat husband and his fat wife. According to my asshole in laws
I have been under a microscope about my weight my whole life. It was either from my 'concerned' family members, my poor partner choices, or self-inflicted. I DO NOT REACT WELL TO IT.
Picture: Some people drink when they have a stressful experience, some people eat. I don't drink anymore, so the 24 hour free cookie and lemonade bar at the hotel took a pretty big hit on this trip. Keep 'em coming, barkeep! It's gonna be a long night!
My hubby kept trying to bring up my triathlons and marathons (I have done 3 marathons and 5 triathlons since they last saw me.) But no one cared. His sister tried to school me on how I needed to stop all the aerobic exercise and concentrate on building my core and lean muscle mass if I really wanted to drop the weight. I tried to explain that it wasn't about weight loss, it was the challenge of completing these things and she and her mom gave me a look like, "Why did you bother doing all that shit if you didn't lose weight doing it? And especially since you GAINED weight doing it."
Never mind that she can't run a mile (LOTS of excuses...err, reasons for that, believe me. Funny, how not one of those reasons was 'not fit enough')
**Rant over. For now anyway**
Day 2 we went with SIL to a park called Northwest Trek. Very cool place. You take a tram tour through a 600+ acre park and view free ranging bison, caribou, elk, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. Picture: Male bison sunbathingAfter Africa is was a little anti-climatic since it was warm out and the animals were mostly either sleeping in the sun or shade.
Much better day with SIL. One on one, the in laws aren't so bad, when you get them together it is a nightmare. I include my hubby as one of the reactants in this chemistry experiment gone bad.
Day 3: Let's not talk about Day 3. Moving on.
I was able to work out at the hotel. Treadmill running in an non-air conditioned room and swimming 15 billion laps in a microscopic pool to get 1000 yards, but I did it.
I know everyone thinks their family is less fucked up than their spouse's family, but my family is truly less fucked up than my spouse's family.
16 comments:
For every time your spouse's family refuses to appreciate you, know that your friends-n-fans here appreciate you PLENTY MUCH!
hugs -n- middle fingers galore,
Lindy
I second Lindy. People who refuse to get it suck. I have often had the internal battle of "I want to lose weight," but "endurance sports does not promote weight loss for me." I love this stuff way too much to give it up just so I can drop 10 lbs.
Quick story... Once, this guy who (according to him) "stalks" my blog -- there's actually a story here, but I will spare you and your readers -- gave me "advice" that if I really wanted to lose weight I should stop running and lift weights. I'm sorry, weird stalker dude, did you misinterpret my musings as a plea for your diet and fitness advice? Pissed me off something fierce.
You're awesome. And, just for the record, every time you post a photo of yourself, I am all, "Damn, RBR is in fantastic shape."
Oh girl I feel your pain. Hang in there, we'll be home and back in our environment soon. Forgot you don't drink anymore it works so well for me.
Sorry to hear about your run in with the cookie bar. Hope you can survive until you get home. You are an athlete no body can debate that, at least not anyone who knows anything about challenges and goals.
Screw the rest of the free world, they don't understand and never will.
Seriously, I hear you with the weight thing. No matter how much progress I make hearing anything negative SETS ME OFF. There is a guy in my town that is going to get his ass kicked because we had an argument and he called me "fat mouth". Everyone has said to me, that doesn't mean you are fat, I said oh but he used the F word and he is going down. (I know I sound a bit crazy but that is really becasue I am ;) )
Glad you got a workout in?? Next time send your husband by himself.
Oh and I responded to your comment stalking in a thread probably right around the time you went away. Buried by my latest entralling threads.
Why do people have to be like that? I don't get it.
Someone hires a personal trainer and thinks they are suddenly a fitness guru. I mean good for her for taking those steps but come ON.
My theory: SIL is jealous of your athletic accomplishements and knows she doesn't have what it takes to do anything even close, whether she wanted to or not.
Working out three days a week is good (a lot of folks don't even bother doing that) but does not hold a candle to what you do.
As for MIL well some of them are just mean, or shortsighted. Or both. Nothing you can do. Family is always tricky anyway at least mine is. My husband's too.
Yeah, in-laws are great, aren't they?
I know you didn't ask for stories from all of us...but... you're getting one from me too. When I was pregnant I gained a lot of weight. On top of already been overweight. So we went to DH's grandmother's house. She said, "Why are you getting so big?" Not wanted to start a fight right there, I smiled and said, "I'm pregnant". She patted my butt and said, "You're not pregnant back here." I said, "Neither are YOU!" God rest her soul!
You and your hubby are NOT FAT AT ALL. Don't let the MIL and the SIL get to you as they are not worth your time. YOU ARE THE IRON WOMAN - THEY ARE NOT!
Ugggggghh!!! What a miserable experience that must have been for you. I wish I could just reach out and bang their heads together for you. Maybe shake some sense into them. Whatever you do, don't listen to them. You two look AWESOME and you *are* AWESOME.
You and hubby look awesome! The nasty troll comment is hilarious!!
My FIL has no problem informing us when we've "put on some tonage" as he calls it. I've learned to ignore.
Way to go with your workouts...especially the laps in the tiny pool!
OMG Your MIL could be my MOTHER! I had a similar conversation with her just last week. It went something like...
"Your father and I are so proud of you for all of your running but, (...here it comes)...have you lost any weight yet?
GAH!!!
Don't get me started on my MIL who I overheard telling a friend that she just "didn't agree with all the time I spent on this marathon training" as I was ignoring my children because of it...
DOUBLE GAH!!!
Sometimes its a toss up about who's family is more f-ed up over here...
Thank God for my rational blogging buddies who "get it...and my friends who I run with.
Hang in there. You and your husband look great, feel great...that's what matters.
OH NO SHE DIDN'T!! Ugh...some people have no boundaries. Why is it when they become your MIL (monster-in-law) that they think it gives them carte blanche to say and do whatever the hell they want? I think you look fabulous and that is an AH-MA-ZING picture of the two of you.
Awww, hell no. You look awesome! And she can just stick it where the sun don't shine. Boo on that.
You rock.
OK, firstly, I don't think you look fat at ALL. But it sounds like your MIL is very much like many traditional Japanese -- very critical about appearance. My mom is the same way and it doesn't matter what I do, she'll find something else to pick on (too fat, too thin, too much make-up, too long hair, too tan, too muscular, too much talking, blah-blah-blah).
She's not going to change so you can either just not see/talk to her very often or change how you deal with it. I chose the first one.
Love the Bison pic!
i love your sense of humour, irreverance and liberal use of "fuck."
yeah. I agree with Shirly Perly. Asian women (esp from Asia) seem to be hyper critical of weight. My sister in law's mother, kept telling her how fat she was ON HER WEDDING DAY. nice.
Yeah, i hate people who are "thin" but can't run a freakin mile. Whatever.
WOW!! It never ceases to amaze me how people (esp. loved ones) think it is OK to comment right to someone's face on their weight. No wonder we live in a society where food addictions, eating disorders and general self esteem issues are epidemic. I hope you don't have to see those family memebers very much!
I was just in Washington, and I went through Puyalup (sp?) To get to Auburn to visit friends. I would love it up there if my sister didn't live there. LOL.
Wasn't Northwest Trax just amazing? We went last week with perfect weather. My kiddo's, my husband, my neice and nephews and I all LOVED IT!
I have SIL and MIL just like you. Everything they do is WONDERFUL and they can do no wrong, and I can do no right, EVER. My SIL told us not to have another baby because it would ruin her wedding. Also that Condoms were made so people wouldn't have babies. LIKE I WASN'T a GOOD PARENT TO MY SON! I feel your pain girl.
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