PD phone call BINGO

[bee well]

Here's some MIL phrases from our uPD bingo card:

1)   Did you hear about...(insert disaster, death,  illness, tragedy , random gossip, problem with neighbor,+ relative gory/disturbing details
       here)? Oh it's so terrible, such a tragedy, I feel so sorry ...
2)   I have to do everything around the house...My bones ache and I never have time to rest.
3)   I just had to chase the animals out of the house. All they do is track dirt in the house.
4)   Have you called (insert name of relative/family friend here)?
5)   You have to do it like this (insert directions for obviously simple task here)?
6)   I saw (insert name of elderly person here) and they are in such bad shape. Their children do nothing to help. It's such a shame.
7)   A Mother's life is nothing but sacrifice (insert story of a Mother's suffering here.)
8)   (Insert name of dead relative/friend here) they suffered so so much. See what happens when we get old and sick, no one lifts a finger to
         help.
9)   I went to the cemetery to place flowers,  clean the tombs of family of friends. If I don't do it no one will.
10)   You need to think about things/proceed this way (insert ridiculous or inapproriate piece of advice or philosophy here).
11)   Did you hear about how terrible (insert name of adult relative/friend or child of  adult relative/friend here) is behaving?   (Insert name of
        adult child's Mother here), They are so distraught. You have children and this is what happens when they grow up...
12)   Did you hear about (insert social problem or other here). It's all the fault of (insert scapegoat here).
13)   FIL is always going to (insert name of social activity here), he never stays home where he belongs.
14)   FIL is such a cretin/imbecile, he can't to anything right.
15)   BIL is always hiding, lazy, doesn't want to talk to us, all he does is eat and sleep these days.
16)   I am exhausted, I was up worrying all night about (insert family member or problem here.)
17)   People are exaggerating the virus. Only no vax people die. Don't "get sick" worrying about it.
18)   I never see my Son (DH). "You spend half your life making a Son, and the other half trying to find them."...starts crying...
19)   Each one does the best they can (after MIL hears some good news/something positive on our part).
20)   That's life, we live and we die (after hearing about sad news, death or tragedy in our sphere)
21)   Did you see ____'s baby, so so beautiful. There's nothing like the feeling of holding a newborn. I'll never be a Grandmother...
22)   I called both of  your cell phones and the landline and you didn't pick up. Oh, you were eating? I eat with my hands, not with my ears...(or
       other comment on why we should be answering the phone.)
     

(This is turning into a long rant, stopping at 22...)

Yesterday I insisted that we call MIL because I wanted to be prepared for/get it over with.

We don't have spontaneous phone calls. If she calls randomly we pick up knowing  what we are in for.

DH was annoyed because he didn't want to hear it. We finally agreed and had the phone call (bingo!), then went for a walk and felt better. Now looking forward to a peaceful Sunday (fingers crossed)...

[SunnyMeadow]

Most of the time I am able to roll my eyes at my mother's silly nonsense. I've even written that she's fading into the background of people who matter in my life. Plus she rarely bothers me as I medium chill and gray rock through her phone calls and visits. But yesterday on the phone with her and her PD phone call BINGO it almost made the top of my head blow off. My stomach was in knots because I can't believe what she's turned into!! She can NOT discuss anything besides her pet topics of the vaccines and all that goes along with it. It's maddening. She's become completely brainwashed and if I offer my point of view...watch out! She will talk louder and say Oh that's not true! Can't listen to any other person's opinion because she is always right, always! 

She has three big topics that she blabs on about constantly. What a boring, predictable woman she is now. She used to have other things to talk about. I give her a certain amount of time then I say I have to go. Within 3 minutes of the start of this call though .......she starts on her predictable topics over and over. 

It's no wonder she has no one to talk to in the neighborhood. They probably peek outside to see if she is around before they walk outside.

Sorry for the thread hijack but I needed to vent. I'm sure I'll reread this post a few times in the future and wonder why the hell I'm still bothering with her. Stupid FOG

[SunnyMeadow]

bee well, what a bingo list of your mother's topics. 

My mother does the "those children do nothing to help" too or "those children call and see their mother everyday!" You just can't win with them.

[Cat of the Canals]

Here's some MIL phrases from our uPD bingo card:

1)   Did you hear about...(insert disaster, death,  illness, tragedy , random gossip, problem with neighbor,+ relative gory/disturbing details
       here)? Oh it's so terrible, such a tragedy, I feel so sorry ...
2)   I have to do everything around the house...My bones ache and I never have time to rest.
3)   I just had to chase the animals out of the house. All they do is track dirt in the house.
4)   Have you called (insert name of relative/family friend here)?
5)   You have to do it like this (insert directions for obviously simple task here)?
6)   I saw (insert name of elderly person here) and they are in such bad shape. Their children do nothing to help. It's such a shame.
7)   A Mother's life is nothing but sacrifice (insert story of a Mother's suffering here.)
8)   (Insert name of dead relative/friend here) they suffered so so much. See what happens when we get old and sick, no one lifts a finger to
         help.
9)   I went to the cemetery to place flowers,  clean the tombs of family of friends. If I don't do it no one will.
10)   You need to think about things/proceed this way (insert ridiculous or inapproriate piece of advice or philosophy here).
11)   Did you hear about how terrible (insert name of adult relative/friend or child of  adult relative/friend here) is behaving?   (Insert name of
        adult child's Mother here), They are so distraught. You have children and this is what happens when they grow up...
12)   Did you hear about (insert social problem or other here). It's all the fault of (insert scapegoat here).
13)   FIL is always going to (insert name of social activity here), he never stays home where he belongs.
14)   FIL is such a cretin/imbecile, he can't to anything right.
15)   BIL is always hiding, lazy, doesn't want to talk to us, all he does is eat and sleep these days.
16)   I am exhausted, I was up worrying all night about (insert family member or problem here.)
17)   People are exaggerating the virus. Only no vax people die. Don't "get sick" worrying about it.
18)   I never see my Son (DH). "You spend half your life making a Son, and the other half trying to find them."...starts crying...
19)   Each one does the best they can (after MIL hears some good news/something positive on our part).
20)   That's life, we live and we die (after hearing about sad news, death or tragedy in our sphere)
21)   Did you see ____'s baby, so so beautiful. There's nothing like the feeling of holding a newborn. I'll never be a Grandmother...
22)   I called both of  your cell phones and the landline and you didn't pick up. Oh, you were eating? I eat with my hands, not with my ears...(or
       other comment on why we should be answering the phone.)
     

I think we have the same MIL. 

[bee well]

Yeah, looks like a lot of us have the same MIL...! There must be a (u)PD MIL factory somewhere. 

[donutmoonpanda]

I think this is a great exercise:

How the weather where she lives is worse than mine.
Whine about money (in an effort to get money out of me).
Shout at her dogs for doing nothing at all.
Something specific in her house needs to be fixed.
Some minor health problem blown out of proportion.
Complain about my disabled brother.
Complain about her disabled brother.
Spelling the name of a person I have never and will never meet.
A rundown on everything her volunteer group plans to do in the near future.
Gossiping about her friends and their lack of dedication to volunteering.
Praising people I've never heard of or never met before.
Complaining that she has to pay for medical care for her pets.
Griping about her dogs like they are the bain of her existence.
Telling me everything her ex-boyfriend has done in the last 72 hours. (He lives across the street from her)
Talking trash about his new girlfriend.
The distant "mmm-mhmm" that shows she's not listening to me even if I only say one single sentence the whole time.

[Boat Babe]

Yeah, looks like a lot of us have the same MIL...! There must be a (u)PD MIL factory somewhere. 

One that's belching toxic fumes and polluting the ground water

[bee well]

Yeah Boat Babe, that pretty much sums it up.

"One that's belching toxic fumes and polluting the ground water.."  That is an appropriate image..it sounds like a line from the Divine Comedy.

I find it helpful to come back and read, and remind myself how absurd it all  is. My bingo card remains mostly  the same except MIL is even more  in scarcity mode (When was that not a thing? She is quite frequently worried about not having enough. and yet things are ok!), She is of the idea that even short term plans are threatened by the global situation. (Like who knows maybe you won't be able to come for the next holiday, because of  X. It's only a few weeks away for crying out loud! The global situation is  very sad and am in no way negating or diminishing the harsh reality of the moment. But I think it is hyperbole to confuse our family  situation with those who are suffering so direly and directly in many parts. We are not restricted in movement, and she acts like the world is ending tomorrow.  It's just more drama...I will be glad to get through the next visit.

Oh and did I mention she complains about health but doesn't take care of her self? I have my own issues but have decided I am better off not sharing anything with her about that.

Rant over here but yeah, a lot of us do still have similar MILs. I salute you,

Have a good day and live in the moment, whenever possibile.

[KatKp29]

My husband and I are attempting to go no-contact with them for the moment but here's some ones over the years:

My MIL is notorious for having the same 5-6 topics of conversation whenever you go to her house. Her son's have had a running joke about this for years.
1. How HARD she works at her mother's house. Her mother uses a cane and has some mobility issues so MIL goes over to help her clean up around the house and takes her to Dr appointments. To hear her talk, you'd think she just came back from her 2nd tour in Afghanistan. This is coming from the woman who complains nobody else ever works hard enough for her standards.
2. How none of her kids(mostly my husband) call/text her back enough. That seems to be a popular one on here in PD bingo. We live so close why don't we come over more! The least we could do is call/text!
3. Her cousins in Luxembourg! This one is the most notorious amongst her children. She did some genealogy research years ago and got in contact with a cousin she has in Luxembourg. They email each other from time to time but that's mostly it. However, she always finds a way to mention this guy! She also will tell the story again as if none of us had ever heard it before when it gets mentioned every other time we went over!
4. How the pandemic personally just victimized HER. Nobody else is suffering, nobody else went though hardships from this just her. She can't see the effect it's had on her own children nor does she really care. The woman is a professional victim.
5. "I'm still friends with the little girls I grew up with down the street". MIL has this small group of girlfriends she's known since childhood. She talks about them constantly! They barely see each other in person anymore and mostly just call/text. She gives us these constant updates on their lives..and to be blunt..We really don't care. These are people I have met a handful of times! My husband says she has nothing going on for herself so she has to live vicariously through others! Oh and her friends kids and how much better they are than her own kids. Oh this one is a doctor! Oh this one is going for their Masters blah blah blah.WE DON'T CARE!
6. And finally, endless interrogations about our lives and jobs. When are we getting a better job? Can we get a promotion? Oh it's been 6 months and no pay raise?? Better look for something better. Then she'll mention her own good-for-nothing husband and how he's constantly searching for a better job(just to appease her, he's a total flying monkey). She'll ask about our lives and when we tell her oh we went on a trip to this place, she gives you this weird question look and say "oh that's nice, you should go here next time it's so great blah blah blah. And interestingly the places she suggests are always places she's been of course! We have to live our lives exactly the way she does! God forbid we go to new places!

She wonders why no one wants to visit her, let alone call or text! I enjoyed reading all these..it's amazing all of the same crap we all have to deal with!!

[Cat of the Canals]

Spelling the name of a person I have never and will never meet.

This one made me snort. OMG. One of those "My PDmom and PDmil have never done it, but I can totally imagine them doing it" things

KatKp29, your list sounds so much like my MIL. Hers is how hard she works at her in-law's house (they pay her to clean their house), and then she bemoans that "I guess no one will do this for me when I'm old." Quick! Someone call the waaaaaambulance, she's having a waif attack!

[sunshine702]

It is cold where they live.  A lot.  They like to brag marter about it. 

A whole Bingo row would be weather .  "You know it was 4 degress (square) here last night and it's inly October. (Square)  How cold is it there 50 degrees? (Square)  We had a foot of snow (square).  You don't get snow.  (NO i don't and don't want to) BINGO!