A young woman without a place to live has been sleeping in the Ropers' storage room. Stanley thinks the girl is a dangerous "dope fiend" while Helen wants to let her stay.
Stanley is jealous when Helen wants to reunite with an old boyfriend who is in town, so he tries to reconnect with an old girlfriend to get even with her. Also, David trades Jeffrey's model train set for Stanley's old inner tube.
Running out of money, Stanley needs to take a job on the killing floor at his brother-in-law Hubert's meat packing plant. Later, his fortunes change when he learns Hubert is planning a secret trip to Acapulco with his secretary.
Helen and her sisters are shocked by their elderly mother wanting to have a 'wake' for herself. She invites others to say goodbye in advance. Also, Jeffrey throws his back out and is trapped in a chair.