Confused by liquids at the worst possible time
This week I went into to a work conference with some ladies from other orgs that I don't know. It was awkward because they all know each other, and I'm the odd person out. Oh dear, literally.
When you're making small talk in a professional situation, always stick to safe topics. I was especially safe because I said nothing and just sat there like a lump.
One of the women started talking about cleaning her house after her family Christmas. LOL, that is the safest topic in the world. Maybe I can contribute! ... Someone else points out that her office needs to be cleaned too, particularly the tea kettle.
Hey, I have a tea kettle! Damn, I own this topic. Time to get in there, make friends!!!!
"My tea kettle is getting mineral deposits too," I put in. I feign a lost expression. "What should I buy to clean it?" This is a dummy question I'm asking to make people feel helpful and want to talk to me. In real life, I don't care if tea kettles are dirty.
Everyone is excited to tell me housecleaning tips! "Put vinegar in it," they say. "Oh for sure, fill it up with vinegar." Hey, that is actually a good tip I can use, maybe I really will clean that tea kettle. Cool.
"Boil the vinegar for a while, that will get rid of the mineral deposits."
Boil vinegar? Wha--!!!
I hollered: "WHAT? Won't that start a fire?!"
OK I don't know what the fuck I was thinking. Why did I think that if you heat vinegar, it will GO ON FIRE? I don't think I've ever heated up vinegar before but when you really think about it, OF COURSE it doesn't burst into flames. If it was flammable, it would say right on it that it was. I don't know what I was thinking! OH MY GOD!
Everyone totally looked at me like: What the hell?
"Couldn't it catch on fire and burn the kettle up?" I don't think at this point my rational brain had caught up to the part of my brain that was certain vinegar is flammable.
"Uh no, you can boil vinegar." The head female and her cronies are all half-laughing at me. The half-laugh you do when you're like: Is this funny ha-ha or funny sad-clown?
The worst part is the meeting started right after that, so while I sat there, I thought about it, and realized that vinegar doesn't go on fire, and that I've boiled wine and THAT didn't burst into flames, so what's wrong with me?
When you say something that betrays your lack of knowledge about the chemical world there's nothing you can do to regain respect; that's for sure!
When you're making small talk in a professional situation, always stick to safe topics. I was especially safe because I said nothing and just sat there like a lump.
One of the women started talking about cleaning her house after her family Christmas. LOL, that is the safest topic in the world. Maybe I can contribute! ... Someone else points out that her office needs to be cleaned too, particularly the tea kettle.
Hey, I have a tea kettle! Damn, I own this topic. Time to get in there, make friends!!!!
"My tea kettle is getting mineral deposits too," I put in. I feign a lost expression. "What should I buy to clean it?" This is a dummy question I'm asking to make people feel helpful and want to talk to me. In real life, I don't care if tea kettles are dirty.
Everyone is excited to tell me housecleaning tips! "Put vinegar in it," they say. "Oh for sure, fill it up with vinegar." Hey, that is actually a good tip I can use, maybe I really will clean that tea kettle. Cool.
"Boil the vinegar for a while, that will get rid of the mineral deposits."
Boil vinegar? Wha--!!!
I hollered: "WHAT? Won't that start a fire?!"
OK I don't know what the fuck I was thinking. Why did I think that if you heat vinegar, it will GO ON FIRE? I don't think I've ever heated up vinegar before but when you really think about it, OF COURSE it doesn't burst into flames. If it was flammable, it would say right on it that it was. I don't know what I was thinking! OH MY GOD!
Everyone totally looked at me like: What the hell?
"Couldn't it catch on fire and burn the kettle up?" I don't think at this point my rational brain had caught up to the part of my brain that was certain vinegar is flammable.
"Uh no, you can boil vinegar." The head female and her cronies are all half-laughing at me. The half-laugh you do when you're like: Is this funny ha-ha or funny sad-clown?
The worst part is the meeting started right after that, so while I sat there, I thought about it, and realized that vinegar doesn't go on fire, and that I've boiled wine and THAT didn't burst into flames, so what's wrong with me?
When you say something that betrays your lack of knowledge about the chemical world there's nothing you can do to regain respect; that's for sure!