Seasonal Cottage/Cabin/trailer and the joys of ownership.

[Old Ironmaker]

There is a thread on the general repairs etc. thread that somehow morphed into winterization and spring start up woes and the joy of ownership of a vacation place, (guests invited and the other one).

I remember working 3 @ 14.5 hour shifts on the weekend and get a call from my wife from the cottage that I had better stop at home or the restaurant and pick up some more Beer and maybe a Vodka for our uninvited guests (all my friends by the way) as we are running low. I told her to tell those hooligans and their dates that when I get there and there isn't 6 Brown Pops and enough Smirnoff's for us to have a few Vodka Tonics, they had better go find some. And if anyone is still there when I get there after working some 44 hrs in 3 days they had better go back from whence they came or they will be found drowned in the morning. I didn't even drive to the cottage that night I was so beat. It's my Italian upbringing I suppose. So I met my wife at home and had a nice dinner, take out, after she kicked them to the curb. Some cottage antics you never forget. That all stopped after I took my pension, reno'd the shack and started living there full time. We love guests and they are welcome here anytime but they call first, sometimes.

I love the "Are you home Pissano?" Yes where are you? "In the driveway." Actually I hate that and hate is a strong word. It happened just before Xmas. My wife was sick in bed and I wasn't much better we both had that Flu virus, bad times, since she wasn't herself I kind of let the place go a tad, she isn't a neat freak but she didn't she is a clean and tidy freak. Buddy doesn't drink thank goodness as I hadn't made our "In and Out" store run that weekend. But he brought a very nice young lady with him that I had never met. I apologized profusely. I didn't even tell Tich someone was here she was so out of it, she would have been upset. I actually have dreamt that someone comes out of the blue and I don't have a thing to offer them and I chring at the thought. It must be my Italian upbringing. My Father told us when we were leaving the home the same story. When you go out and buy a case of Beer, any alcohol, meat for the BBQ you buy the exact same amount a second time. "Why?" we would ask. One is for the house and one is for guests. To this day I do that. Of course the one time I didn't? It can be tough being of Italian decent, expensive too but we just love having people over especially when I feed them. ​

 

[82rude]

I would never dream of showing up at somebodys camp empty handed.To me that is just plain wrong.Have to ask though what is this flu your talking about?I can sit in a room full of snot nosed kids ,throwing up parents etc,etc and have zero effect me atall.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

My own mother would not drop by without prior arrangements.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I used to rent a cottage for a few weeks a year....did it for 20 years. with the bunk house, sleeper sofas and a few tents, we could have 20 people there.

the deal i had with everyone....friends, family, etc. if you show up, you better have fuel for the boat, beer for the fridge and bait......

always had people stopping by.... rarely ever paid for bait or beer.... although I did buy my share of fuel.

One year i get a call from my boss at 8am on a Thursday, he asked me where to buy the bait and asked which whiskey I wanted and what did the kids need. He brought his wife and we had a good old time.

mi casa es su casa

 

[harringtondav]

Thanks Old Ironmaker for starting this thread. I'm guilty of sneaking my stories into the maintenance threads. Now I can go into full rant mode.

I met my wife in '74. Her family (7 girls, no boys) had a nice summer place on a lake. I was thrilled to be a part, and did everything I could to carry my weight. Same with three other suitors of her younger sisters. Shore Station and dock in and out by hand each year. Any possible maintenance needs. Pa in law even loaned us out to his sister's Shore Station across the lake.

Twenty years later we 40 somethings were still doing the heavy lifting while several 20 yr old nephews got unusually scarce at the place. That was the norm. The wife's parents kept the place stocked, from BW to beer. Just show up at the hotel, party, go home. A communal I/O boat that got lots of use, little care.

Pa in law is long gone, and granny is in the care center. But people still show up to the hotel empty handed. Two sis in laws bailed on the cluster, and got their own places on the lake. Gena and I have our own river place now for eight years. First time guests get a pass. We're glad to buy. After that, show up with your own drinks, snacks and a side dish. I show up twice yearly at the communal place to winterize and recommission. When granny checks out, the place goes on the market or to one of her daughters. And I'll be taking one last good look in the rear view mirror.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

I will not go down to the family compound in Florida when my siblings are there I get so pissed at the parasites. Grown siblings that expect my parents to pick up every check and buy all the groceries. I can't take it.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I would never dream of showing up at somebodys camp empty handed.To me that is just plain wrong.Have to ask though what is this flu your talking about?I can sit in a room full of snot nosed kids ,throwing up parents etc,etc and have zero effect me atall.

As do we, never show up A) uninvited or B) empty handed. I have a saying "It's not like I have a line up of people that want to be my friend but can get rid of a few and still have plenty." My problem is I can't say no, still do. The 1st time someone comes they have a case of beer, a bottle of booze and a bag of food. The 2nd time a 6 pack and a bag of chips, the 3rd time a coffee in their hand wanting to know what's for dinner. Everyone I know with a summer place has the same problems, or a new swimming pool. There have been times we have had 20 or more for the weekend. There were 3 small bedrooms that a bunkbed just fit in and the big bedroom where we sleep. Upstairs were 3 bunk beds and a few single beds. I was in Heaven when we had these weekends, the usual suspects always came loaded with ample booze, food and goodies. Those are the people that are still welcome to this day 23 years latter. It was my wife that weeded the leeches out, she hasn't have a problem saying no. Those goofs we would never hear from between our October Thanksgiving until May, then the phone would ring. Must be Spring, Danny G called. I've lost some lifelong friends and I remember Mom telling me they were never friends to begin with, they took advantage of my hospitality. I could write a book. We had a full size clay tennis court I had to prepare every spring, and it wasn't easy. I would get the call "Is the tennis court ready?" Never "can I help you get it ready." On one holiday Monday my pals gal said "Frank someone drank all my Vodka." Well lush a 40 of Vodka doesn't last 3 days when you are drinking doubles. Same woman says at dinner time "I don't like chicken." Ticha lost it when she asked her to help with the dishes and she replied "I'm on vacation." That's when I told buddy "get her the F out of here please before my 6 foot tall fit wife does something bad and don't bring her back." That's the very 1st time I said no. We are still friends minus the bleached blond arm candy, he still comes empty handed but does me favours throughout the year so I don't mind. He has an autistic son that loves Ticha and we look forward to seeing him a few times a year. One couple, an old friend of my wife's I inherited came with stuff but would actually take home anything they didn't eat or drink until I caught on and hid it. It was fun watching the cheap Prk looking for his left overs. Haven't seen them for 20 years, thankfully. I have another saying,(I have a few) "Some people are professional guests that never host."

Oh man,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sigh.

I'm all worked up now but it feels good. Like I said I as well as you guys could write a book, maybe we should, there are plenty of stories to tell. What do you think? A collaboration novel maybe, we have plenty of horror stories I'm positive we do.

 

[wahlejim]

Myself and my siblings (all 7 of them) were lucky enough to grow up around boating and visiting lake houses. Now that I own a lake house, courtesy has not been an issue with the siblings. We are all in our 30s and 40s now and I have never had 1 show up empty handed, even if I invite just one family over for an afternoon and dinner and tell them not to bring anything. They do not buy fuel, but they more than make up for it with the sheer amount of food and beverages they show up with. We basically have an understanding that I will provide the lake, boats, water toys, and fuel, they provide everything else. By the time Monday rolls around, despite me insisting they don't leave empty handed, I usually have enough leftovers for lunch for the week, beverages for the week, and bait for the week for that matter.

I did learn that if you were not exposed to it growing up, the mentality is completely different. If we invite friends over and not family, we know that the first time they come over we need to stock up. Most of the people we surround ourselves with have the common courtesy to realize they should bring more the next time unless we tell them not to. It is few and far between that we run into people that just don't get it. The ones we have run into have magically disappeared from the invite list. Oh, and the guy (wife's friend's husband) who lectured me on having a beer while fishing knowing I was going to have to drive the boat all of 300 yards back to my dock when I was done. I am a grown man and know my limits. I don't need someone I have only just met telling me I can't have a beer while fishing. I don't need that kind of negativity in my life.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Like I said some people are professional guests and just don't get it. I forgot what may be the best uninvited story.

My Uncle and I are out in the inflatable hammering the Smallies one Sunday afternoon. A friend of a friend has a 22 foot rocket of a boat that I can hear coming before I can see it. I hear it and tell my Unc that boat is headed right to our place. Then with the spy glasses can see a couple on the deck, yep uninvited. Then I hear a low flying plane with pontoons. You guessed it, another acquaintance, not close friend, lands a few hundred yards offshore and putts towards the beach. By land, by sea and by air.

wahlejim, you said it right. Those that never grew up with a vacation place or parents never hosted anything just don't know the game. After more than 30 years knowing a close friend it hit me. I had been to his home a total of 1 time when his 1st child was born. Some 4 marriages and who knows how many places he lived that was the 1st and last time I was ever in his home. I haven't seen him for over 20 years since the last time he came with his 6 kids from 3 wives, uninvited. He is a Master Plumber and I and a pal were doing some copper re routing. I said, perfect, now we have a real plumber. As he leaned on the wall with MY beer in his hand he gave me a price to do the job. My buddy helping thought he was kidding, nope dead serious. I told my wife you give those kids anything they want but don't give this prk a thing. He got the hint and left but not before saying he had a tall plant stand he made of steel and was going to give me a good price. I would never beat up anyone in front of their children, besides he and I had had many a play fight and I don't know if I could take him but he would know he was in a scrap when he woke in the AM. He did come to Mom's visitation last August to pay his respects and I was very surprised. However I am of the thinking respects should be paid everyday, not just when a loved one passes away. I talked to him for 30 seconds and excused myself, goof. Mom never liked the man. If she didn't like someone she always butchered their last name, even Anglo Saxon names, oh Mom.