Our Weekend Crisis
Dec. 14th, 2009 12:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
storytimewithjoeWhat couple doesn’t have a tiff from time to time? I have known many couples, both gay and straight, who get into their fair share (and then some) of polite arguments, heated arguments, and on some occasions, object-throwing. I think my husband and I are a bit more unusual in that we really don’t argue very much. And when we do, it is usually horribly civilized. Yet, I must confess, some of our biggest arguments or loud discussions typically involve something so unique, so out-of-the-ordinary, or so down-n-out-weird as to be almost sit-com worthy. Such was the case this past weekend.
Once again, pushing ourselves to the limit, we volunteered to sponsor a formal Victorian dinner as part of an auction for a local charity. We cleaned the house. I researched recipes. He worked on flowers. And when all was said and done, the house looked like a true painted lady ready for a night on the town.
The night before the dinner, Paul began to ask me about some of the logistics. We have concluded over the years that a division of labor seems to work best for us. And in true restaurant style, I work the back of the house where the food preparation and plating is my territory, while the delivery and face-to-face time is Paul’s. Yet, despite a very good and practical working system, we still managed to run into one somewhat unique glitch.
“Wait a minute...” he said with some concern. “We're serving consumme'?” “Yes,” I retorted, trying to hide my agitation by the last minute expression of concern to a menu that I had handed him a week or two before.
“But,” he began with an obvious note of concern to his voice, “what are we going to serve it in?” Rather confused by the question, since we have several styles of tourines of which he is well aware, I made reference to them.
“No,” he retorted a little more exasperated. “What are we going to serve the consumme’ into?” While I recognized that we were in the middle of an obvious communication gap, I failed to see the issue. So at the risk of receiving the hairy-eyebrow of doom, I retorted “um… in bowls”
Met with a look that could only be described as a combination of Lost, Annoyed, and Confused, I asked him what exactly I was missing. “We plan to serve consumme'” he began, “but we don't have any consumme’ cups!!!!
Now at this point, I really think that I deserve points for not jumping to my feet and exclaiming something to the effect of “Holy Mary Martha Stewart! What-EVAH shall we DOOOOO???!!!!!” Perhaps I am completely ignorant and naïve, but I have a shocking confession to make – I had never even HEARD of consumme cups before. And my spidey-sense tells me, I might not be the only ignorant fool out there who clearly missed this vital piece of education. Now, for the one... maybe two of you out there who did not go to finishin' school, and did not enter society at a cotillion, a consumme' cup is slightly larger than a coffee cup, and has a handle on both ends (sorta like a sugar bowl). Yes, I had to look it up.
After busting him looking on the internet to see if he could express order a set in one of our china patterns (which btw would cost a small fortune!), and having to pull back from having a MAJOR hissy fit, I made a suggestion to him that did not completely please him, but at least served the purpose. We used coffee cups from one of the other china sets. 100% Victorian proper? Heck no. Did it get the job done? Heck ya. Dats me – practical.
A specific piece of china just for consumme'... who knew? As for me, you'd think I'd learn. But no, I had to push his buttons even more. “Hmmmm... " I muttered casually. "I wonder if there should be special silverware just for consumme'? I bet there is, and I bet we don't have that, either.”
OH, the look I got! Yep... I'm a bitch.
Once again, pushing ourselves to the limit, we volunteered to sponsor a formal Victorian dinner as part of an auction for a local charity. We cleaned the house. I researched recipes. He worked on flowers. And when all was said and done, the house looked like a true painted lady ready for a night on the town.
The night before the dinner, Paul began to ask me about some of the logistics. We have concluded over the years that a division of labor seems to work best for us. And in true restaurant style, I work the back of the house where the food preparation and plating is my territory, while the delivery and face-to-face time is Paul’s. Yet, despite a very good and practical working system, we still managed to run into one somewhat unique glitch.
“Wait a minute...” he said with some concern. “We're serving consumme'?” “Yes,” I retorted, trying to hide my agitation by the last minute expression of concern to a menu that I had handed him a week or two before.
“But,” he began with an obvious note of concern to his voice, “what are we going to serve it in?” Rather confused by the question, since we have several styles of tourines of which he is well aware, I made reference to them.
“No,” he retorted a little more exasperated. “What are we going to serve the consumme’ into?” While I recognized that we were in the middle of an obvious communication gap, I failed to see the issue. So at the risk of receiving the hairy-eyebrow of doom, I retorted “um… in bowls”
Met with a look that could only be described as a combination of Lost, Annoyed, and Confused, I asked him what exactly I was missing. “We plan to serve consumme'” he began, “but we don't have any consumme’ cups!!!!
Now at this point, I really think that I deserve points for not jumping to my feet and exclaiming something to the effect of “Holy Mary Martha Stewart! What-EVAH shall we DOOOOO???!!!!!” Perhaps I am completely ignorant and naïve, but I have a shocking confession to make – I had never even HEARD of consumme cups before. And my spidey-sense tells me, I might not be the only ignorant fool out there who clearly missed this vital piece of education. Now, for the one... maybe two of you out there who did not go to finishin' school, and did not enter society at a cotillion, a consumme' cup is slightly larger than a coffee cup, and has a handle on both ends (sorta like a sugar bowl). Yes, I had to look it up.
After busting him looking on the internet to see if he could express order a set in one of our china patterns (which btw would cost a small fortune!), and having to pull back from having a MAJOR hissy fit, I made a suggestion to him that did not completely please him, but at least served the purpose. We used coffee cups from one of the other china sets. 100% Victorian proper? Heck no. Did it get the job done? Heck ya. Dats me – practical.
A specific piece of china just for consumme'... who knew? As for me, you'd think I'd learn. But no, I had to push his buttons even more. “Hmmmm... " I muttered casually. "I wonder if there should be special silverware just for consumme'? I bet there is, and I bet we don't have that, either.”
OH, the look I got! Yep... I'm a bitch.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 08:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 09:53 pm (UTC)And, yes, you *totally* deserved THE LOOK.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 10:00 pm (UTC)life as we know it
Date: 2009-12-14 10:11 pm (UTC)John Mattson's two cents worth.
Date: 2009-12-15 01:17 am (UTC)Wow, Joe, your prose certainly paints a movie. I could see and hear you and Paul, I will attest to it.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-15 02:18 am (UTC)Consomme Cup/Cream Soup: http://www.mytableware.com/patShape.asp?patternid=2298&makerid=420&patNum=N/A&sID=6912
no subject
Date: 2009-12-15 06:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-15 01:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-15 03:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-16 06:46 am (UTC)