Inconvenient Annoyances

Good luck in the Black Forest TF! I have a friend on the Swiss side of it. Looks lovely

I feel like if your SIL continues leaving her kids with FIL under those conditions you may want to call child protection once you're no longer there. That's so dangerous and irresponsible, and can have lasting emotional and physical consequences.

We're really excited about it. I can't wait to have more green in my life. And less pollution!

Although I don't like SIL, I do think she'd be reasonably level headed in this and I'd trust her to be a responsible parent (although there are many things I'd do differently). Calling the UK version of CPS did cross my mind yesterday when FIL told us the water story, especially when he was unwilling to admit it was dangerous, but I trust SIL (& her husband) to make the best choices for the kids. But I'll definitely keep it in mind.

ugh my skin is crawling...

Yup. I used to eat breakfast and lunch downstairs when no one was home (I work from home) but since the rat/rats has/have gotten worse (or just noisier), I've been eating in the office where I can't hear them.

Over the last year or so, we've caught 4-5 rats under the stairs. DH sealed the holes they were squeezing through and we haven't caught any since, but they're still scratching. They're probably just going to gnaw their way through the ceiling. I just hope they don't make it through until we leave.

I think FIL would rather sell the house and move out rather than fix any problems with the house - rat, leaky gutters, missing roof tiles, blown transformers for lights in the kitchen.... the list goes on.

I genuinely don't understand how a person can WANT to live that way!

I genuinely don't understand how a person can WANT to live that way!

Just too lazy to do anything.

FIL works or watches kids every day (he doesn't regularly have a day 100% off), watches TV when he's not working or watching kids, puts something in the oven to eat for dinner (store-bought, not homemade, or takeaway, even though he cooks a big batch of food for grand-FIL once a week) and..... he does nothing else. No hobbies, social life, etc. Obviously it's his choice how he spends his time, but there are so many things he could be doing that would be productive.

Thanks larrabee! I hope we DO get lost in the Black Forest. It's lovely there. Just a wee bit different from London.

Haha, ok then... get lost! 

I have temporarily been moved to another floor in the building that has air conditioning!!!!!!!!!!  HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!

We are all being moved into people's spots who are on holiday.  I'm being evicted on July 30th.   

I have temporarily been moved to another floor in the building that has air conditioning!!!!!!!!!!  HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!

We are all being moved into people's spots who are on holiday.  I'm being evicted on July 30th.   

Are you joking?? The AC STILLLLL has not been fixed?!

Are you joking?? The AC STILLLLL has not been fixed?!

Nope, it's been horrific.  34C in the office.  Absolutely inhumane working conditions.  But they've managed to get most all of us to other floors now.  No idea when the part will arrive and then it'll take a few days to fit.  Same part that broke in May (we were without a/c for 3 weeks then).  So I suspect there is a fault with the system causing the part to fail.  I anticipate this will happen again...  fun times.

But they've managed to get most all of us to other floors now.

Are there others that had to be left behind,.....?

It seems like they need a whole new AC unit. This is ridiculous and, as you said, completely inhumane.

TravelingFrog, I don't expect you to muster up any sympathy for what sounds like a massive beast of a FIL, but ... he sounds like he's depressed.  And there's definitely some other sort of mental health issue (sociopath?  paranoia? something's not right about his unwillingness to use public toilets, or buy anything to eat or drink while out) going on there.  And it's a long-standing issue, given what you've said about your husband's childhood experience.

How does your FIL get food?  Does he collect his own take-aways and ready meals, or does someone bring it to him?

At any rate, if you two do have kids, I hope your husband now agrees with you that your FIL will not be responsible for their care!  I would never trust him with kids!

Are there others that had to be left behind,.....?

It seems like they need a whole new AC unit. This is ridiculous and, as you said, completely inhumane.

There are!  Mainly stubborn mules by choice (two of those).  There's only one person who was truly stuck as she needed a confidential working area and the other floors are open plan.  But luckily she's been allocated a meeting room today.

There are!  Mainly stubborn mules by choice (two of those).  There's only one person who was truly stuck as she needed a confidential working area and the other floors are open plan.  But luckily she's been allocated a meeting room today.

I don't have sympathy for the stubborn ones but that poor poor woman stuck in a meeting room to survive! Seriously though, that is really poor working conditions....

I don't have sympathy for the stubborn ones but that poor poor woman stuck in a meeting room to survive! Seriously though, that is really poor working conditions....

See, at my old job I was regularly put in meeting rooms to be able to breathe. I don't object to that at all! Quiet safe environments are good.

But I can't believe anyone would willingly work in that environment

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The thing that strikes me the most about Travelling Frog's story is the "I wanted to watch him suffer".  I've learned that British people often say the absolute truth disguised as a joke and everyone ignores it.  I agree with you all that he's not joking and I'd be terrified to even be alone in the house with him.

I'd bet there's some serious abuse of all kinds in that family history.

TravelingFrog, I certainly hope that FIL got a bollocking from your SIL.  That's horrifying.
 I have no idea if this is something worth reporting to the NSPCC, as I wasn't there to read the situation fully, but definitely listen to your gut on this one. 


Oh living in the Black Forest sounds like it will be great fun. I certainly love green open spaces and no pollution, so yeah, totally see the appeal.