Ten Minutes In the Grill
On Sunday my Father in Law and I got into a huge argument. It was 100 degrees and I'm hormonal and he's, well, he's my FIL, and I don't even remember what the argument was about, something about the benefits of ceramic tile over vinyl or laminate bathroom flooring options (I wish it was something more dramatic than that). Anyway it resulted in a quiet but dramatic day of avoiding each other completely and I mean completely until we were all whisked away to enjoy a dinner in the new dining room of the recently-renovated country club in my in-laws' Vermont summer community.
Half way through dinner, LittleMe decided she had to (HAD TO!) go play with the elevator so Mr. Marthawho took off to chase her around the lobby. Mother in Law decided she couldn't bear to send her son off alone into the world to play with his own child so she left the rest of us at the table. The rest of us being me and FIL.
There is a long silence.
MW:
So this room is a lot brighter than it used to be.
FIL:
Yeah. They did a good job. Lots of windows.
MW:
I remember it being a lot darker before.
FIL:
It was nothing special. Now it's much better. And it was finished on time and under budget.
MW:
Well you can't say that about too many construction projects can you?
FIL:
Nope. There's really only two controversies to speak of, post-renovation. One is the moose. (FIL gestures to the gigantic moose head hanging above the stone fireplace at the end of the room).
MW:
It is a big moose. Was that here before?
FIL:
No. I don't know where it came from. My theory is that it's someone from the community who probably had it hanging on their wall and wanted to get rid of it and made the Club take it. But alot of people really hate it.
MW:
Because of animal cruelty or anti-hunting or something?
FIL:
No, no... nothing like that. It's just ugly. Who wants a big moose watching you eat dinner?
MW:
Huh.
So what's the other controversy?
FIL:
The name of this restaurant is called "The Grille"
MW:
So? That's what it was called before the renovation too.
FIL:
But look around... there's no grill up here. It's just a dining room. They could have called it the "Quechee Room" or something else related to the club or the town.
MW:
I guess.
FIL:
But here's the thing. The casual restaurant downstairs is called "The Deck"
MW:
There's a deck down there, right?
FIL (slapping the table):
Ah-ha! But there's also a GRILL! and...?
MW:
I don't know... and what?
FIL:
There's a DECK up here, too! I mean -- imagine the confusion if I asked someone to meet me at the Grill Deck for lunch? Would they go up here to the deck of the "Grille" restaurant? Or would they go down there to the "Deck" restaurant that also has a grill?
MW:
Ok that could be pretty confusing.
FIL:
But everything else turned out OK I guess.
MARHTAWHO:
I wonder what's taking them so long. She loves playing in that elevator. Glad you didn't get rid of that in the renovation!
FATHER-IN-LAW:
She just gets nervous you know.
MARTHAWHO:
About the elevator?
FATHER-IN-LAW:
You know. She needs to control everything related to the little tyke. It's impossible for her to sit here while they are running around in the lobby without her. It's just her thing. She could have sat here with us, but she would have been constantly staring at the door waiting for them to come back in, and worried as all get-out that something big was happening out in the lobby that she might be missing.
MARTHAWHO:
Uh-huh.
FIL:
She's always been like that for as long as I've known her.
MW:
Controllling?
FIL:
No. Just not wanting to miss anything. If she could split herself into two pieces right now she would. Because now that she's out there, I'm sure she's tortured wondering what is happening in here.
MW:
It doesn't bother me. I'm always happy to let someone else chase LittleMe around, especially in a restaurant.
FIL:
I'm just saying. She's always been that way and she always will be.
MW:
And I'm just saying it only seems to bother you. I was just wondering where they were. I didn't say anything about her leaving.
FIL:
Good. Because she's always going to leave and run after her kids. And now her grandkids. She panics when they're not in the room. What if they're having fun without her etcetera...
MW:
Alrighty.
FIL:
Because you just have to roll with it. I learned that a long time ago. You can't change her so you just have to accept it and move on. Let her do her thing.
MW:
That's all you can do with anyone.
FIL:
Right.
Mr. MW, MIL and LittleMe burst back into the restaruant.
MW:
There they are!
FIL:
It is brighter in here isn't it.
We could really use some sun shades for the windows. Especially at this time of year.
###
Half way through dinner, LittleMe decided she had to (HAD TO!) go play with the elevator so Mr. Marthawho took off to chase her around the lobby. Mother in Law decided she couldn't bear to send her son off alone into the world to play with his own child so she left the rest of us at the table. The rest of us being me and FIL.
There is a long silence.
MW:
So this room is a lot brighter than it used to be.
FIL:
Yeah. They did a good job. Lots of windows.
MW:
I remember it being a lot darker before.
FIL:
It was nothing special. Now it's much better. And it was finished on time and under budget.
MW:
Well you can't say that about too many construction projects can you?
FIL:
Nope. There's really only two controversies to speak of, post-renovation. One is the moose. (FIL gestures to the gigantic moose head hanging above the stone fireplace at the end of the room).
MW:
It is a big moose. Was that here before?
FIL:
No. I don't know where it came from. My theory is that it's someone from the community who probably had it hanging on their wall and wanted to get rid of it and made the Club take it. But alot of people really hate it.
MW:
Because of animal cruelty or anti-hunting or something?
FIL:
No, no... nothing like that. It's just ugly. Who wants a big moose watching you eat dinner?
MW:
Huh.
So what's the other controversy?
FIL:
The name of this restaurant is called "The Grille"
MW:
So? That's what it was called before the renovation too.
FIL:
But look around... there's no grill up here. It's just a dining room. They could have called it the "Quechee Room" or something else related to the club or the town.
MW:
I guess.
FIL:
But here's the thing. The casual restaurant downstairs is called "The Deck"
MW:
There's a deck down there, right?
FIL (slapping the table):
Ah-ha! But there's also a GRILL! and...?
MW:
I don't know... and what?
FIL:
There's a DECK up here, too! I mean -- imagine the confusion if I asked someone to meet me at the Grill Deck for lunch? Would they go up here to the deck of the "Grille" restaurant? Or would they go down there to the "Deck" restaurant that also has a grill?
MW:
Ok that could be pretty confusing.
FIL:
But everything else turned out OK I guess.
MARHTAWHO:
I wonder what's taking them so long. She loves playing in that elevator. Glad you didn't get rid of that in the renovation!
FATHER-IN-LAW:
She just gets nervous you know.
MARTHAWHO:
About the elevator?
FATHER-IN-LAW:
You know. She needs to control everything related to the little tyke. It's impossible for her to sit here while they are running around in the lobby without her. It's just her thing. She could have sat here with us, but she would have been constantly staring at the door waiting for them to come back in, and worried as all get-out that something big was happening out in the lobby that she might be missing.
MARTHAWHO:
Uh-huh.
FIL:
She's always been like that for as long as I've known her.
MW:
Controllling?
FIL:
No. Just not wanting to miss anything. If she could split herself into two pieces right now she would. Because now that she's out there, I'm sure she's tortured wondering what is happening in here.
MW:
It doesn't bother me. I'm always happy to let someone else chase LittleMe around, especially in a restaurant.
FIL:
I'm just saying. She's always been that way and she always will be.
MW:
And I'm just saying it only seems to bother you. I was just wondering where they were. I didn't say anything about her leaving.
FIL:
Good. Because she's always going to leave and run after her kids. And now her grandkids. She panics when they're not in the room. What if they're having fun without her etcetera...
MW:
Alrighty.
FIL:
Because you just have to roll with it. I learned that a long time ago. You can't change her so you just have to accept it and move on. Let her do her thing.
MW:
That's all you can do with anyone.
FIL:
Right.
Mr. MW, MIL and LittleMe burst back into the restaruant.
MW:
There they are!
FIL:
It is brighter in here isn't it.
We could really use some sun shades for the windows. Especially at this time of year.
###
posted by Martha Who? | 7:50 AM
3 Comments:
It is totally perfect that this conversation took place in a country club. The laws of social physics in those places almost mandate that kind of interaction. Superb!
It's The Grille Room actually, and it is operated as a public restaurant in order for The Quechee Club to have the liquor license it has. QLLA doesn't advertise it much and doesn't bother explaining it in the materials it makes available to members, so the confusion is understandable. FWIW, the interior downstairs is called the 'main dining room.'
Dear Anonymous. thanks for your post. You illustrated my point PERFECTLY.
Hugs,
MW
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