So I usually take Wednesday before Thanksgiving off to cook the entire day. I had my turkey brining by Monday evening and I cooked all day Wednesday from 7 a.m to 7 p.m. Then started back up Thursday morning.

On Wednesday about noon, got a call from Chef's oldest half brother (oldest from his Dad's first marriage--who, LOL has NOTHING good to say about Chef's mother aka eeeevvvviiiiiiiil stepmom)

Now try to follow me on this:

When Chef's Dad met Chef's Mom, she already had kids by HER first marriage as well. AND Chef's oldest brother (as referenced earlier) ended up MARRYING his STEPSISTER (Chef's Mom's DD from 1st marriage) in the seventies. Then subsequently divorced.

Now mind you, I NEVER get a call from the oldest brother who was the MOST accepting of Chef and I (we've now been together LONGER than Chef was with the Girhippo) UNLESS he is being hacked by ransomware (free computer service, although I charged him the last time)

Wouldn't you know he CALLS me on WEDNESDAY AT NOON inviting Chef and I to HIS Thanksgiving gathering in which he tells me his EX WIFE (his stepsister) will be there and "all the kids."

I didn't promise anything to "Seasoned Citizen" but told him that I am cooking and we are having dinner at 6 p.m. in which he replied that they were having dinner at 2 p.m. Chef does not get along very well with Seasoned Citizen--basically placates him but doesn't like the way Seasoned Citizen talks about their mutual dad.

I tried to explain to him that it was probably due to birth order. That Seasoned Citizen, as the oldest and first born child, probably got a shellacking, whereas Chef, the baby of the family to what was an elderly mutual father, probably got away with murder as an annoying youngest child.

He didn't really buy that but I am totally in agreement with the birth order effect.

Chef said he didn't want to hang around with that lot and I would be uncomfortable as well. When I first met Chef's side of the family, it was sadly like walking into a seedy bar.

So Thanksgiving went on as planned. I was scared to death thinking that "all the kids" as referred to by Seasoned Citizen was another lame-assed attempt at reunification of Chef's PASed out teen+ skids. That alone would have given me massive heartburn.

We had a nice dinner with Chef and I, DS and DIL as well as her folks.