I got an e-mail from the head of the department- they're having a breakfast birthday celebration tomorrow. Potluck. "Everyone bring something yummy!" I knew about the birthday thing, but had zero idea that it was supposed to be a potluck.

Truth be told, I LOATHE potluck. I am so very, very, very, very sick of potluck at every gathering, especially in situations like this where there's public pressure to bring food. I don't cook well. I don't make "yummy" food. I don't make food I want anyone else to even SEE when I cook it, and it usually doesn't have much taste and is barely edible. I can occasionally manage if dessert is involved, but a breakfast food potluck? Hah. The only semi-decent thing I can make of that is omelets, and I can't make that many of those for this, especially if I have to cart them on the bus to work. I'd have to hit the grocery store for more eggs AND wake up at the crack of dawn to do the cooking, and I'm not wanting to do that either. I'm tired enough already. I'm hoping I can just get away with not bringing anything and that maybe he won't notice. Then again, he seems to notice me a lot otherwise when I'm wandering around the office, so... sigh.

Why on earth couldn't someone just go pick up donuts and stick some candles in them and be done with it?

Boy, did this hit a nerve.

The fellow in this scenario has a wonderful relationship with his wife. He has never wanted children, doesn't like them, doesn't think he'll start liking them if he has his own, doesn't want to be the asshole father that obviously didn't want the child he's got. One wonders why this guy just hasn't gotten a vasectomy somewhere along the line, and perhaps he should have.

His wife, however, just changed her mind on this and decided to not bother to refill her pill prescription, AND to not tell him about that for a few days, presumably during which time they had sex. (Given how you can get pregnant if you forget your pill ONCE, her BS about how it takes a few months to get out of your system is either a mistaken idea on her part or a big fat lie to him.) And that she'll welcome any "accidental" pregnancy that comes along.

Man, I would be SO INCREDIBLY PISSED if I were a guy and someone pulled this on me deliberately. That is just totally unfair to him. She said she'd go back on it again, but if I were this guy, I'd be insisting on using condoms (ones that were hidden from the wife, should she decide to take up pinpricking) during sex from now on, just in case she "forgets" one. Though she claims she'd rather have him over a child, if the choice came to that.

On the one hand, he really doesn't want children. On the other hand, he feels guilty for not giving her what she wants. The advice given was to, well, it didn't outright say it, but leaned towards "go ahead and have children already, you'll probably do fine and won't be a sucky parent." Honestly... this bothers me. The guy is very worried about being stuck with a child he doesn't want, and he's being encouraged to get into that trap anyway? I'm rather horrified.

Of course, this hits me in the gut because of my situation.

For some reason, I feel compelled to comment on this, perhaps because I've read too many mysteries in my time. Pineapple says she's burnt out on mysteries where the protagonist is a PI, and wonders how hard does a author have to work to come up with a reason that a regular person could solve the crime.

I've read plenty of books where the crimesolver is an amateur. There's series featuring librarians, newspaper editors, caterers, Egyptologists, bounty hunters, bookstore owners, Wall Street headhunters, vampires, accountants, all kinds of very random professions. And those are what I just thought of off the top of my head just now. Thing is, though, I can see why for the most part an author who wants to do a series would go with someone who'd well, be likely to stumble across crimes more often than your average joe does. I've read plenty of books where the protagonist has a "regular" job, and in a series, it becomes an awful stretch after awhile to get your hero/heroine involved in solving the crime, to the point where it can be really kinda fake. They have to randomly stumble into the crime, push to get involved, they don't have the resources that cops/PI's/etc. do to find out info, etc. I think those are actually a lot trickier to keep going. Which perhaps explains why I don't read a lot of these series any more the way I used to.

The one I really think worked the best was Miss Marple, but then again, she had more of a gimmick (solving crimes via knowledge of human nature) going for her than most of the average folks do, plus Agatha varied what crimes she solved and how to fit her situation. Most seemed entirely plausible that she'd get involved in them. Well, perhaps not quite What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!, but given the premise that'd be a stretch for anybody. Then again, having been in that same situation with trains before, I can't even see the people inside, much less anyone being killed.

I think Agatha Christie had the right idea when she did most of her amateur sleuths: Feature them in one or two books, then create new ones. I like the Tommy and Tuppence books, but when there wasn't a war on, it was rather a stretch to get them solving a mystery.

Anyway... you can sure tell I'm in a whiny mood today, huh? No particular reason, mind you, just kinda killing time and waiting around for things to happen, and feeling annoyed on the way.

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