Bad Manners and Brimstone

A couple of times I had to get new glassware because of the mildewy smell, which he attributed to them "not being used in awhile."

I live alone, so most of my glasses and dishes don't get used for long periods of time. That's why you have to wash them in hot soapy water before you use them. I don't think I could eat off dishes that had been washed in the "bucket" water. There is a way of washing dishes without filling the sink. You squirt dish soap on a plate, run water until it is hot, then clean the plate under the running water from the faucet. Is there any way you could do this without his realizing it, like when he is in the other part of the house? I don't know the specifics of LW's situation, but I understand that people in some countries and cultures are a lot more careful about water usage than we Americans tend to be.

PVZFan, your uncle is right. I've gotten Hungarian paprika at a specialty store, and it has a lot more flavor. I also picked up some smoked paprika, which I love.
Anyway,  easy appetizers:
1.  1 jar grape jelly, 1 jar barbecue sauce or chili sauce, small sausages or meatballs. Put everything in a crockpot, heat until jelly melts.
2.  Easy TexMex dip, 16 oz. Velveeta cheese, 1  10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes, 1 can Hormel chili without beans. Cube Velveeta. Put everything in a crockpot. Heat until cheese melts. Serve with tortilla chips.
I make these recipes in the crockpot so that they can be kept warm.

When did expecting that your dogs would be accommodated everywhere you travel become a thing?

It's entitlement. It's a life view that you get to inflict your issues and your problems on other people  It's not just travel or overnight visits. The problem is everywhere. They are taking their dogs into stores, restaurants, and one Sunday I saw a man at Mass with a frou frou dog. I'm a dog owner and dog lover, and I find this annoying. Dogs shed, and other people shouldn't have to deal with dog fur and dander in restaurants and stores. Because I own a dog, I've missed events, left early, or gotten someone to watch my dog. It works great.

Gina chose to get back in line to get Olivia's fish, but I also think that Olivia should have stopped her. I probably wouldn't have mentioned the fish, and I definitely would have said to Gina, "No don't get in line again. This is fine. Let's just chat."

If I were one of the chaperone's I would be calling the girls parents and telling them she was on the next plane home. Standing around yelling is unacceptable behavior.

That's a safety issue and probably not an option. My suspicion is that, not only the girls, but also the adults knew that this girl had these kinds of behavior and social problems. Taking her on an out of state trip like this was a mistake. At least if the trip had been close to home, the parents could be told to come and get her. Everyone is probably going to have to accept the situation and do the best they can for the last few days.

I'm a retired elementary school teacher. I've had the occasional student who craves attention and will behave in an obnoxious manner to get it. It creates a vicious cycle where the more the other children reject her, the worse she acts.  There is help for a child like this. I had one particular student who was very similar. She worked with a school social worker who helped her develop better social skills. An adult working one on one with a child like this can convince her that her behavior is causing others to dislike her. Also, part of the problem here is that the girls are a few years older. Middle school aged girls can become more open in their dislike. If her behavior is as bad as described, she needs help, I hope she gets it.

There seemed to be a narrative forming that D was a beleaguered, put upon wife and mother with a really overbearing mother in law but that doesn't seem to be the case. 

I think it's more likely that these are simply two people with completely different personality types. I have a sister who is an extrovert who loves to socialize. I am an introvert who loves to be left alone. Our visits go best when they are of limited duration. For my sister and I, 3 days and two nights is too much. Two days and one night is doable. Laying blame on one party for being overbearing, or on the other party for being unfriendly, isn't going to make things better. I think it would be more constructive to accept reality and have shorter visits so that the people don't get on each others nerves so much.

I wonder if this restaurant's cell phone rule has to do with the abience they are trying to project.  I had a coworker whose daughter worked in a very high end restaurant in my area. They had all kinds of rules for their servers. The servers' shirts and slacks had to be laundered and pressed by the hotel that the restaurant was part of. They had to wear a particular kind of shoes, and they had to be polished. Anyway,  restaurants like this are concerned about image. I feel for you, because I too often eat in restaurants alone and I take my ipad, so that I can read, or whatever. I'm not sure what I'd do in your situation.