The Best Medicine

Laughter really is the best medicine. Marc and I sat up with our best friends bonding and laughing last night. I woke up refreshed and rejuvinated to face whatever today might bring. It was a pretty good day. We took our guests to Navy Pier and enjoyed the multitude of things it has to offer. My kids are sleep deprived, but behaved well, aside from a little clinginess- can't complain.

This evening I got "me" time. I attended my first cake decorating class, along with my sister, Katie. Katie has a good sense of humor. I know this is going to be fun. It is only four weeks long and already I know I am probably going to wish it were longer.

We have a funny Filipino instructor, named "Jay", I think. He was asked to repeat it and it sounded sort of like "Jay" both times. He is a masculine cake decorator, not quite like the Ace of Cakes, but you definitely wouldn't peg him as a "frosting guy" if you met him on the street. He seems to crack himself up and so we kept crackin' up too. It is just funny when someone chuckles after 50% of their sentences. Our class has 7 attendees and apparently about half of them don't share our sense of humor. It only makes laughing more fun and uncontrollable. I still keep laughing thinking about some occurences.

First "Jay" thought it was a level two cake decorating class and kept telling us it was okay that we came, he could teach level one, also. This is only funny because I don't think he even realizes HE is the mistaken one. I think he honestly thinks all seven of us signed up for the wrong class.

Second, today's class was a lecture and information session on what to bring next time. He started with three things we needed to bring and said, "and that is all" but by the end of class my "to bring" list is, and I kid you not, 23 items long. I am going to need a semi-truck to go back and forth to class, apparently. This "cheap" class is going to be one hefty price tagged hobby (like all other hobbies, I've tried).

Third, as he demonstrated how to fill a piping bag with icing (a very difficult tasK, apparently;), the bag sprung a small hole. The hole was unnoticed by all until he squeezed the bag to demonstrate the results of applying varying degrees of pressure. Frosting not only made a nice clean line on his parchment paper, it also shot out the side. This alone was a hysterical sight- both the squirt of pink icing across the room and the surprise look upon his face. The icing on the cake, however, (punny, aren't I?) was that he said, "Oh! I got a retard bag." I literally started snorting I was laughing so hard. We apparently did not sign up for "Politically Correct Cake Decorating." He loved that Katie and I found him so funny, but I don't think he gets that we were laughing at his audacity. I really think he has no clue that you can't say "retarded" anymore; it just isn't done...especially in front of a class.

Fourth, the best medicine of all- we have an extremely rude and less than intelligent woman in our class. She treated "Jay" poorly and seem unable to refrain from questioning his every move and commenting on every task. You've met this type of person. Nothing could possibly satisfy them. They know it all and want to prove you do not. I became the brunt of her "anger". She must have asked a zillion questions of Jay because he accidentally called parchment paper wax paper. When she so rudely stated, "just say which one we actually need for next week and quit confusing us (no one else was confused, FYI)", the peacemaker in me rushed to his aide with a, "It doesn't matter, they'll both work, they are almost the same thing." BOY was she angry! She answered not just once but twice with "NO, they are not. No, they are not." Okay, Miss Poopy pants, how about you bring both and let this class progress! (I didn't say that, of course, katie and i just looked at each other and smiled.)

My standing in her eyes was not improved when I broke out into laughter minutes later. Katie is to blame for this. As the woman asked for the millionth time how much frosting we are supposed to bring next week (I don't know if she ever "got it")- Katie leaned over and whispered, "I know the rule is that 'There are no stupid questions" but when the same question is asked for the twentieth time, you've got to wonder if the rule has exceptions." I couldn't control my laughter.

Thankfully, "Jay" loves to laugh and thinks we are delightful but the grumpy lady to the left doesn't find us so appealing. Really, I'll try to behave next week, but I'm torn. The whole class is just all the funnier by her grumpy presence and that of the completely unexpressive trio of women in the middle of the room. The "good" thing to do is try to love her and reach out to her, but mostly I am just hoping she obtains a sense of humor by next week- with Katie and I armed with laughter AND frosting, anything is possible.