My college roommate's Hungarian grandparents lived in Toledo. One Friday afternoon we pooled our money and discovered that we had $10 and change between the four of us, none of us were working that weekend , had no food and had eaten the last of the Tony Packo's Pickles and Peppers while playing Cribbage.
The only solution: Roadtrip from Chicago to Toledo ($10 and change was enough to buy get enough gas and cover the tolls to Toledo).
To Grandmothers house we go.
Grandma was happier then a pig in *expletive deleted* to see us and immediately disappeared into the kitchen to start cooking. Soon after we arrived, several aunts and great aunts showed up, pinched out cheeks, hugged and kissed us and also disappeared into the kitchen. Grandpa just gave us the evil eye. Soon large bowls and platters of food appeared from the kitchen and was placed on the table in front of four hungry 18-19 year old boys. We ate everything. More food appeared. We ate that too. Some pinching of cheeks and more hugs from aunts and great aunts, then more food appears and quickly disappears into our maws. Finally it's late and the ladies leave, but only after more cheek pinching and hugs. Grandma and grandpa bring out blankets and pillows we crash on the couches and floor.
The next day grandma wakes us up with the smell of bacon and eggs and all kinds of breakfast foods. We eat everything put in front of us and then lick the plates clean. Soon the aunts and greataunts re-appear and head into the kitchen. Grandpa gives us the evil eye as grandma gives him his orders. He's to give us money, drop us off at Tony Packo's so that we can have a few beers and buy some Pickles and Peppers. He is then to go to the grocery and buy everything on the list she gives him. He reluctantly breaks open his wallet when he drops us off at Tony Packo's. Somehow we managed to convert the forty bucks he gave us into 6 jugs of Pickles and Peppers and 8 Pitchers of Beer.
Grandpa picks us up after his trip to the grocery. The car is loaded down with food. We're drunk, but polite as we help unload groceries from the car. Grandpa continues to give us the evil/stink eye as that night we devour all the groceries he bought that afternoon. We're polite and friendly and get our cheeks pinched and give lots of hugs to aunts and great aunts all evening.
Sunday morning all the women are back and cooking us a breakfast fit for someone(s) on death row. We eat it all. When it's time to leave Grandma has Grandpa break open his wallet to give us gas and "spending" money. Grandma has to prod Grandpa to give more before finally grabbing all the money from his wallet and giving it to her grandson.
Grandma goes in to get food for the road, leaving us alone with Grandpa, who's still giving us the stink eye.
"You boys have eaten me out of house and home, TWICE. I've spent more on food in the last two days then I would in two months. And I've given you boys over $300 in spending money."
He's still got the stink eye going. Finally he stops, softens, smiles and says,
"You've made your grandmother and her sisters happier then they've been in months. And she'll be off my ass and happy for at least the next month. You boys are welcome to come back anytime, preferably when you have some of your own money to at least by your own damn beer." (Yeah, we drank all the beer he had in the fridge in the garage too.)
Grandma comes out of the house with the rest of the aunts and greataunts. Hugs, Kisses, and cheek pinching. Grandpa shakes all of our hands and smiles.
We pile in the car and leave. We're fat, dumb, rich (well less poor) and happy. So is Grandma, her sisters and Grandpa.
