surprise reunion

Well, without my really knowing it, my parents agreed to host the little family reunion this year. Everyone is arriving shortly after I get up there for my visit.

I guess the one saving grace is that my parents' place is small enough that they are putting everyone up in hotels. So at least I get to sleep in "my" bed (instead of being handed a sleeping bag and pointed to the living room floor or something). But still. As I've said before, there's one relative (well, actually, two, but I don't think the second one is going to make it this year) in my extended family who makes me kind of crazy. (And also makes my mom kind of crazy, so at least we have some solidarity of suffering. And actually, this person also makes my "cool" aunt kind of crazy - so three of the adult women there will all be trying to avoid this person)

So I'm not exactly thrilled, I have to admit. Yes, I know, it's selfish of me, but to have traveled 16 hours just to be told "Surprise! You're going to have to be social with people you haven't seen in 2 years!" doesn't really make me that happy. Plus the whole my-schedule-is-not-my-own thing - where I can't just go and read a book or pull out my crocheting or go shopping - where I have to sit and talk and listen to this particular person's opinions on EVERYTHING. Augh.

The good news is that they're only staying a couple days, after that they are going back home (and as I said, it looks like the nights will be free - though all of these people are night owls so I don't expect them to leave the house before 11 pm. I may just have to declare myself "tired" and go to bed if it gets too late and they aren't shutting up.)

But yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my family. I just don't love having to interact with all of them when I'm still tired from the end of the semester and from traveling.