Inconvenient Annoyances

Arrggg!!!!!!  I need to get some important papers to scotland as fast as possible so I went to post office on Tuesday to mail it.  Don’t know if the young man helping me was new, confused or incompetent.  Took 45 minutes for him to finally figure out how to post it.  Could feel the daggers in my back the whole 45 minutes as I held up the line waiting for him to figure it out.   Luckily there was 2 other windows open.  Was willing to pay the $95 for 1-3 day delivery but he couldn’t figure out how to find documents as the option as what I wanted to send.  Ok, to make things easier, I said let’s go for the 3-5 day option for $65 since that seems to have a document option to choose.  Great, now that way isn’t accepting the post code into the computer.  He kept having to ask the lady working the next window to help him punch info into computer.  She said just leave the post code field blank since it wouldn’t take it and move on.  Finally, he seemed to have it figured out and I left not feeling to confident on my papers getting there.  Got home and checked the tracking , yeah, it was showing up so at least I know it’s on its way.  I mailed it Tuesday October 22 at 11:43 am and as of today Friday October 25 at 4:03 pm it finally left Honolulu airport on its way to its destination.   ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME USPS!!!!!!!   It just took you over 3 days to get a express international envelope 14 miles down the road.  I am so pissed off right now am seeing red.  God knows how long it’s going to take to get to Scotland once it lands in London.  I should have went to Fedex.......and if it takes more then 7 days I’m going to see about getting some sort of refund because it would have cost $35 for the 7-10 day option and I’ll want my $30 difference in price if it takes that long.

Arrggg!!!!!!  I need to get some important papers to scotland as fast as possible so I went to post office on Tuesday to mail it.  Don’t know if the young man helping me was new, confused or incompetent.  Took 45 minutes for him to finally figure out how to post it.  Could feel the daggers in my back the whole 45 minutes as I held up the line waiting for him to figure it out.   Luckily there was 2 other windows open.  Was willing to pay the $95 for 1-3 day delivery but he couldn’t figure out how to find documents as the option as what I wanted to send.  Ok, to make things easier, I said let’s go for the 3-5 day option for $65 since that seems to have a document option to choose.  Great, now that way isn’t accepting the post code into the computer.  He kept having to ask the lady working the next window to help him punch info into computer.  She said just leave the post code field blank since it wouldn’t take it and move on.  Finally, he seemed to have it figured out and I left not feeling to confident on my papers getting there.  Got home and checked the tracking , yeah, it was showing up so at least I know it’s on its way.  I mailed it Tuesday October 22 at 11:43 am and as of today Friday October 25 at 4:03 pm it finally left Honolulu airport on its way to its destination.   ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME USPS!!!!!!!   It just took you over 3 days to get a express international envelope 14 miles down the road.  I am so pissed off right now am seeing red.  God knows how long it’s going to take to get to Scotland once it lands in London.  I should have went to Fedex.......and if it takes more then 7 days I’m going to see about getting some sort of refund because it would have cost $35 for the 7-10 day option and I’ll want my $30 difference in price if it takes that long.

I hope it gets there. But yeah, never use USPS or the post office here to send anything internationally which is time sensitive or difficult to replace. Always go with one of the couriers.

Oh, gosh, I've been in the same situation so many times! Best of luck with it all.

The best I've found (so far) sending to the USA from Scotland (not what you need now, but for the future) has been DHL. By a long shot.

Just need a moment to vent...ahh! My BIL has a new girlfriend. She’s perfectly polite and we’ve met her a few times. No issues with her (she’s also American, like me). My BIL asked his mother (my MIL) if the new girlfriend could come for Christmas because said new girlfriend cannot afford the flights to the US to see her family. Therefore, she’s on her own.

My MIL has a complete meltdown. In front of everyone.

My MIL begins with calling the new girlfriend “a complete stranger” and says she doesn’t want her in her house at Christmas. She also says that because they met on the internet she really doesn’t want her in the house. 

Everyone is horrified, and she says how having the new girlfriend for Christmas is one more mouth to feed, so therefore more costly. My BIL offers to give her some money for the Christmas meal, but she declines because the new girlfriend “is from the internet.” She proceeds to say how “pleased” she is that I will be in the US for Christmas, but “most annoyed” that my husband chose to spend Christmas with his side of the family this year as she now has to get him a gift and also feed him (my husband only did this because he started a new job and couldn’t get the time off over Christmas).

Thanks for your time, everyone. It’s been a bizarre (and cringing) day.

Holidays really bring out the best in people, eh? Sorry you have to deal with that. I'm glad my husbands family is small!

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Holidays really bring out the best in people, eh? Sorry you have to deal with that. I'm glad my husbands family is small!

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So true! The holidays can really bring out the ugly in people.

Just need a moment to vent...ahh! My BIL has a new girlfriend. She’s perfectly polite and we’ve met her a few times. No issues with her (she’s also American, like me). My BIL asked his mother (my MIL) if the new girlfriend could come for Christmas because said new girlfriend cannot afford the flights to the US to see her family. Therefore, she’s on her own.

My MIL has a complete meltdown. In front of everyone.

My MIL begins with calling the new girlfriend “a complete stranger” and says she doesn’t want her in her house at Christmas. She also says that because they met on the internet she really doesn’t want her in the house. 

Everyone is horrified, and she says how having the new girlfriend for Christmas is one more mouth to feed, so therefore more costly. My BIL offers to give her some money for the Christmas meal, but she declines because the new girlfriend “is from the internet.” She proceeds to say how “pleased” she is that I will be in the US for Christmas, but “most annoyed” that my husband chose to spend Christmas with his side of the family this year as she now has to get him a gift and also feed him (my husband only did this because he started a new job and couldn’t get the time off over Christmas).

Thanks for your time, everyone. It’s been a bizarre (and cringing) day.

That is horrifying.  I think your husband and BIL should host their own Christmas and invite the girlfriend.  No one should be alone on Christmas if it is something they care about (which the girlfriend obviously does).  Honestly, I bet their relationship doesn’t survive this.  Big hugs to that poor girl!

At least the girlfriend will learn early what's in store for her.

Are you ready to put up with that yourself?

And genuinely, I’d be happy to have her at my house. I’m in Wokingham in Berkshire.  Chaos with kids but there will be food and drinks!  And it’s mandatory to spend the day in pj’s.   

Bless her if she stays with my BIL. I didn’t see any of this behaviour from my MIL prior to marrying my husband. It’s all been since we got married a few years ago.

Honestly, I’d be amazed if they last after this. Poor thing.

I was going to say the same thing KF said... skip the MIL's house and your husband and BIL can host the girlfriend.  MIL clearly doesn't value having your husband there, anyway, so why go?

As a gesture of good will, the brothers could invite their mother over as a guest, so she won't be alone at Christmas.  But I would definitely not go to hers as a guest if she has that attitude about it.  I don't want to be a burden.

I was going to say the same thing KF said... skip the MIL's house and your husband and BIL can host the girlfriend.  MIL clearly doesn't value having your husband there, anyway, so why go?

As a gesture of good will, the brothers could invite their mother over as a guest, so she won't be alone at Christmas.  But I would definitely not go to hers as a guest if she has that attitude about it.  I don't want to be a burden.

That’s what they’re thinking of doing. The oldest BIL got married this year and my MIL wants this Christmas to be “about them.” At this rate, it’ll just be her and the two of them.

That’s what they’re thinking of doing. The oldest BIL got married this year and my MIL wants this Christmas to be “about them.” At this rate, it’ll just be her and the two of them.

I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking Christmas should be about the whole family being together and appreciating everybody... I mean, the newlywed BIL's wedding day was "about them".  They had their spotlight.  Christmas is for the family.  Your MIL sounds ... well... dreadful.  I'm glad you get to go home to your own family and not be subjected to her this holiday season (sorry your husband can't go with you... ).

Out of curiosity, how did you and your husband meet?  I'm just sitting here thinking the MIL is making such a big deal about the new girlfriend being "from the Internet!" (gasp!), and I'm wondering if she's also judging your relationship while judging your BIL's.

Out of curiosity, how did you and your husband meet?  I'm just sitting here thinking the MIL is making such a big deal about the new girlfriend being "from the Internet!" (gasp!), and I'm wondering if she's also judging your relationship while judging your BIL's.

He was the black sheep in the family and went to uni in America (we therefore met in person). Came back with some extra baggage!

He was the black sheep in the family and went to uni in America (we therefore met in person). Came back with some extra baggage!

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!  Love your description.     Hopefully he only had to pay £60 to bring you back as luggage. 

My inlaws are weird.  Like really weird.  They didn't spent Christmas 2017 with us, as "it's too much".  Umm...  okay.  Glad to know you have grandchildren 10 miles away and coming over to ours for dinner is "too much."  So last year (2018), my husband's cousin (who we are quite close to) invited us to hers so it wouldn't be just the 4 of us.  It then turned into a complete circus.  EVERYONE came out of the woodwork to go to hers for Christmas, which was a lot more than she bargained for.  She is NOPING all over hosting this year (don't blame her!)

Now I'm secretly hoping it's just the 4 of us this year.  LOL.