Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Thanks for staying single, you've helped us buy a timeshare

The other day my parents told me they bought into a timeshare. I liked this idea and started planning all our future family trips in my head. Of course, this included me paying for nothing and my parents paying for everything. Life as it should be. I should learn to capitalize on my parents assets. Why I feel the need to be so independent has escaped me. I might consider moving back home.

As I was daydreaming of weeks spent on the beach in Maui, the following conversation brought me back to reality:

Mom: Just don't get married anytime soon.
Me: Why?
Mom: Becuase we spent your wedding money on the timeshare.
Me: (blank stare)
Mom: (smiles)
Me: You've really lost all hope for me. Thanks.

So friends, if I elope one day you will know why.

Lastly, after further talks about sleeping arrangements in said timeshare, I learned that even though there are 6 queen beds in it, I still end up sleeping on the pull out couch in the family room. Married couples apparently get their own room with 2 beds. As a single person, I am completely offended. I am totally being punished for not being married. Yet, my parents won't pay for my wedding. This is madness!

Please...tell me if you think I am being totally unrealistic to assume that on a family vacation, sharing rooms is normal. Of course, I think I am right. So please agree with me. And if you don't, well, then I'll just delete your comment.

Love,
Natalie

p.s. I actually would like to know how other families handle this type of situation. Married couples are new to the Harris household - we need some guidelines.

18 comments:

Patience said...

Dear That's What She Said-
I read you blog all the time and even put a link on it from mine b/c I am too lazy to go to my friend Kelsey's blog whom I lived on the 5th floor of THall at B-Y-U for 8 months... anyways... I am recently married and got the boot like that for years. I still get it though. We po' you know, and can only afford to send me to my families Disneyland holiday this year. When a sister of mine with children learned of the great news she replied with "oh, then you could watch my kids while me and spouse go play?". I figure it will always happen in some way or another. Ah well. I also have no objection to sharing a room with 2 queen size beds with more than just the husband. Hello sleepover! Pillow fights! Sister wives! Ha ha.

Daybreaking Dickersons said...

You could totally share a room with me and Ben. I've never been in a situation when the room had more than one bed in it. But with our family now, whoever has kids gets the rooms. Pretty much the only reason we had Finn, so we got a room.

I still have hope for you. And I'm totally down for the Vegas elopement, anytime.

Kim / Belly Button and Co. said...

here is the thing.. in our family with cabins... condos... houseboats... whatever has rooms... we just call them as we see them... it is all first come first serve.... nat... you are being singled out... just because you are n.m. doesn't mean that you do not want to share in the joy of your own room... so you stick it out... get that room with two beds... one for you and one for your luggage.

alea said...

The way it works in my family, is that married couples get rooms/beds. Me and my unmarried sister get to share whatever's left over, usually a pull-out. This, of course, is one of the minor indignities foisted on us unweds. It's like when we take family photos, and each sibling gets a shot with their own little family and the three of us who aren't married, per my mothers insistence, have to have a photo taken together. I guess she doesn't want us to feel left out?

Kim said...

Doesn't look like you are getting the total support that you were expecting. As I have said many times "Life is not fair so just deal with it".

Natalie said...

Dad,
I'm not quite sure what you are reading - but 3 out of the 4 comments agreed with me. Actually all agree that it is unjust to leave the single people out.

Mar said...

We just don't vacay as a family anymore. Ben and I plan our own and go on our own. They end up being nicer than what we used to do as a whole family. Oh, and with king sized beds. :)

Penel said...

Natalie, sloppy reporting - was this intentional to get more support for your cause?? The condo only has 4 queen sized beds. As your dad and I told you, although your friends may agree with you, their families agree with your parents. Life is difficult, I know.
P.S. Both Hailey and Chandler looked disgusted when I proposed that you wanted to sleep in their room with them. Love you!!!!

Natalie said...

Mom,
Sorry, I retract the fact that there are 6 queen beds. There are 4 - with one bedroom having a king.

HOWEVER, you have 4 children. 4 queen beds. To me, it's a no brainer.

And it is clear that every single person that has commented disagrees with singling single people out. If they could change the way their family does stuff, they would. I am totally going to sound like some Obama supported here, but WE NEED CHANGE!!!!

And of course Hailey would want her own bedroom. Did you just meet Hailey yesterday? And like I said yesterday, if you put this choice up to our family, of course i will get out voted. Everyone is married.

I also talked about this with numerous friends last night and one friend in particular said that on her family vacations, no one gets their own room. If there is an empty bed, someone sleeps in it.

So there, not every family does "marrieds with their own rooms".

Linds Forrest said...

Since your parents spent YOUR wedding money you should be entitled to a room. I would get a lawyer!

AND NOW, FURTHER ADO said...

So, if you rank lower than your married siblings, where would a married cousin rank? I mean, I'm not a daughter, but I am married. Please get back with me asap, Maui sounds so much better than hell on Earth (AKA AZ in the summertime).

P.S. Coming up in July with Family. Can we play?

Larson Love said...

Nat. You make me laugh! Can I just tell you how funny I think you are. I feel like I am walking on egg shells posting this but, we share rooms on vacation. It's a little weird at times but other times it is when all the good discussions occur. Here's the thing though, your in Maui. Are you in your room? Go out and lay by the pool!! I'm jealous! It sounds fabulous!

Sarah said...

I have two children (but am still single) and I get to sleep on the FLOOR with everyone else's children. So it's me waking up in the middle of the night because this one rolled over onto that one and slapped other one in the face and now that one is crying and their parents can't hear anything because they've shut the door to their private room and turned on the sound machine. I feel your pain and propose that we start a non-profit group or something that provides monetary support (or support in the form of clothes, shoes, or bags) for singles that get the shaft. And we get to be the first recipients of said support.

Penel said...

Clarification...... we will pay for Natalie's wedding (within our budget.) Since there wasn't a wedding in the foreseeable future, why not splurge on a condo???

Jinny Snow said...

Well. if you are willing to marry a man who has a sense of humor, a good job, speaks good English, is a great dancer, but who parts his hair, you might get your own room.

Anonymous said...

favorite comment is Jinny's! I say fight for your right Natalie! I know a good attorney...

Rae said...

Being the youngest, and only single, member of my family, I can honestly say I COMPLETELY understand your feelings! It honestly drives me crazy. I've often asked my mom, "Do I have to get a husband to matter???" Everything is catered to the marrieds. And I usually understand, really.
But seriously??? If married couples don't want to share a room and let a perfectly good bed go to waste then they deserve the pull out bed. Fair and square. If there's spare beds, people should be sleeping in them. End of story.
Oh yeah, and your opinion should also be taken into consideration regarding restaurants. Just because you don't have a spouse doesn't mean you don't have a preference.
AND, the complaint of "we're married so we can't afford stuff" doesn't really make sense to me either. As long as you don't have kids, both are employed, and the singles are financially independent, there is no reason why marrieds should be catered to because they can't afford things. Ummmm, last I checked you have two incomes paying for one rent (or mortgage) versus one. Yes, singles can have roommates, but singles can't (realistically) live in a studio with roommates and share a bed. Come on.

alisa said...

be grateful for this minor inconvenience now natalie...you know it's bad when you get slotted into the kids' room. bunk beds with the nieces and nephews--fantastic.

be sure to jokingly bring it up to your parents and your siblings throughout the entire trip while talking about how fantastic single life is...they will feel so bad for you (in the having to sleep with the kids and being displaced way) that they buy you all sorts of nice things. seriously, my mom practically throws money at me when we are on vacation.