"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
news:BuHyb.274226$ao4.943243@attbi_s51...
> Sam D. wrote:
>
> > You have me wondering. Did the cook who prepared this dinner receive any
> > comments about it from the guests? I mean, what can you say when you get
> > served food like that from a relative?
> >
>
>
> I imagine most of us say "I absolutely insist on bringing the dressing
> next year." As long as there's one edible item on the table, even if I
> had to bring it myself, I can get along fine. Even if the relative
> doesn't want me to bring a hot dish, there's not much she can do if I
> show up with one all hot and ready to go. Both dressings get put on the
> table, and guests can help themselves to whichever they want. At the
> very least, bring a big fruit basket. I can get by on some nice fruit.
>

That sounds like a great strategy. Unfortunately, I arrived there on Sunday
so bringing food was not possible. One year I was there for Christmas and
cooked the dinner myself after it was obvious that we would be eating around
midnight if someone didn't takeover. Even that wasn't possible this year
because there were four puppies confined to a very small kitchen. A large
dog kennel and a large package of "pee pads" were wedged between an island
and the refrigerator. A very large dog bed was against the 3 ft. high gate
that blocked the kitchen. I was afraid that I would squish a dog or break
my neck trying to get over the gate. You had to stand to the right of the
refrigerator to open it and then lean over to look in. I couldn't reach the
freezer nor could you open many of the cabinets or drawers because they were
blocked. It looks the early stages of what can eventually lead to the
conditions you read about in the paper where people have their house so
filled with trash and animal waste that they can barely navigate. In this
case the garage is also stacked from floor to ceiling with junk and the car
has to be parked outside.