Clouds of the Family Ilk

I give up. This is the week all my enemies must have been hoping for. If you have been following my travails of the last six days, surely you have seen the humor and darkness that has surrounded me. If there could be something of a culmination, it happened last night at Halloween dinner with my goddess divine's family.

My in-laws are great people. They are salt-of-the-earth, protect-your-own sort of farm/country folk. They are a collection of banking/construction owners, farmers, doctors, lawyers, education consultants, self-employed mechanical technicians, cooks and everything in between. It really is impressive. Everyone has a specialty, it seems, and conversations are always lively and full of good information.

But they are all Republicans. Die-harders. Fox News in the background at all times folks. It's the one thing that ruins it for me, as I am definitely the big-city East Coaster who, if we started talking about it, would instantly label me as a pinky commo. And that's fine, I'd get over it. But it definitely makes family gatherings difficult. I have to constantly find something to do than sit in the same room as them, especially right now when, four days before the election, they get excited for any Palin appearance on TV.

Last night was brutal. Besides listening to how "they should just get over it" when Obama effigies are hung from trees at my alma mater, I had to hear about terrorists living in the White House and Spanish becoming the official U.S. language. Just like me, they know who they are voting for, I'm just out-numbered and refuse to argue with my in-laws when they could easily dispatch me and my body would never be found.

The night finally ended, and I was able to spend most of the time doling out candy to trick or treaters who came to the door. I hope for an Obama victory on Tuesday, but I do wonder what this will do to family gatherings for the future. Screw it, I'll suffer through them for four/eight years of potential governmental bliss.