It’s the very definition of oppressive out there

I was invited to a job interview at the company where I'd be working if hired. Everything seemed fine until the interviewer, someone high in the company hierarchy, was called away before finishing the interview and asked me to wait until he got back. While he was gone I started reading the diplomas and certificates on his wall, and to my horror every other one was awarded from the Grand Poobah, or the second rank Poohbah of the KKK. He didn't come back and after ten minutes I walked out. If hired, I wouldn't have worked there.

Best wishes on the knee, Sheryl. Knees are stupid. Both of mine are borked, and have been since I was 18. I wish you better.

every other one was awarded from the Grand Poobah, or the second rank Poohbah of the KKK

Holy mother of yikes!

Holy what in the??!?!

Well, Winston Salem, NC in the 90s. I'm not sure where they are right now. Our grandson is planning to move out here sometime this year. I was so glad to hear that--the town he's in is pretty much a dead end. Mostly extensive farms owned by the same white aristocracy since the Civil War. Also, I just found out my XDiL's family is high in the local and state hierarchy KKK. There is no future for him there.

Give him a hug from me. It's been 15 or so years, he might not remember me, but hugs are hugs :)

I’m glad he’ll be closer to you, Beverley.

Yikes, Bev! It was some universe intervention allowed you to check out the walls and get the hell out of there. So delighted that your grandson is escaping.

My experience and reports of those close to me have led me to believe that I am a very calm, easy-going, optimistic person, with an abundance of patience. These past few days, my patience was depleted. I told my SIL that I felt like I had this beaker full of patience that was spilling over a bit here and there, and then someone knocked it over, and it all emptied out at once.

First, flying down for a week, and flying is always annoying, then son's relationship blowing up, which also blew up the plan for them to house-sit my animals, plus the stress of son being heart-shattered. Then the memorial service was outside in a park for 4 or 5 hours, and my MIL was absolutely impossible to deal with as she was undoubtedly the only one who was warm. Everyone was drenched, of course, July in Florida. But the pavilion was in the shade of oak trees, and there were multiple misting fans. Quite a few of the attendees were much older than her, as Uncle Walt was 88. My SIL had flown from NYC after driving bus all day, getting in at 4:30 AM, to be there and MIL was literally screaming at her that she had to take her home, right now. SIL had even bought her this battery cooling collar dealio. Her older sister, the widow, just shook her head and indicated it was par for the course with her sister. We all told MIL in no uncertain terms that we were staying, and she was more than welcome to sit in one of our cars, in the shade, with the A/C running. But no, she would not be satisfied until DH and his sibs forced her into our car and he had to endure her screaming until he let her know he was going back to be with the family and friends. She stayed in the car. Then the next day a round trip over to the other side of the Everglades to see my siblings. My brother is very frail, but I sat and was a chatterbox giving him news and talking about anything for about 15 minutes until he drifted off again. Then I had to go fix tech issues at my sister's place. Trying to wrap things up and get back home and her laptop doesn't look like it usually does when she goes into one of her programs. She has it full screen instead of windowed so she can't see her desktop toolbar. The woman has worked on computers for over 40 years and she doesn't know how to resize a window. I think this may have been the tipping point, but I managed not to say anything to her and just fixed it.

tl;dr Yes, there were more annoyances too, but I have ended up with all of my patience completely depleted and am grumpy girl. It is a little bit renewed this morning, but I warned DH that I am still not quite myself. He is treading gently.

That is too much, Laura!!! You need to take care of YOU.

(Tbh, I may have reacted like your MIL if someone made me be outside for HOURS in Florida at the end of July, I’m sorry but that’s insane!)