Familiar Familia

Why is it that "quick" family visits always turn into 7-8 hour marathons? Not sure about your in-laws, but I can guarantee that every time I hear the words "We'll just pop round for an hour..." or "My brother is coming round for half an hour before he goes *somewhere else*" I know we're in for a long session. Mrs. anglosaxy still naively believes that we or they will really stay for the short time quoted, but I got it sussed a long time ago.

Why is it that my in-laws don't do the Friday night dinner malarky, but feck, do they go for Saturday visitation rights?! Of course, Friday night is much better because it can only last for so long before the kids get cranky and "need their beds". I actually like my in-laws a lot, contrary to their belief, but really don't know how they stand each other for so long. And don't they have anything else to do on a Saturday, apart from wasting 7 or 8 hours on the very same topics they spoke about last week...? Being the busy lad I am, I have plenty to do, plenty of things I'd rather be doing (beer, football, beach, kids to park, etc).

And why is it, that after 7 or 8 hours, when mrs anglosaxy has finally got my very subtle 1000th head nod towards the door, and we're finally packing up the littl'uns stuff, that the MIL perks up with "What?! You're going? Wait, wait, wait, I didn't make you any sahleb..." and with that rushes off into the kitchen to make some. You know road rage, right? Well, this MIL sentence usually brings out the relation rage in me...

I'm never going to be Israeli at this rate, am I? He he.