Search for:

Weekend in Review

I Know You’re Dying to Hear …

The pipes were frozen. We had no water. The news proclaimed that Vegas is experiencing record cold temperatures — and O’Ceallaigh wanted to go to the store and buy ice cream.

He also wanted to cook dinner. Fine by me. “The kitchen’s that way,” I told him. “You cook, and I’ll clean up.”

“I should warn you that I use a lot of dishes,” he responded. I should have asked him to define “a lot.” Instead — thrilled to have someone else cooking my meal — I told him not to worry about it. Next time I will ask him to try to limit himself to using less than half of the dishes on hand.

Perhaps one reason he used twice as many dishes as a normal person, is because he cooked two meals at once. One was a yummy Beef Broccoli stir fry. The other was just as yummy and I’d love to tell you what he called it, but I don’t remember. It was chicken wings in red sauce over pasta. We had it for dinner Sunday night, and for lunch on Monday.

As I was eating, the meat fell from the chicken bone and splattered red sauce on the front of my favorite blouse. I scolded OC for it. He wanted to know how my spilling food on my own blouse could possibly be his fault. I couldn’t believe he was that dense. I mean, he cooked it, so obviously it was his fault, right?

OC plays

In church on Sunday, O’Ceallaigh played both the cornet and the trumpet, and sang in the choir. He was quite good and the ladies of the church swarmed him afterward. One even promised to build him his very own ocean if he would move to Nevada. Alas, he is very fond of the ocean he already has, so he declined.

I took him to the airport this afternoon and he flew away. Now my house is very, very quiet. No witty quips. No sudden bursts of laughter. No warmth.

Quilly is the pseudonym of Charlene L. Amsden, who lives on The Big Island in Hawaii. When she is not hanging out with Amoeba, she is likely teaching or sewing. Or she could be cooking, taking photographs, or even writing. But if she's not doing any of that, she's probably on Facebook or tinkering with her blog.

45 Comments

  1. Yeah, but did he play them both at the SAME TIME? If so, I am impressed. This is so funny because Cindra’s and my other bestest friend who lives over here at the beach called me today to say that she had two regular customers at her restaurant ask her what the difference was between a trumpet and a cornet. Having played both myself for many years—-but NEVER at the same time—-I filled her in on the details. Virtually the same instrument, I did point out that the cornet is for some reason always referred to as the B Flat Cornet. Never heard of a C Sharp one or an E Minor one. Iszient dat veerd? So I guess what happened in Las Vegas is staying there?????????? And of course it was his fault!

  2. OK, so that’s the good news but we want the whole truth. Did he bite one of the cats? Did he turn his back to the audience while he blew the trumpet? Did he play “My Funny Valentine” while the choir sang Morning Has Broken?

  3. Okay, Charlene, the ‘cooking’ goes on the plus side – but do you really want to hook up with a man you have to explain to – why everything will be his fault? Think about it. lol

  5. Gwapo — sorry I didn’t clarify: OC played only one instrument at a time — and he didn’t play either of them at the same time he sang. You may think that makes him ordinary, but despite his negligence in cooking foods that stain my clothes, I found him quite amazing.

    Doug — OC did not bite the cats. In fact, they defected to him. I thought I was going to have to sue for alienation of affection. He did turn his back on part of his audience — the choir. And: the choir did not sing, “Morning Has Broken.”

    Jackie — he did try to explain personal responsibility — mine(!) — but once I explained why everything was always going to be his fault, OC seemed to get it — at least I think that’s what the heavy sigh and the head shaking was all about.

    Brian — despite the fact that I agree with your statement, something about it leaves me speechless.

  6. No, Gawpo, I did not. I have enough trouble playing one at a time. People specify Bb cornet because there is, in fact, a C cornet. And a D, and an Eb, and an E, and an F, and a G … FWIW, I brought a Bb cornet and a C trumpet to Vegas – the C trumpet is handy ’cause I can read piano/vocal music without the mental gymnastics of transposing. (On the Bb, I played stuff from memory.)

    None of the above, Dawg. Cute.

    Jackie, I am male. Everything is my fault by definition. I know this. But that will not stop me from presenting evidence to the contrary. 😛

    Better check your eyeglass prescription, Brian. ;}

  7. Sounds like a great visit! And, it fulfills a prophecy: “It’ll be a cold day in Vegas when Charlie comes to visit.” 🙂

    (And, Quilly, this is a much better spot for your blog than Blogspot.)

  10. OC — thank you for the suggestion! I’ll try that next time! [wanders of mumbling, three measuring cups, six serving spoons, 3 knives, 3 pots, one frying pan, a drawer full of flatware ….]

  13. The trumpet he bloweth
    The meat he doth spill
    The cold he does knoweth
    The time spent with Quill.

    How’s that my friends. 🙂

  15. Hi Quill

    Glad to hear your weekend went fine, with the exception of frozen pipes and spelled food on your favorite blouse.

    Later

  17. Glad to hear you two had a great weekend! I’m sure OC was just thinking of you when he dirtied all those dishes. With Vegas being so cold, you’d surely have gotten a chill if you’d been allowed to rest. 🙂

  20. You seem to have had a wonderful time, the both of you. And OC is quite the talented guy. More than that, he seems a nice guy.

  21. i knew that visit would have “happy ending” written all over it. except for the part where O’C went home, leaving you with a sink full of dishes, no one to laugh at and/or with, and that sudden chill left by his absence. still… i’m so glad to know you two had such a lovely time. we all suspected O’C was a great guy, but a great guy who COOKS?? whoa.

    oh, and hello? why do you think i suggested you take your “guest” to Hoover Dam/Lake Mead? i mean, it’s not an ocean, but it’s still a fine stretch of water, last time i looked. that has to be good for something…

  22. Polona — yes, only more so

    Charlie — talented, funny and nice. The dishes thing being rather trival, I am still looking for a flaw.

    Neva — it was way too cold for a visit to the dam. Maybe next time.

  25. Okay…we’re going to treat this like my nephew coloring. He gets 3 colors only or else it’s chaos. This I know because I give him all the colors. Hey…I’m the Auntie…I don’t have to follow the rules.

    That means OC gets one pot, one measuring cup, one measuring spoon, one spoon and one other item – chef’s choice. That’s it.

    Glad you two had a lovely visit!!

  27. I don’t know, Jenna. You place limits on some people and it inhibits their creativity. OC seems to be a very resourceful fellow, and that probably doesn’t apply to him, but his food was delicious and I wouldn’t want to mess with perfection.

    Cindra — this surprises you, how?

  29. Hey Quill

    WordPress emailed me back with a reply on the same day, they say they are working on the way to import New Version Bloggers and should have it working soon.

    Soon I can say adieu to Blogger soon, keep a good thought.

  30. Hi C-

    Glad you had a good time. I thought of sending you a message over the weekend, but thought I would wait until after your guest left and then send you a message and ask how things went. I am so glad you had a nice time. Sorry about the pipes. Hope they didn’t rupture or anything.

  31. Dr. John — yes, I like oceans. What’s not to like?

    Patience is a virtue, Bill.

    Angela — the whole world called and emailed us. There was no reason to exclude yourself.

  34. Hi Quill, ah much has changed since i have been away, yes? Time waits for no man, or woman. I checked out this blogger site, but I haven’t figured it all out as yet.

  36. Awwww… how GREAT that you got a good visit with a friend — AND some good food too! WOW! Seems like it’s worth a ruined blouse and a few extra dishes! LOL!

  38. hey, Reykjavik is about to break a 13 year old record in regards to the magnitude of snow!
    Now , quit whining, so you know how many cars I freed of snow this past week until I relaized it was not mine, but my neighbours???

    😉

  39. sorry, that stupid remark, was suppose dot go to the post above.
    *slaps hands against forehead*

    now to this post:
    me likes a lot!

    “Liebe geht durch den magen!”

  44. Pingback: Sage Advice « Quilly’s Quips
  45. Pingback: Did You Know? « Just Another Day in …. Paradise?

Comments are closed.