Interlopers.....

I had heard horror stories about people who have swimming pools having people invite themselves over all the time.

It has begun to happen to us with a certain family member who shall remain nameless, but it ain't from MY side of the family.

At first we invited her and her man friend over for special gatherings and our usual July Fourth party.

Then she started inviting herself. And she broke up with the man friend, so that was okay too.

Then she started bringing her daughter-in-law. And all three grandchildren.

If they invite themselves over when I'm here, I feel as though I'm not supposed to go out there and enjoy my own pool. I sit inside and watch television while they swim. In my pool.

Their favorite thing to do, however, is to come when we're not here. Not only do they use the pool freely, they also traipse in and out of the house. I can't begrudge them the need to go to the bathroom, especially since that's much better than peeing in the pool, but COME ON.

Today I came home from my weekend of bicycling feeling wonderfully tired, but glad to be home. I unpacked and washed the clothes before I even sat down to rest.

Then I went into the bathroom, where SOMEONE generously left a gift for us in the hall bathroom toilet. And forgot to flush.

There was no toilet paper, so I assume it was a child. God, I hope it was a child.

But COME ON!!! You're in someone else's house. Shouldn't you at least check behind the children? Perhaps school them on the steps to take AFTER using the toilet?

Hubby and I went swimming when he got home, and I found myself looking around the pool warily, lest the "guests" left a little present for us in the POOL also. These people clearly don't use the same rulebook we do.

Hubby feels the same way I do, so I don't have to worry about causing any marital strife. We're going to have to put locks on the gates to the backyard and use the excuse that the new neighbors have small children.

We also have a bad habit of not locking our doors. We're going to have to change that.

Maybe we'll just go ahead and cover it up. My family, whom I would LOVE to have over, never gets a chance to come swim. They would never take advantage, and they would NEVER make me feel unwelcome in my own pool.

When people said having a pool was a whole lot of trouble, I THOUGHT I knew what they were talking about.

They meant family trouble.