<p>Paying3Tuitions, we had a bit of a drama - a sort of "adopted" grandfather and mother, and, their daughter (my age) and her daughter (high school senior) who, by the way, we have known for years, and whose company we have always enjoyed, something just went weird here. The grands were fine, could not have been more gracious, however, the daughter - I just don't know what to think or say. </p>
<p>Everything was wrong. Her house alarm went off just minutes before a planned dinner, and great drama about she might need to fly home immediately (it was a false alarm). Her hotel room was too hot, then, too cold. (I called the front desk for her.) There was no coffee pot in her room. (I got the hotel to deliver one for her.) The valet parking at the hotel was too expensive. (I had already pre-paid for her room, and her parents, as well, $350/night x 2 - so - I just picked up the valet charges as well.) Her feet hurt, she couldn't walk far; couldn't do the stairs at graduation, the two hour long ceremony was too long, she was 30 minutes late to everything, she continuously lost the mapquest directions we gave her to everything; all the food in all the restaurants was too expensive (so we just paid all her expenses); she couldn't find suitable bathrooms anywhere, and, every time we were leaving one event to go to the next, she stopped the entire procession to use the bathroom, which took another 20 minutes; the coffee wasn't right; could we leave the graduation reception to get her fresh coffee? Her daughter tripped on something on the campus grounds during the reception; she appoached a security guard and threatened to sue the university. It was like this for the two days she was here, and it didn't stop. We also had to escort her - meaning driving so she could follow - to every single destination, and then back to the hotel, because she refused to remember to bring the directions we'd prepared and printed for her, refused to take responsibility for getting herself places on time, etc. It seems we spent our time waiting for her in the lobby of the hotel, several times. Quite frankly, if it wasn't for the young man my daughter is dating (he held seats for me), I would have been 20 minutes late for graduation on account of her. </p>
<p>We have known her for 10+ years and she is normally the kindest, most gracious and thoughtful person, and, my daughter adores her parents. We decided that perhaps when people are taken out of their comfortable, familiar environments perhaps they just become stressed, and therefore act in ways that they ordinarily wouldn't. Basically, I just dealt with everything by saying things like "what can I do to help you" and "how can I make you more comfortable..." etc. </p>
<p>The good news is that as difficult as this was, it did NOT mar this great day for us even slightly. I'm guessing that's because this was such a wonderful, celebratory day for us, nothing/no one could possibly have put a dent in our happiness...so, assuming this applies somewhat universally, I'd say invite everyone, and enjoy. It all works somehow, and the events are so happy and wonderful that regardless of how difficult someone is, it hardly matters...</p>