Arguing at Larry's

One time when we were living in Tucson, Niles, Mama and Orie came to visit at the same time.

Florence and Orie about 1988

We were sitting around the table playing Yahtzee. Trinda and I decided to teach them a new card game we had been playing. The play went in order around the table Mama played just before Niles. Niles caught onto the strategy quickly.  But Mama did not. Each time after she played, Niles would make a play from her results that took points from her. She began to tell Niles he was cheating. Then they started arguing.

Each time the turns came around they became more and more agitated. And they argued more and louder. I think Niles was egging her on on purpose.

Finally  I couldn't take it any more. I said, "If I wanted to listen to people argue like this I'd watch the soaps on TV! But I don't, so I don't watch them. Lets go back to playing Yahtzee."  And we did. Very little communication the rest of the evening.

When I got up about 6:30 in the morning, we had no visitors. They snuck away in the night. They had planned to leave that day anyway, but I felt bad about driving them away.

Later we heard that there was talk going around, "You can't argue at Larry's house. He won't put up with it."

I did feel a little bad, but even Larry and Binda didn't argue in front of me for several years.