[Jojo]

Okay, so it all started out innocent enough.
I've been wanting to plan a 4 day camping trip, most of our trips are just weekends, and our 2 week trip was just overnights with a nice 3 day at the KOA, but we kept pretty busy there.
A nice 4-day relaxing camping trip sounds great for the fall when the weather turns slightly nice.
We have 4 days off at Thanksgiving. My family always plans Thanksgiving at someones house, usually before or after Thanksgiving at an attempt to get around everyones work schedules.

So this year I sent out a family e-mail--
"Hey family, just to let you know, were going camping this Thanksgiving. I found a campground centrally located so whenever yall figure out where your going and what day, we can drop by for the dinner. Just let me know"

So I get several return e-mails----
Sounds fun, I'd love to do that.
Count me in!
Are they dog friendly?
Do they have cabins, I hate outdoors!"
We have a fryer, we can fry the turkey"

???????????
My family doesn't camp. We NEVER went camping growing up.
If this ends up working out, it's going to be VERY interesting:-o or we'll find out how to kill ourselves in a totaly different environment.
There goes my quiet trip.:-|

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[ORANGEE]

Invite EOC members ("other family") to even things out?

 

[Tim Vance]

:lol::lol::lol::lol:
ROFL!!!

Lesson 1.
Don't tell family what you plan on doing, unless you intend for them to join you, because they will ALWAYS invite themselves!


We found this out the hard way, just like you, many years ago....
Now we just ask around to see what everyone else is doing, and what day they want us to turn up, and we do, or, more than likely, we don't...lol

It sure makes it alot easier with the kids all grown up now, that the 'family' doesn't expect us to show up, because we've told them so often that we will be visiting the kids....and just go off and do our own thing anyway....

 

[Jojo]

Invite EOC members ("other family") to even things out?

I can see one of my family members screaming hysterically at the sight of a bug, and the EOC member explaining the genus, species, sex, mating habits and life cycle of said bug.

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[Dom.five]

Invite EOC members ("other family") to even things out?

If she did that the family would disown her ! They have no idea what weird is until they meet us!

Dom

 

[Scotia4607]

So I get several return e-mails----
Sounds fun, I'd love to do that.
Count me in!
Are they dog friendly?
Do they have cabins, I hate outdoors!"
We have a fryer, we can fry the turkey"
???????????
:-|

I guess we'll se how many you can get in a teardrop.

 

[hiker chick]

That is hysterical, JoJo!

You thought hosting Thanksgiving at your home was an ordeal.

Just wait until you are hosting Thanksgiving at a campground....

Teardrop Turkey - yum!!


:razz::razz:

 

[PVR]

For some reason I hear "dueling banjos" running through my head!

 

[hotrodder]

It looks like you've become the envy of the family. They want to share in your excitement of life----could be a unifying experience.

 

[Twilightzero]

Don't tell family what you plan on doing, unless you intend for them to join you, because they will ALWAYS invite themselves!

And yet if you actually DO invite everyone explicitly to your bonfire, nobody comes :lol:

For some reason I hear "dueling banjos" running through my head!

PADDLE FASTER, I HEAR BANJO MUSIC!! :???:

I can see one of my family members screaming hysterically at the sight of a bug, and the EOC member explaining the genus, species, sex, mating habits and favorite alcoholic drinks of said bug.

Fixed that for ya

 

[psschmied]

The way you describe it, you were trying to wrangle invitations to Thanksgiving dinner from your extended family as you happened to be camping in the area.

I'm not surprised they turned the tables on you.

Reply that you'd love to see them, but you don't think you could be a good host at a campsite. Describe the "downside" of camping - flies, skeeters, pit toilets, rain, unpredictably cold weather in November, rules limiting maximum occupants per site and restricting access to registered campers, etc. (Personally I like most of these things; I camp to get away from people. )

Suggest that because campgrounds require advance reservations for many sites and facilities, if they are interested they'd need to contact the park directly to reserve whatever pavilions or shelters are available and put down a deposit. Make it sound like a lot of work and unsuitable for a family dinner meeting.

Suggest that they think about a family picnic next year instead, but not on a holiday.

When I was newly married I had the opposite problem. My parent and inlaws expected to see us for dinner every holiday, major and minor, but rarely could endure the long and arduous trip north (25 miles uphill in each direction) to visit us. My mother-in-law would have her 5 kids and their families, 30+ people, gathered in her tiny house, kids screaming and unsupervised, no place to sit and talk without raising your voice and cupping your ear. A real Norman Rockwell experience. That lasted until I insisted that we celebrate major holidays as our own family. Then my parents moved out of state and I started sending my wife to the minor dinners alone.

Oddly, now that we're empty nesters and all the nieces and nephews are well behaved grown ups, I kind of miss those holidays. Fortunately, since they bred like rabbits, its impossible to have an extended family get together at any one house.

 

[Twilightzero]

Reply that you'd love to see them, but you don't think you could be a good host at a campsite. Describe the "downside" of camping - flies, skeeters, pit toilets, rain, unpredictably cold weather in November, rules limiting maximum occupants per site and restricting access to registered campers, etc. (Personally I like most of these things; I camp to get away from people. )

Me too, but I think that's what keeps most people from camping at our bonfire too (well other than the occupant limits) :lol:

 

[Jojo]

Well my brother is supposed to be bringing his "White Trash Bean Dip" and potato chips---yummmmmmm.

I'm starting to picture this Thanksgiving as "Charlie Brown's ******* Thanksgiving"B :neutral:

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[Twilightzero]

Well my brother is supposed to be bringing his "White Trash Bean Dip" and potato chips---yummmmmmm.

I'm starting to picture this Thanksgiving as "Charlie Brown's ******* Thanksgiving"B :neutral:

I demand pictures :razz:

 

[Gaily]

I can see one of my family members screaming hysterically at the sight of a bug, and the EOC member explaining the genus, species, sex, mating habits and life cycle of said bug.

And this is a bad thing!!! Sounds like a typical northeast meet to me.

Go for, sit back/relax in your king/queen top of the hill thrones (with crowns of course), take lots of pics & videos :lol:

 

[bh045ct]

Sounds dysfunctional and fun. What are the odds that they really will want to do this as the time gets closer?????
I can send my next door neighbors daughter down to explain about bugs. She is doing grad work in Reproductive Ecology.

I like the idea of seeing how many can fit in the tear drop. Just like cramming a phone booth.

Menu suggestions:
1. Beer
2. Tequilla
3. Jack as in daniels
4. more beer, tequilla and jack.

Any other thoughts out there about the menu.

 

[Jojo]

Any other thoughts out there about the menu.

Pumpkin Smore Pie

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[Twilightzero]

Pumpkin Smore Pie

I can send you my recipe for chicken pot pie w/ biscuit crust you can do in a dutch oven. Takes a while though, I'm warning you, but is certifiably criminally delicious

 

[Snuffleupagus]

If she did that the family would disown her ! They have no idea what weird is until they meet us!

Dom

This may not be a bad thing.

 

[Twilightzero]

This may not be a bad thing.

I'll second that