Culture Clash

At my last book club meeting, we decided we need to have a holiday dinner together with family members. After bouncing around a few ideas, we picked a date, decided we would have a potluck, and that it would be at my house.

Last week, I sent a reminder to my book club to confirm the arrangements. In my note, I said I would provide a main dish, a salad, and a dessert, and others could bring whatever they like rather than organizing who brings what.

Yesterday, I met some of the other women at another dinner party. They said - It's very nice of you to do all the cooking for us next week.

I said - It's a potluck. You'll be bringing food too.

- No we won't. You said you were providing a main, a salad, and a dessert.

- Yes, but that won't be enough for 12 people.

- What else can we bring then if you are doing the main, the salad, and the dessert?

- But how is it a potluck if I am doing the full dinner?

- We were confused about that - why you still called it a potluck when you were doing everything.

- Surely we'll need more than one main, one salad and one dessert for 12 people.

- You better send us another e-mail to clarify that. We thought we were getting off scot-free.

Is it just me and my excess food culture, or is it the waspiness of my book club friends and their small-eating ways? Had I, in my personal gluttony, assumed that 12 people would need more than one main, one salad, and one dessert? Is that why another friend wrote back to say she'll bring wine and I quietly thought, What about food?

So I sent out another e-mail to correct any misinterpretation of my previous e-mail.

At this point, one week of my French class has been cancelled and I have not lost 10 lbs. Next week, The Man comes home. I am still fat and I still can't speak French. I will have to return that French maid's outfit and forget about playing games with The Man.