This was the scene about 10 minutes before people were coming over for Thanksgiving dinner. And yes that is the dining room table completely disassembled on the floor. Even the dog was concerned. And it all reminded me of a very good lesson:
Great Tool For the Holidays: Just Laugh
And that is the lesson that sometimes things don't go according to plan and then I can either stress or roll with it.
When the table wouldn't pull apart for all of its leaves to get fit into it, I saved the task for my very capable boyfriend. I hadn't expected to turn around and see the table in pieces on the ground. I was trying not to stand over him sweating and breathing down his neck in a crescendo of 'is it fixed yet?'. After all I had a table to set and how was I going to do that when this was happening?
The best way I've figured out how to roll with things is to laugh about it or find humor in the situation at hand. Once I realized that it was sort of hysterical that we might not have a table for Thanksgiving I wasn't stressed anymore. People would eat in their laps or around the coffee table and it would be a memorable thanksgiving. (Also, did I mention that the lamp above the table got shattered in the whole situation too? Wasn't expecting that either...)
It all ended up fine and we sat around the table with all of its leaves in and feasted for hours, sailing right over the speed bumps from earlier in the day.
The holidays can be a time of elevated expectations and stress but that doesn't mean it can't still be fun (and funny). What's the most unexpected road bump you've experienced when inviting people over and how did you manage to stay calm?
Comments (18)
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Sounds like it's time for the pink tool kit.
view Palmetto's profile
HOW ABOUT RIPPING MY DRESS AT THE HAIR SALON 1 HOUR BEFORE MY BROTHER & SISTER-IN-LAW'S WEDDING?
I FINISHED GETTING MY HAIR DONE, TORE OFF TO THE NEAREST MALL, FOUND A 1 HR TAILOR AND I STOOD IN THE CHANGE ROOM WHILE THEY USED FUSABLE WEB TO REPAIR THE L SHAPED TEAR IN MY TAFETA-LOOK FLOOR LENGTH DRESS. NO ONE COULD TELL! EVEN THE NORMALLY STORMY VANCOUVER (BC, CANADA) WEATHER WAS DOWNRIGHT BALMY ON NOVEMBER 10TH FOR A WEDDING-DINNER-CRUISE! WHEW!
view 1floatchik's profile
well done! cheers!
view swingjingle's profile
uhhhh...check your Caps Lock key 1floatchik...
view Monica's profile
dang, good job floatchik!
view laure's profile
In my twenties I freaked and stressed out about getting everything perfect. Now I just make sure I do everything possible to make it easy on myself and assume that no one will notice if something didn't go according to the original plan.
Being left without a groom on my wedding day gave me nerves of steel. It takes a lot more than being short a few glasses or flopped soufle to rattle me now. Anything short of that experience is cake.
view kimg924's profile
Worst case scenario: order pizza. Seriously, you're not running a restaurant -- you're having your friends over. Laure's absolutely right that you have to keep a sense of humor.
view Lisa Hunter (Montreal)'s profile
Nice article; sometimes improvisation helps relax people, so why worry? By the way, shouldn't your title read "Laugh It Off," not Laugh is Off?
I work as an editor; give me a buzz if you need one. ;-))
view gyre2k's profile
That cute little dog looks like it really helped out. What kind of dog?
view Pixie's profile
I had meticulously planned my sister's bridal shower for 35 in my backyard a couple of years ago, so I didn't sweat it when my filmmaker husband asked to shoot part of his movie in the house the same morning (he gave me ample notice so he could schedule the crew,etc.) The day before the shower we were hit with a freak heatwave and I realized that I was going to have to hold the shower inside our small bungalow-or hear about it for the rest of my days. So we got through the filming, moved all our furniture into our bedroom, cleaned like hell and set up the tables, chairs, flowers and food in my livingroom and dining room all within about 2 hours. My sister tells me it was a beautiful shower...but for the life of me I cannot bring up a single memory of the entire affair, except that I was sweating a great deal. So my advice? Three words: Ice. Cold. Sangria. Margaritas if it's Christmas.
view margodesign's profile
My mom tells the story of the first Thanksgiving dinner she cooked as a newlywed. She only had one measuring cup and quickly washed it out to measure out stock to make the gravy. She didn't get all the dish soap out and when she poured it into the pan drippings, the whole pan foamed up. This was prior to the proliferation of instant gravy packets or gravy in a jar, so they went without. She is a fabulous cook now!
view LilyC's profile
My father remembers getting a phone call about one in the afternoon of Thanksgiving from a colleague of his who was hosting his new in-laws and about a total of twenty other people. He had a turkey but hadn't realized that it was frozen.
I think my dad gave him our turkey.
view sciencegeek's profile
LilyC that is too funny!
I can just imagine that pan overflowing ala jiffy pop :)
view spinningscreen's profile
pixie, she's a cocker spaniel.
and gyre2k, you caught me. I read it a million times and only just noticed the is. oops.
view laure's profile
She looks like she's either mulling over the problem or like she doesn't get why all this stuff's in her way.
view Pixie's profile
hats off to you in a serious way, kimg924!
view curvatura's profile
OMG kimg924! Did he ever show up? Details!!!
view Josh's profile
Hey where do I get those frenchy cafe chairs!
view SydneyBristow's profile