Just a vent about people not RSVPing or canceling last minute

[FollowTheSun]

My partner and I host game nights 2-3 times a year. We give a month notice, we make a group event on FB, and we usually get very enthusiastic responses of being interested and/or saying they will come. They respond on the invite that they will come. Those who show seem to have a good time, and ask to be invited again.

We are about to host another one tonight. I have been cleaning the house for two days, making goodies, and partner went out and got more snacks, prepared the games for tonight, etc. It starts in a hour. In the last two hours, three people/couples (total of 5) have just cancelled. One says company holiday party, one just says they can't make it after. I'm sure the holiday party was known about before two hours ago.

I texted several others (the ones who didn't cancel last minute) to get a head count for ordering pizza. People are either not replying or saying they can't come after all, with no apologies for not saying so earlier. These are mature adult people who hold jobs, have stable lives, etc. In other words, these are people who ought to know better. Why do people think this is okay to do?

We have at least some confirmed people so we will still have fun. It just irks me.

[Bogertophis]

That's a shame...very rude to cancel last minute that way, short of real illness, broken leg, water broke, etc.

[MR Snakes]

Just saw a tshirt today that read, "I use to be a people person, but people ruined it for me". Nuff said.

[FollowTheSun]

Well there was a good outcome, and I'll focus on the positive. We ended up having a few people show who didn't RSVP ahead of time. And that was perfectly fine, we were glad they came. And one of those was a woman who had just experienced a painful breakup. I ended up showing her the snakes and she held one of them and cried and talked for about an hour. I felt good that she trusted me to talk about her feelings, and she felt good about me listening, and snakey cuddles too.

[Dianne]

Glad there was a happy ending.

It is frustrating when you plan an event and folks don’t show...or do show after failing to rsvp and you are short on food. After I bought my house one November, we planned a cookout for several friends and former neighbors the following summer. We had invited 8-10 folks, got the responses, bought the food, ready to go. One person showed up. We ended up freezing the hot dogs and hamburger, but the side dishes were a waste...there is only so much potato salad and coleslaw one couple can eat. All the homemade cookies were appreciated by others...no-one turns down fresh baked cookies.

[MR Snakes]

There's always a silver lining. It's just that there are times that it's hard to find!