Polly Put the Kettle On
Whenever I visit with people I’m amazed by how much tea and coffee people drink. In an average week I’ll have a coffee after swimming 3 days a week, and maybe the odd cup of tea first thing in the morning. Especially if it’s cold.
Tea especially seems to be very common among my family and friends. And apparently I’m out of step with all the protocols surrounding tea-making.
See, according to my family, walking in the general direction of the kitchen, even if your actual path takes you nowhere near the kitchen, or past the kitchen, is always noted with the comment “are you putting the kettle on?” which is of course for everyone else, yes. Me? Not so much.
But I do it. Because I’m nice like that.
And then there comes the next part. Apparently, putting the kettle on doesn’t just mean putting the kettle on. It means putting the kettle on, checking with everyone in the house whether they want tea/coffee/hot chocolate and the appropriate milk/sugar ratio. Then, waiting around until the kettle has boiled, and preparing everyone’s hot drink of choice, regardless of whether you’re having one yourself or not.
Sometimes it’s just easier to sit tight and wait until someone else gets up to run to the toilet
So is anyone else’s house like that? Or is it just my twisted family?
LOL. My DH seems to come in for a cuppa just when I’ve finished drinking one. We have a bit of a standing joke in our family that putting the kettle on is the “hard bit”. Whoever does the “hard bit” gets out of making cuppas.
We solved that problem by filling 2 large urn-type thermos’ with boiling water and people can help themselves all day long
I’m a chain coffee drinker – once the cup is empty I’m looking for a refill. Which usually means I end up making the drinks.
That is until recently, the kettle at Hubbys work broke so he took ours in. We no longer have a kettle. I usually put the coffee machine on first thing in the morning but once that runs out (after 3 cups) there is no more hot drinks.
he he he… in our house we say “who wants a coffee?” If someone says yes, we say “can you make me one while you’re at it.” Sadly, this strategy becomes less effective over time…
ha ha – I come from a family where the first who moves gets the “I’ll have a tea, thanks” call!
Now in my own little family, we drink hot drinks and just do it for all if we are at the kettle – if you don’t approach it as a hassle it really isn’t! (A strategy sharing a house with an awesome womam taught me about washing up!)
Anyone who enters the door says “Are you putting the kettle on?” The dilemma here of late is those who want a pot of, instead of a tea bag. You want leaves, make it yourself!
Very funny…I actually do this to my hubby quite often…
Too true… it becomes an odd ‘game’ in the house – all so you can get a cuppa! Wasn’t until I thought on your post some that I came to realise how these little quirks ID families (households in general I feel) that ‘live and stay’ together… a family that isn’t sharing their time and lives in some way, isn’t always a ‘happy’ family.
Go back and have a ‘look’ at the times you might remember, I reckon it’s a pretty good indicator of how well a ‘group’ that share a space – get’s along with each other. The often heard catch cry “Get the brews in” when I was in the Defence Forces did a similar thing… any reluctance to do so in general, told you many ‘little’ things about the dynamics in that group.
If you make moves towards the back wall of our office now, a similar thing happens… although we at least wait until we hear the rustle of the teabag wrapper and box – or the CLICK of the kettle switch, and then the hands shoot up!
And apparently I’m out of step with all the protocols surrounding tea-making.
don’t worry, i dare say that your family are also out of step unless they follow ISO 3130, the international standard method for brewing tea.
throw that in their face next time.
ha ha – this is my family to a tea!!! (very bad pun I know!) Fortunately it is generally tea all round and we don’t need to remember who drinks what, sugar is another matter though! My Dad is only just now beginning to remember that I don’t take sugar any more since I went cold turkey about ten years ago!!