My Wacky Cleveland Weekend

[steveindenver]

So my partner David and I visited his 80 year old uncle this past weekend outside of Cleveland. His uncle lives with an elderly woman friend. David and I figured we'd take meals as they come. So our first meal was lunch - she plops down this gelatinous egg casserole on the table and I whisper to David (ask what's in it!). So he does, and of course, there's bread in it. So I politely decline, explain the situation and end up making a scrambled egg.

Happy hour must take place there often, because around 4 PM she comes out with Kaluha and creams. I politely decline, again, stating I am not sure and have to research EVERYTHING.

Dinner time comes around - ribs, baked potato, spinach casserole. All seems safe and we checked out the bbq sauce on the ribs.

Lunch that day was out with my cousins at Champp's. Safe. Uneventful.

Happy hour occurs later when we're back. I hear her tell David's uncle in the kitchen, "Give this one to David. I don't think the other one wants one." I guess I've been deemed the other one now, even though when we met her yesterday, she said she has a son named David and another one named Steve so she'll remember our names. Nice.

Dinner comes around - she plops down this plate of roasted chicken, STUFFING and the entire plate is smothered in gravy. I politely say I am just going to take one without stuffing and gravy. Her response, "What could be in gravy you can't eat?!" HELLO! I realize you're 80 and a bit ditzy and haven't dusted your house in about three years as you can't see out of one eye and you have dumb pictures of dogs and knick knacks of owls EVERYWHERE and your shower had cobwebs in it but you should at least know that there is flour in gravy.

So I ended up safely eating about two bites of chicken and potatoes, after I rinsed the chicken off in the sink with her watching, as there was already stuffing on my plate.

Dessert was strawberry shortcake, sans shortcake for me. That was safe.

It was just quite the adventure and I realize not everyone understands Celiac and nor do I EVER expect anyone to cook special for me, but it constantly amazes me the amount of people that think wheat and flour are not related in any form.

Overall, it was quite the adventure and we had some good laughs.

[jerseyangel]

Oh Steve, that does sound wacky!

This is why when I visited family in another state this summer, I brought all of my own food. It took some advance planning, but I got enough to eat and stayed well.

If you can't bring your food because of having to fly, etc--I would go grocery shopping as soon as I hit town and make my own meals.

Anyway, glad you could see the humor in all of it--"the other one" Having a sense of humor goes a long way dealing with this thing!

[hez]

I am sure you and David will laugh about that trip for years to come!

Hez