Good advice, Joe. I'll keep those things in mind.

True story. A few years ago, my in-laws were going to have a party at their small summer cabin. I bowed out, wanting to spend time with my own parents.

Afterwards, my husband said to me, 'Bunny, I'm so glad you weren't there.' This were the things happening at the small cabin:

1. Loud, competitive game of Trivial Pursuit.
2. Packers football game on the TV.
3. Chicago Bears game on the radio at the same time.
   (brother-in-law was a Bears fan)
4. Four children playing with cap guns. Naturally this involved   chasing, screaming and shouting.

Noise reached its peak when an innovative child discovered that you can rest the cap gun on the steel circular staircase, fire it and send a big report into the cabin. At that point, brother sent the kids outside.

If I had been there, I believe I would already have locked myself in the car so that these madmen couldn't get at me.