Chairs

My FIL (Father-In-Law) has a magnificent backyard. He's a Master Gardener. His backyard looks like something you should have to pay admission to see. When the weather gets nice, he likes to sit back there in a plastic lawn chair and survey his little universe.

Recently, MIL was in the kitchen and happened to glance outside just in time to see FIL's chair burst. Apparently it was quite a spectacle. FIL was sitting and bird-watching, and then he was briefly airborne and noisy. I guess not even plastic lasts forever.

It reminded me of an old story my mom and dad told me a few years ago. Dad was sitting in his home office, playfully arguing with Mom about something. She grinned and waved a finger at him. "Don't you cross me," she warned. "I have the power."

At that exact moment, Dad's chair made a loud snapping noise and then pitched him onto the floor.

Now, every time I hear a chair creak, I wonder if Mom's out to get me. ;)