How Did I Get Here?

Things I've said recently that were earnest at the time but, upon reflection, seem really ludicrous:

• "What on earth did the pool guy do to the pool? That's it, time to fire him."
• "Where do you suppose the maid put our new champagne glasses?"
• "Our driver got in an accident? But we were supposed to go out for dinner tonight!"
• "He can't go to a funeral! He has to get the generator working first."
• "We are almost out of Chinese tea. When we go to Hong Kong let's buy some more."

Some days I sort of forget how weird a situation we are in now. And then some times we just get smacked in the face with it. And, by the way, as silly as these laments sound, when you are at the mercy of others (as we really are. Sincerely, without these people we could not function here) it matters.

Imagine being our maid, washing yet another new set of our drinking glasses (this time plastic champagne glasses so we can drink in the pool without worrying about broken glass, seriously). Her dishes and cooking pans sit on a shelf outside her house. What on earth could we possibly need with short glasses, tall glasses, and three (now four) sets of stemmed glasses (white wine, red wine, champagne, and now plastic champagne). Don't laugh- I'll bet you have multiple sets of glasses at your house, too!

And if you are familiar Mr. R's bowl fetish, you know how many bowls we have, too.  What on earth does Lakshmi think as she washes and puts them away?

Did I already tell you about my enjoyment of the game I made up trying to figure out where Lakshmi will put new kitchen items? Do plastic champagne glasses go with the glass glasses, wine glasses, or in the secret cupboard of crappy plastic tumblers? (she chose the drinking glass shelf) Do the new tea cups and saucers go with the bugs and plates or with the tea pots? (she chose the mugs shelf) I like that she figured out my "filing" system pretty quickly, but am so embarrassed by amount of stuff we own.

But if I'm so ashamed, why do we keep buying new things?