I get off work at 4:30. Today at around 4:10 my son calls me. He's in the Culinary Arts program at his school and is doing a presentation tomorrow on baked ziti. Now I asked him last week if he was all set for his presentation and he told me he'd let me know. I forgot about it after that. I mean he's nearly 17. He needs to start taking responsibility for these things.
So today at 4:10, as mentioned, he calls me, to give me a list of things I needed to get him at the store for this dish and can I help him prepare it.
Well ordinarily I might be put off by the short notice, but I'd do it. However, this was very bad timing. A friend of the family just passed away and tonight was the viewing. My plan was to swing by Boston Market on the way home, pick up something quick for dinner so that I could then go on to the viewing. I explain all this to him and tell him I really wish he had told me this earlier in the week. Well a short argument ensued, but ultimately we get it worked out. Time will be tight, but I have until 7 to make the viewing.
Ok, 4:30 I prepare to leave work. I back out of my parking spot and immediately sense that something is wrong. Initially I think I must've run over something. Sure enough, I had. I had a flat tire. *sigh* Ok, I call my boyfriend who is only about a mile away and he comes to help me. He changes the tire and tells me my spare needs air. *sigh* Ok, run to the gas station to get air and I'm off.
Decided to skip dinner at that point and I just went straight to the grocery store for the ingredients. I have a wait at the deli counter for mozzarella cheese, but otherwise, it's fairly painless (if you call $30 painless for a meal that I will probably not get any of) and I'm on my way to help my son who has already started prepping what things I did have on hand.
When I get there he informs me that he forgot to tell me that he needed 1 pound of mozzarella in a block (which I got) and one pound sliced (which I didn't get). Ok, I tell him I can get that on the way home from the funeral home. We get things worked out for what he needs to do while we're gone, I get ready and go to the viewing. It was sad. I mean they generally are right? Saw some people I don't see too often, hugged a lot, cried a bit, and then back to the store for the sliced mozzarella. Finally we get home to finish the ziti. I wanted to stay for the service, but no time.
Get home and fortunately things at that point are looking good. He's got the sauce done and the pasta has just cooked. The only thing left is assembly. I manage to eat a bit of salad in between supervising and helping him. Then I tell him I'll get it in the oven if he'll start the dishes.
He suddenly remembers that he forgot one thing. His uniform will have to be bleached so it can be presentable. Bit late to tell me now! Ok, so he gets the uniform and I run to put it to soak. At this point my boyfriend comes over, gives me a hug and tells me at least it's all done now.
He turns around and starts closing up the shutters (as we always do at night) and one of them comes right off in his hand.
At this point I just sat on the floor laughing my butt off. That was the only reasonable reaction. Well that and I went to grab my first beer.
I feel like I've just worked a 12 hour day in the span of 4 hours.
