The Power of One (more)
No, not the novel by Bryce Courtney. This is about putting a group of strangers together on ice for a year. Trust me, it’s just as entertaining as any good story, just with more snow and layers of clothing. This is my fifth winter down south, and some things stay the same. It’s always the people who change. We’ve got a great mix of personalities, each with their own story and skills. But some things just don’t change.
Take the familiar kitchen conversations that always pop up:
1. The Milk Dilemma:
There’s always enough milk in that jug for one more cup of tea. But will anyone fill it up? Of course not. “I don’t need to fill it up. It’s barely a splash left!” But someone will always step in and do it, because somehow, it’s always their job. And maybe tomorrow, there’ll be a new jug. Maybe.
2. The Plate That Just Won’t Quit:
There’s always that one plate with a bit of food left on it. “Is there still one thing on that plate?” Yes, but who’s going to wash it? No one, of course. It’s a crumb! “I don’t need to wash it.” Yet it stays there. Taunting us. It’s like a game. Who will cave first? The one who thinks, “I’ll just rinse it,” only to wash everything.
3. The One Square Challenge:
There’s one square left on the toilet roll. “Should I change it?” No. You don’t need to. You can make it work with one square, right? But the roll is right there, staring you down. Who will change it? No one. We’ll all just leave it there and hope the next person handles it. Classic.
4. The Plate Stack Saga:
After dinner, someone always says, “I can squeeze one more plate in the dish rack.” Sure, you can, but should you? It’s a challenge every time to fit one more in, hoping the whole rack doesn’t collapse in the process. But somehow, it works. And we do it all over again.
5. The Dishwater Dilemma:
You’ve just washed a pan, and there’s still dishwater in the sink. You could change it. But you won’t. “I can wash one more dish in this water!” You know you shouldn’t. The water’s gross. But you do it anyway, because somehow, it’s easier than changing it. The water never looks the same afterward.
So, this is life during winter in the land of "one more".
I could go on and I am sure parents all over the world are nodding in agreement and mentally adding to their own “one more” list. It’s all about pushing the limits and seeing how long we can get away with it before someone fills the jug, changes the roll, or washes the plate. It’s the tolerance and the mix of people that get us through these little hiccups, as there is always someone who takes the other side and will fill up a new jug of milk.
And if you’re not laughing about it, are you even surviving?
Kerryn Oates, Chef
