Family

Something about family brings out the best and the worst in us. Thank God for copious amounts of alcohol and ibuprofen!

I spent a majority of yesterday baking cupcakes for my aunt’s wedding in my grandma’s kitchen, surrounded by various aged humans. To say this was what I had in mind during the small amount of time we had together would be a bit of an overstatement. But it really is my own damn fault as I should’ve said no when asked to do the cake, which the bride would’ve understood completely.

First of all, the logistics of making a cake in somebody else’s kitchen, out of town and surround by curious folks at every angle is nerve racking enough, let alone the sheer amount of stuff that needs to be transported from Site A to Site B to pull all of it off and create something edible in the process. And to think I didn’t pack my mixer. I mean, Grandma’s will work, but it was in need of being replaced sometime in the early 80s. It is so lightweight I’m afraid to make frosting for fear the thing will burn out or tip over and fall off the counter! But, it is a mixer, and as long as I hold it in place and keep an eye on it, it should work.

Second of all, it is no coincidence, nor surprise, that the number one cause of death, according to a little family history book some of the people were reading while I diligently slaved away in the kitchen, was consumption. However, I believe without consumption, the number one cause of death would be dealing with each other as that would, without a doubt, be too much for the body to cope with without the aid of an alcoholic beverage or six.

And of course when there are 24 people staying in 3 houses and gathering at various locations throughout the day, it can be slightly hectic trying to simply get to where the kitchen is that I’m making these cupcakes for the wedding, especially when you get pushed out of the room you had and are now in the living room and a couple people want to hook up a video game system and play all night and nobody wants to wake up at a decent time! Oh well, gives me a little peace and quiet before the chaos that will soon consume my existence in my quest not to completely screw up my aunt’s wedding cake.