Thursday, August 04, 2005
Time to get gone
When E left us a couple weeks ago, the Bs took us out to dinner, took pictures of her and all of us (for their wall of interns or some muckety-muck), and we had us a grand time.
This past week they've been in a good mood and have mentioned their appreciation of the hard work we've been thrusting out lately. In fact, 2 nights ago they broke out a bottle of wine at dinner as appreciation and toasted us! Very exciting.
Then last night happened. During the day, the male half of the Bs made a remark about D buying dinner that night (a 'joke' he's told every time we've gone out to eat). We assumed that dinner would be out in public since he said this, and since it was the last night we would all eat together; C leaves tomorrow to begin house-sitting in town and D works tonight. Ok, fine. Another nice send-off.
Instead, dinner time approaches and nothing is said about eating out. So we go into the house at the usual meal-time (6pm sharp) and are met with mini-lecture and passive-aggressive attacks and more lectures! We collected most of the ice from the main house fridge to makes smoothies and keep our bevvies cool during the work day. D took the ice, and I checked at lunch to see if more was being made. There were no markings on the ice maker (on/off) but there were cubes in the dish; D said he took every last one. B begins to lecture me on leaving it empty and accusing me of being a shitty engineer for not knowing how an ice-maker works. A bit taken aback, I made mention of the fact that I have never had an auto ice-maker, and that's why I am not familiar with the operation (under my breath I added that being an engineer does not qualify me to be an expert in all things mechanical or engineering related, a feat B takes great pains to convince us he's capable of. Which he's not. Digression).
I get into dinner and see that it is chicken with small servings of veggies. Not bad, only C is vegan! So her big going-away dinner was a few un-seasoned veggies! But they gave us wine again.
Next the passive-aggressive assault was launched.
While picking coffee beans, we'd pulled the farm truck (the old, rusted out beat-up farm truck, not the newly purchased oft-used replacement that we are not allowed to touch) down so that we could turn up the radio and listen to some tunes. Apparently the Bs took umbrage at the interruption of their enjoyment of the quiet lower farm (they were picking up a ways). No request was made to lower the volume while we picked. Instead at dinner, a series of attacking comments were made about the racket being made, the noisiness we dumped all over the farm, and on and on. Attempting to change the subject I made mention of the fun the Bs seemed to be having as we could hear them laughing away. The response was a withering attack at me and how could I hear anything above the noise. While no request was made for more quiet, this morning as we walked out to pick more D was asked if he remembered what She-B had asked him. He said yes, though nothing was ever asked. Several other comments were made on our way out and throughout the day.
Next up, a commentary on my eating! Greatly annoyed at their attitudes, the lectures, and the food selection, I said very little during the meal. Instead I hurried thru my food and wine hoping for a quick end to the disaster. She-B said to me in a very snotty tone: "Why are you leaving all that meat behind?" Or something to that effect. I pointed out that it was all meat and fat and skin. Grunted noises followed. Now for those who know me, being told what to do, especially in a condescending way, is not something I am apparently equipped to deal with. Especially nearing 3 decades of existence by someone who is not my mom about something I am very accustomed to such as eating. Frustration level went way up.
When asked how much coffee cherry we'd harvested (115 pounds, a high for us thus far), He-B responded with a very condescending (a tone of voice he's perfected): "That's all?"
The rest of the conversation was not helped by the three of us. It was a bitter accusatory series of rants by the Bs. A huge turn-around (for no apparent reason) from the night before. Since they made mention of all the harvesting help they'll need in the coming months and the interns they don't have coming, we figure maybe they are not happy with us leaving. BUT, we gave them plenty of notice. I was supposed to have left a couple months ago. C was always going to leave tomorrow, and D...is cutting his stay short but with plenty of warning.
No idea where it all came from, but what a way to give someone a send-off! Polar opposite of how her friend was given the bon voyage. Unfounded nastiness.
Of course C is vegan, has dreads, and lives/believes in the organic lifestyle (like other farmers and workers of the organic nature. Yes, this is pretty much an organic farm recruiting farm help from organic volunteers. Yet the Bs can't seem to accept the organic way of life as acceptable. No, we have no idea why they bought this farm).
I can't wait to leave here on Wednesday and assist in the house-sitting. Hopefully I can avoid any sort of send-off dinner, especially if it will be of the same ilk as last night's.
This past week they've been in a good mood and have mentioned their appreciation of the hard work we've been thrusting out lately. In fact, 2 nights ago they broke out a bottle of wine at dinner as appreciation and toasted us! Very exciting.
Then last night happened. During the day, the male half of the Bs made a remark about D buying dinner that night (a 'joke' he's told every time we've gone out to eat). We assumed that dinner would be out in public since he said this, and since it was the last night we would all eat together; C leaves tomorrow to begin house-sitting in town and D works tonight. Ok, fine. Another nice send-off.
Instead, dinner time approaches and nothing is said about eating out. So we go into the house at the usual meal-time (6pm sharp) and are met with mini-lecture and passive-aggressive attacks and more lectures! We collected most of the ice from the main house fridge to makes smoothies and keep our bevvies cool during the work day. D took the ice, and I checked at lunch to see if more was being made. There were no markings on the ice maker (on/off) but there were cubes in the dish; D said he took every last one. B begins to lecture me on leaving it empty and accusing me of being a shitty engineer for not knowing how an ice-maker works. A bit taken aback, I made mention of the fact that I have never had an auto ice-maker, and that's why I am not familiar with the operation (under my breath I added that being an engineer does not qualify me to be an expert in all things mechanical or engineering related, a feat B takes great pains to convince us he's capable of. Which he's not. Digression).
I get into dinner and see that it is chicken with small servings of veggies. Not bad, only C is vegan! So her big going-away dinner was a few un-seasoned veggies! But they gave us wine again.
Next the passive-aggressive assault was launched.
While picking coffee beans, we'd pulled the farm truck (the old, rusted out beat-up farm truck, not the newly purchased oft-used replacement that we are not allowed to touch) down so that we could turn up the radio and listen to some tunes. Apparently the Bs took umbrage at the interruption of their enjoyment of the quiet lower farm (they were picking up a ways). No request was made to lower the volume while we picked. Instead at dinner, a series of attacking comments were made about the racket being made, the noisiness we dumped all over the farm, and on and on. Attempting to change the subject I made mention of the fun the Bs seemed to be having as we could hear them laughing away. The response was a withering attack at me and how could I hear anything above the noise. While no request was made for more quiet, this morning as we walked out to pick more D was asked if he remembered what She-B had asked him. He said yes, though nothing was ever asked. Several other comments were made on our way out and throughout the day.
Next up, a commentary on my eating! Greatly annoyed at their attitudes, the lectures, and the food selection, I said very little during the meal. Instead I hurried thru my food and wine hoping for a quick end to the disaster. She-B said to me in a very snotty tone: "Why are you leaving all that meat behind?" Or something to that effect. I pointed out that it was all meat and fat and skin. Grunted noises followed. Now for those who know me, being told what to do, especially in a condescending way, is not something I am apparently equipped to deal with. Especially nearing 3 decades of existence by someone who is not my mom about something I am very accustomed to such as eating. Frustration level went way up.
When asked how much coffee cherry we'd harvested (115 pounds, a high for us thus far), He-B responded with a very condescending (a tone of voice he's perfected): "That's all?"
The rest of the conversation was not helped by the three of us. It was a bitter accusatory series of rants by the Bs. A huge turn-around (for no apparent reason) from the night before. Since they made mention of all the harvesting help they'll need in the coming months and the interns they don't have coming, we figure maybe they are not happy with us leaving. BUT, we gave them plenty of notice. I was supposed to have left a couple months ago. C was always going to leave tomorrow, and D...is cutting his stay short but with plenty of warning.
No idea where it all came from, but what a way to give someone a send-off! Polar opposite of how her friend was given the bon voyage. Unfounded nastiness.
Of course C is vegan, has dreads, and lives/believes in the organic lifestyle (like other farmers and workers of the organic nature. Yes, this is pretty much an organic farm recruiting farm help from organic volunteers. Yet the Bs can't seem to accept the organic way of life as acceptable. No, we have no idea why they bought this farm).
I can't wait to leave here on Wednesday and assist in the house-sitting. Hopefully I can avoid any sort of send-off dinner, especially if it will be of the same ilk as last night's.
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