Obviously less important, but since this is the minor rant thread...
My girlfriend and I are currently at my parents' place. I had 4 days off, she had 3. We could go and spend three days at the beach, whoo! My parents are on vacation (cruising down thee Wolga Moscow -> Saint-Petersburg), so hey, mini-vacation.
First I had to work an extra day because one of my co-workers fell sick. Too bad, but oh well. We could leave in the evening, we got here by about 1am, still had 2 full days right?
Second day my girlfriend gets called in for an urgent meeting. She drove all the way to and from. Anyway, she's on her way back now.
Third, tomorrow, the only day that both of us could actually be here all day and, you know, maybe lie on a beach or something? Her parents are going to the Ikea, which is far from their place but close to ours...So, for the first time ever, they're in the neighbourhood so they want to see us. We said no because, well, it'd mean we'd have to give up that last day as well - one and a half, really, as I started back at nights so we could've stayed all day and onlyhave to be back by 6pm.
Now her mother's guilt-tripping her into going home early and seeing her parents - her little sister is coming along and took the day of just for this trip; they finally make the effort to come so far that they can visit us, we hardly see each other, the works.
I like her parents, mind. But this is just bullshit. I worked 195 hours this month, my girlfriend well over 180. It's the first free days we have in 3 weeks, it's the first time in over a month that we actually had time off together (nothing like me working nights and her working days so that we cross each other on the freeway to and from work, really). We've been in Brussels for 2 and a half years together, they've been at our place once. We go over to visit them at least once a month, next month we're coming over three times for various family gatherings. To see them tomorrow, we'll be driving home from the coast, which is still further than they are going. It's not fair to guilt my girlfriend like this into her giving up her only free days at the beach in all of the summer, because now "you're making an effort to come see us". First off, you're actually coming for the Ikea, and we're a happy coincidence. Secondly, we still have to do more effort than you to get at our place in time. Thirdly, whenever we invite you over, you refuse because it's too far away - yet you still expect us to turn up at each and every family affair.
I'm more angry/annoyed about the way she guilts my girlfriend than about having to go home early, really, but still....Blegh. Go to the Ikea another time - one's retired and the other works half time; we both work full time and a half. Visit us another time, we've invited you plenty of times and the excuse always was that it was too far away. But no, now that you're coming to town, we have to give up our vacation to come and entertain you. Pfuh.