Toe in the Water

It's All About Attitude

It's All About Attitude

Some time ago I was told, "Your attitude is la-di-da, I don't care, my underwear." Don't ask me - this came out of the blue.

Actually, the whole thing can be explained by the fact that we had bought a coffee percolator. Andrea had become fed up with the filter coffee makers, thanks to their tendency to get dirty very quickly and to spill liquid over the counter at every opportunity. So we took a step back in technology and bought a shiny, stainless steel percolator of elegant proportions.

One morning I tried to get the last of the previous day's coffee from it (yes, I don't mind drinking it old and cold), only to find I was pouring clear water. Obviously, Andrea had prepared it the night before so that all that needed doing was to plug it in. I did so and, in due course, I had my first coffee of the day (steaming hot for a change).

Half an hour later Andrea gets up and expresses some surprise that the coffee is ready and waiting for her. I expounded my theory that she had done the necessary the previous day but she denied it. At which point, I resorted to plan B, claiming that the coffee fairy must have visited. This would never be sufficient for Andrea and, after a little research, she established that the Boy had made it during the night.

Now, he doesn't drink coffee and never makes it. This seemed to me so unlikely an explanation that the coffee fairy returned as the main candidate. Why, after all, would the Boy make coffee? Andrea guessed that he was awake all night on the computer game and needed to remain so. But she worried away at the thing until finally I said, "Your attitude to everything is to worry about it." It was at this moment that the response regarding my own attitude was produced. Bear in mind that it was early in the morning and she had just begun her day. All perfectly logical.

Except the part about the underwear. That is what made us laugh. In fact, we're still giggling about it. In such ways are family sayings originated.


Word count: 366