Can't Be Grateful

Or *gracious* - whatever the proper term.

My father brought me a $1 off coupon for Pop Tarts the other day - because he's seen the product in our house before.

CaptiousNut - Dad, I don't use coupons. There a pain in the ass.

MrNut -It's a buck off!

CaptiousNut - Do you know how many ways I can save a dollar? I'd go crazy if I exercised them all.

Yeah, I was ungrateful and a spot rude. But here's what would have happened otherwise.

My father would have started clipping not only Pop Tart coupons for me....he start scanning my house to see what other foodstuffs and products we consumed. Then he'd be bringing me piles of coupons that I still wouldn't use. I had to nip this one in the bud.

Almost ten years ago, a good friend of mine brought in some *Pasta Rosa* to work for me. He was married and apparently it was one of his wife's signature dishes (I detected Knorrs soup mix, shhhh). I was a starving bachelor - or so they thought; they probably made a big batch; etc. It was loaded with sweet sausage as well. I ate it, complimented his wife the chef, and thanked him for it.

The next thing I know, every two weeks I was getting a shipment of this pasta rosa at work. It really started to taste awful. Pasta is my favorite thing in the world. I could eat it every other day. But this wasn't worthy. So the food started to languish in my fridge.

Then my buddy started hassling me for the GladWare. Now isn't the whole point of GladWare that it doesn't have to get returned? That it's disposable?

So I'm forced to start emptying the Knorrs Soup Mix Pasta Rosa into the trash if only so I could wash and return the GladWare.

But the pasta just kept coming. Finally I had to put my foot down. All of this started by what I thought was an innocent compliment. It's been experiences like these that have conditioned me to be chary with praise and gratefulness today.

Ironically, I have another story along these lines ALSO involving sausage with my food-obsessed MIL (mother-in-law). Her meat even sent me to the emergency room one Easter weekend. Though that's a tale for another post.