[conspire] Housekeeping, again

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Daniel Gimpelevich (daniel at gimpelevich.san-francisco.ca.us):

> You are not being requested to _teach_ it.  There's something to be said
> for telling people what they already know.

Do you remember the explanation about proper host conduct?  (It's in the
archive.)  Well, telling visitors "Wash your own damn dishes, flatware,
and glasses.  What, were you raised in a barn?" isn't being a gracious
host.  I'm better than that; my home is better than that. 

People who cannot figure out basic courtesy still applies inside
another family's home have a problem.  But it's not _my_ problem.
Sorry, that's not too subtle to grasp.


Something Deirdre tells me _might_ be too subtle is that food on the
counters next to my kitchen sink hasn't been served.  It's being
prepared.

Twice in the last month, I've had CABAL longtimers crowd past me, next
to the sink, and prepare to grab bread from a loaf I've just sliced and
was just reaching to put garlic and butter in.  This perplexed me:
Doesn't everyone know all the _served_ food is eight feet away, around
the counter-island where the stove is?  Near the sink, mixer, and
blender is the food-prep area.  We've always been consistent about that.

So, here's what happened during the most recent CABAL:  I'd browned a
par-baked loaf in the over, removed it (still hot), and put it (next to
the sink) on my cutting board, to let it cool.  (It was, of course,
going to become garlic bread, but needed to cool, first.)  Then, Ken
from San Mateo telephoned; he'd arrived at Menlo Park CalTrain, and
needed pickup.

I left.  Eight minutes later, I returned with Ken -- and noticed that
some damnfool had cut away and (presumably) eaten half the (still warm)
loaf.

I don't know how to deal with that.  Frankly, I already feel like a
prize idiot having to put a sign on my microwave saying "No wooden
bowls."  (Lacquered wooden salad bowls not being microwave-safe isn't 
exactly brain surgery.)  Am I supposed to put up a sign saying "Hey
stupid!  Food here isn't ready to eat.  Keep your fingers to yourself."?

I really just can't see that.  A boarding-house, maybe.  Not _my home_.

Anyway, the second lacquered-bowl-in-microwave incident was _despite_
the "No wooden bowls" sign.

I'm thinking maybe cattle prods, at this point.