Yesterday my mother-in-law and I got into an argument over an old microwave tray.
The microwave broke a few weeks ago. They got a new (totally different model) one. Brother-in-law and Mr. A. took it to be recycled, and just before leaving, Mr. A checked to make sure it was all together about 5 minutes before they left.
Yesterday, I was putting dinner together in crockpot. MiL came in and acted put out because there's limited counter space because there is so much crap in the kitchen. She wanted to make tea, but I was using the only prep space in the kitchen (besides the table) and that was in front of the kettle. I asked her if she wanted the kettle on. She said yes, with no please or whatever. Sort of gruffly. So I go into the other room to give her space. 5 minutes later, I come back and she's still making teas. I start to wash up the prep dishes, and she gruffly sets the kettle next to the sink and says, "This needs to be filled."
Whatever. I am sort of used to not being treated courteously by my inlaws. So she grabs a tray and the microwave tray along with the plastic circle bit that goes underneath it in a functioning microwave pops out from behind the pile of trays. She puts it back, it falls down. She does it again and walks away. I go to put it up, and it falls. I finally ask her why she's keeping the plastic bit. She tells me it's in case they get a microwave like that again and it breaks.
I told her that I understood keeping the glass tray. I explained that the chances of them getting the exact same microwave they had before after the new one dies is low. The chances that they get that microwave and the plastic bit breaks even lower. She insisted that they needed it.
My husband and I pay well more than our share of the bills. In fact, they would have been without a home several times over in the past 2 years if we hadn't been here. I appreciate their offering their home to me, but in a lot of ways we've been trapped here because our responsibilities have grown. We're finally moving, but for the past 2 years we've not had any space in the large (for UK standards) kitchen outside of two shelves in the fridge (which I had to fight for) and freezer space. All canned goods, all dishes that our "ours", all cleaning products, everything is stored in our room.
This is because my MiL is a packrat to shame all packrats. It isn't cute, and it effects everyone's quality of life here. When I moved here, we couldn't even move in the kitchen because there was an extra console in there. 3/4 of the cabinets are never opened because they are filled with crap no one uses. Like empty Nescafe jars. She says she's going to use them for pickles. I don't think you can use those for any sort of sterile canning. EDIT: To make things a bit clearer, she has around 75 of these things in a cabinet along with a ton of other empty jars.
It sounds like I am being really mean about this, and it shouldn't matter because we are leaving. It's just that we could be here for up to 3 more months. I have never felt I could bring things up. When I do, she acts like a two year old, slamming stuff around and giving you the silent treatment for days.
If it were up to me, we would have been gone a year ago. With hindsight, I would have never moved in here.
Yesterday I finally just said, "The only good it is for is to take up space." She got mad and slammed the door to the kitchen.
Of course if the door broke, it would be my fault, just like when the microwave broke (which I rarely used).
Sorry for the long negative post. I just needed to vent.
