Wondering why friend keeps bringing this up - AIBU?

[Aboutafriend]

So over lockdown I had a husband WFH (still do) while I was on maternity leave and I tried to come up with ways to break the day up.

Once I did drive some distance (maybe 2 hours) to go to the beach.

Anyway, friend keeps bringing this up. Not as in it was the wrong thing to do because of lockdown rules (technically breaking them but definitely no one was at risk, just walked alone) but just talking about laughing about it like it was the weirdest thing to do ever.

Its making me feel really uncomfortable and like I’m being laughed at behind my back. AIBU?

if you can, I would start asking her questions like it is a really interesting new story. When and where was this? Why was it so funny? I bet if you make her feel awkward, she won't bring it up again.

"Yes! I remember! Do YOU remember that time in March 2018?
No? HOW can you have forgotten?
You walked up the high street, right, then went into a coffee shop! OMG hilarious! Even funnier than going for a walk on a beach! We are all so craaaaayzeeee!"

If she has the cheek to pretend not to get it & gives you any pushback -

"But Mary, you've told my beach story 28 times now, so I get to enjoy telling your zany cafe-going antics another 27 times at least! Ha hahahaha! What are you LIKE? You are such a weirdo!!!"

Out weird her.

Maybe say, ‘yes, remember that time you put your bins out. It was hilarious! What are you like’

or, ‘remember when you shut your door! Crazy!’

Actually this is a great tip & probably reasonably easy to pull off.

Did I? Never!! - what, with my baby in the CAR? In her CAR SEAT? Oh wow! Did I take her PUSHCHAIR? Crazy! You'll be telling me I was walking on the sand next! What happened next? Oh, don't say it ... I looked at the SEA! OMG I am CRYING. Don't tell me I took a THERMOS & enjoyed the view will you?!!! It's all just so weird!"

Honestly, I am as confident as I can be it wasn’t anything to do with lockdown rules.

Problem with these clever comebacks is they don’t work in a loud group!

Serious question.. not that I agree with lockdown but where was it ever in the rules that you could drive 1 hours to a beach?

Just tell her you were quite depressed at the time and you would rather she didn't keep going on about it, as it reminds you.

Could, or couldn’t? I think there was something that you were supposed to stay local?

Good suggestions above.

She's no friend to you.

Avoid.

2 hours is not local

I know … I thought you were asking why it broke the rules. Sorry if I misread.

She’s no friend.

Honestly, I think she probably finds it amusing that you considered "staying local" to be a 2 hour trip to the beach. That's probably what she's laughing at/having a dig at. Or maybe it's because she can see the funny side of people being so bored during lockdown that they wanted to drive 2 hours just to see the sea. Because the whole situation WAS bonkers when you look back.

Surely she must expand on the "remember that time you drove 2 hours to the beach during lockdown" point when she says it in a crowd of people? You'd expect there to be a pause after everyone chuckled and she then explains it further "you were so bored of your DH working from home that you drove 2 hours just to get out the house" Cue laughter ha ha....or whatever her point was.

I’m confident it’s nothing to do with the lockdown rules as they were. I think even if it hadn’t been lockdown it would be brought up as a hilarious story about me.

The more I think about it the more I realise other things are brought up about me that aren’t funny. I’m wondering if they just don’t like me much.

So she says this with an audience. I would spoil her fun by telling it first. 'So glad baby sleeps now, I vividly remember having to drive for hours to soothe her during the hell of lockdown. Couldn't afford the petrol now though!' Cue lots of stories of agreement and support.

Or just smile and say 'You love that story don't you, you tell it so often and so well.'

@CurlyhairedAssassin everybody had had a few drinks and it was in a noisy bar, someone said something about lockdown and I remembered it was hard filling the days with a baby at home. She started giggling and said (again) remember when you went to - - - - and started hooting about it but then things very quickly moved on with others talking.

To be honest I am inclined to think my purpose is to be the fat joke.

Then you're above their intellect, clearly. They find the most mundane things funny. I think it's time to find new friends with a more sophisticated sense of humour.

Easier said than done though … as I’ve said it’s not the first time it’s happened to me

Problem with these clever comebacks is they don’t work in a loud group!

Sure they do OP. Your friend is able to make her snide digs in a loud group.
You just answer in kind.

Don't look on it as "clever comebacks". It would just be you drawing oblique attention to how ridiculous she is being.

I’m not even sure anybody else heard @KettrickenSmiled

In any case I don’t want a massively awkward atmosphere all night, and if I am a joke it’s not going to stop them seeing me like that, because literally anything I do or say is funny because the fat ugly one is doing / saying it.

Ask her.

Remember when you...

Yes. I do. I also remember that you've brought this up dozens of times. Are you ok?

What do you mean about being the fat joke?

Friends make you feel good, not bad.
Are you sure they are friends?

If things moved on very quickly then obviously everyone else thought the comment not noteworthy. I wouldn't worry about it. Just roll your eyes next time and go "oh, haven't we all had enough of hearing you bringing this up all the time? It gets so boring especially when it's the 10th retelling?"

Well, if you don’t know what I mean it’s hard to explain - I don’t mean that snarkily, by the way! But when you stand out for not-positive reasons it’s easy to be tolerated only because you add humour.