Here's some advice on handling entertainment and your in-laws from the book "How to Survive Your In-Laws" (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $13.95), straight from people who've done it.
“Here’s a fun little game my father-in-law and I play: He called me on the first day of April and told me his car was broken down and he needed a ride. I went to the place he told me he was stranded and waited there for an hour in the sweltering heat. He then called my cell phone and shouted, “April Fool!” Every April 1st since then, we make a contest out of seeing who can put something over on the other. I almost always win. You’d think that if you are on the lookout for something it would be hard to get fooled, but you’d be wrong. Last year I had a friend pretending to be a local DJ call up and tell my father-in-law he’d just won $1,000. He’s still steaming about that one.”
— Melanie Splane, Youngstown, Ohio, years with in-laws: 5
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“My father-in-law likes to ride the bus and strike up conversations with strangers. I go along just to keep him from getting arrested.”
— R.H., Seattle, Wash., years with in-laws: 20
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“My father-in-law was this big, burly guy who always wore plaid flannel shirts. He was an avid hunter and always looked like he was on his way to the woods. One year, I got the family together and said I wanted to have a costume party for Halloween. The catch was that everyone had to dress like Ed, my father-in-law. It was the most fun I’ve ever had. To see all those people — especially the women — wearing flannel shirts and fake beards was just too much. When he walked in, I was afraid that he was offended, but then he smiled and the whole room erupted in laughter. He was a good sport about it.”
— R.D., Keezletown, Va.
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“My father-in-law thinks crossword puzzles are group activities. He assigns clues to people according to their specialties. You’d better know the answer.”
— C.F., Brooklyn, N.Y., years with in-laws: 25
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“Every year, I go camping with my father-in-law, and sleeping arrangements are always interesting. Over the years, we have shared several tents. Not too bad, since we had separate sleeping bags. We have also had to share a double bed several times. One was a foldout couch on the porch of a trailer that belonged to a woman we didn’t really know. The mattress was very old and sloped toward the center. We have since agreed that one of us would be in a sleeping bag while sharing a double bed. Also, my father-in-law snores like a chainsaw after drinking. I’m not sure how his wife has dealt with that for 30 years.
— Irving B. Ramsower, Tampa, Fla., years with in-laws: 12
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“I think chess is a great game to play with someone you are trying to impress. And do we ever work hard to impress our in-laws! I was always pretty good at chess. My husband and I used to play against his parents. We would play these little two-on-two tournaments where the players on each team would take turns making a move. But the teammates were not allowed to discuss what they were going to do. I think my in-laws came to respect me as someone who could think a little because of how well I played.
— Val Toseki, Canfield, Ohio, years with in-laws: 9
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© 2007, Hundreds of Heads Books, Inc.