Just Wondering...*

* Dear blog-verse. It's a bitchy kind of day. I apologize. If you're not in the mood for bitchiness, you want to continue on your happy Tuesday path, please go elsewhere. This is something I need to get off my chest. Thanks for tolerating!

OK, my mom moved to Georgia back in July, 2005 and my dad died 10 years ago this month. During the 2004 Christmas holiday Mom revealed she was ready to make the move south and when we found out one month later that I was pregnant, she had an even better reason. Now that she's here, she's become active in the Red Hat Society and gained many new, lasting friendships.

See, this is what I'm wondering.

We both have friends and family back in West Virginia. Friends and family with whom we keep in touch, religiously, but who don't return the favor. We call, they don't. We write, they don't. We've traveled north for visits, they haven't made the trek south. I have made sure to tell these family and friends that my door is always open and that the guest bed is always made. Seriously. I keep the guest room clean and ready at all hours of the day and night. I would LOVE to have West Virginia friends and family visit.

To date, one friend and one cousin visited over eight years ago (both on business), one uncle and aunt have stopped by twice on their way through Atlanta (once for a football game), and another friend and her mother stopped in for two hours on their way to the Peach Bowl. (Seems we're only worth it if there's work or football involved.)

Seriously, do I stink?

Sniffing armpits.

I mean, really. What is up? Friends of mom's have said repeatedly "We're coming! Turn down the sheets!" and....

... they never show.

Oh, but, we're expected to drive north eight hours.

A 500-mile drive I performed three times a year or more before kids and only once after kids because a 500-mile drive, with twins, one who gets violently car sick 15 minutes away from home and sobs and fights against her car seat the rest of the time, becomes a 700 to 800 mile, 12-hour drive.

I. Shit. You. Not.

Oh! But we want to see the kids! Bring them to the family reunion! Bring them up for the holidays!

Sure! You going to fly down here and help us on the drive up? You going to put us up in your house? And assist in the drive back? No? Because the one, one-week trip, I made in 2006 wore me out so much that I needed a vacation AFTER my vacation.

Well, guess what. I'm done asking.

It's much easier for you to come here, stay here for free at our house, take in all Atlanta has to offer, and visit with the kids in their own environment, where they're most happy, and not have to worry about my kids trashing your non-kid-proofed home.

But, I guess that's just too difficult for our high-fallootin' West Virginie kin to manage.

Whatever.

After 14 years, I've given up. I'm no longer going to throw out the invites any more. I'm finished.

For any of you West Virginia friends and family who may be reading this, you all know where the heck I live. Otherwise, I'll see you when the kids are older and better travelers. I'm tired of "begging" and asking for your presence. These are precious kids and you are all missing out. I guess the lack of contact from your end, the lack of interest, means that you don't care and never did. I'm taking this to mean that you have no interest in me or my family. I think it's pretty sad that our friends who live in GERMANY have been here to visit more times than any of you.

If that's the case, then I guess we're better off without you. This was the last invitation.