My Kind of People

I don’t know what possessed me. When my sister-in-law (yes, you, Heather) sent me an “recipe exchange/chain letter/e-mail I actually did it! Me! I usually delete these suckers without a hint of remorse. Not this time. And for heaven’s sake, why would I do this particular one? It involves baking. I don’t like to bake, cook — anything that involves an oven, bowls, ingredients, measuring cups, etc.

Before I did the deed (which involved sending a recipe to a complete stranger and forwarding the damn e-mail to my poor, unsuspecting friends), I whipped off a “hate-mail” to Heather. She responded with an apology. Apology accepted.

Now I’m making a public apology to the ten people I forwarded the chain letter to. Forgive me. I don’t know what I was thinking or if I even was thinking. I suspect I was on automatic pilot while dealing with my In Box. You all know me. It was a bizarre behaviour aberration. Totally out of character.

On the plus side, I’ve been getting big laughs reading my friends’ responses. They reveal a great deal about the people I consider as pals. We are all made from the same sort of ripped cloth. That chain letter e-mail stated, “It is fun to do… Seldom does anyone drop out because we can all use recipes.” Right. Whoever started this thing didn’t factor in my kind of people.

BTW, TO ANYONE OUT THERE INVOLVED IN THIS CHAIN LETTER RECIPE THING — IT WAS MY FRIENDS WHO WRECKED THE CHAIN.

Here are a few sample responses from my buddies. I may be violating some e-mail copyright/privacy law since I didn’t ask their permission to use these. (Another apology extended.)

Jackie — “I am giving up baking this year -- forever!!!!”

Tanya — “I have 500 recipes all tattered and torn and thrown into a large manila envelope in a kitchen cupboard. My favourite recipe is called "dinner out".

Megan – (my sister) “That's it — I'm convinced — someone has killed my sister Beth and is using her name/email info....................Beth, you have GOT to be kidding me..........

Martha — (my other sister) I heard from her in person. Actually, it was more of look. One of those, “Are you crazy?” looks. She isn’t going to do it. Big surprise.

Barb — Another in-person encounter. “Uh, yeah, I got it in my e-mail.” Silence. A best-bud exchange of looks. Me — “Right, okay, sorry.” Shared laughter.

Well, it’s been established that my friends are still sane and in their right minds. It’s just me we have to be concerned about. In all honesty, I’m still waiting to receive at least one lousy recipe from someone. I was promised 36 of them. I didn’t break the chain.