Help! Advice needed

[Doreen Rich]

I think that I would probably be very up front with him by telling 
him that I would be very pleased to help him enjoy his stay, as far 
as site-seeing and that sort of thing goes. I would also tell him 
that since I am friends with both him and his ex-wife, that I prefer 
to stay OFF that subject during his stay because it would probably be 
in HIS best interest not to go there! If he insists on trashing his 
ex-wife in your presence, give him the number of the nearest tour-
guide office. I am amazed at the open-mindedness of your husband in 
even having him there, but good for him.

I had a vacation ruined, once, by someone (my ex) who could not enjoy 
the beauty of the Smoky Mountains with me, but preferred the 
bitterness of his recent failed marriage. It would have been better 
if we had just stayed at my kitchen table, for all the enjoyment we 
got from the trip. I only travel with happy people now. He is not one 
of them.  :)

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., catherine at c... wrote:
> This is seriously off-topic, but I am desperate...
> An old friend of mine is in town - he lives in the States so I 
don't 
> see him very often.  He has recently split up from his wife.  I 
knew 
> him first (in fact, he is an old boyfriend) but I love his wife to 
> pieces and know that one of the reasons they split is the appalling 
> way he treated her - which I've witnessed first hand.  My feelings 
> towards him changed radically when I saw the way he behaved with 
her, 
> and I just know that he is going to spend the next few days 
spilling 
> his guts out about everything, which I think I am going to find 
hard 
> to handle - not least because I want to tell him what I really 
> think.  What do I do???  My husband and friends are no help, 
because 
> their advice is to avoid seeing him, but I really don't feel that I 
> can do that, as his trip was arranged months ago and I can't 
suddenly 
> come up with lame excuses at this stage.
> 
> If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it.  Feel free to 
> post off-list.
> 
> Catherine