On Jan 27, 4:59*pm, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:38:56 -0800 (PST), Lenona >
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >Pretty amusing.
>
> >Lenona.
>
> >http://www.buffalonews.com/life/colu...ners/article32...
>
> >A proper postponement?
>
> >Dear Miss Manners: A few weeks ago, my husband and I invited a couple
> >who are neighbors to a small cocktail party, just the four of us. They
> >were supposed to arrive at our house at 6 p.m.
>
> >At 5 p.m. that same evening they called to ask us to postpone this
> >party until the following night. I replied no and I mentioned that I
> >had already prepared the food.
>
> >The wife mentioned that the husband had an emergency and could not
> >make it. I was stunned then, and I m still stunned today. When I
> >looked outside, his car was parked in his spot at 6:15 p. m. I don t
> >know how to react to this. To me, she should have maybe showed up for
> >a short time to show us that this reason was legitimate and he could
> >have joined us later.
>
> >I spoke to her later and she appears like nothing happened and does
> >not care that we lost hundreds of dollars worth of food and the time
> >it took us to prepare the party. This has never happened to me in 50
> >years. I had people cancel the day before, the morning of but never
> >one hour before. How would Miss Manners react?
>
> >Gentle Reader: With amazement that cocktail food for four people could
> >cost hundreds of dollars. What were you serving buckets of caviar?
>
> >The answer is that while your neighbors were wrong to treat the
> >occasion so lightly, you are treating it rather heavily. Stopping by
> >for drinks with the neighbors does sound like a casual event that
> >could easily be postponed, in contrast to an elaborate cocktail party,
> >which is presumed to involve major preparation and a goodly number of
> >guests. Had you invited them for dinner perhaps they might have taken
> >the invitation more seriously.
>
> >But it is open to you to make your point by inquiring sympathetically
> >about the emergency is he all right? Is there anything you can do to
> >help?
>
> >Just please do not admit to spying on his car. This proves nothing, as
> >he could have been taken away in an ambulance, but is the sign of a
> >creepy neighbor.
>
> What kind of imbecile prepares HUNDREDS of $$$$$ in food for cocktails
> with two neighbors... were it me all I'd have to do is put the bottles
> and glasses back in the bar hutch, rewrap a couple three cheeses, and
> close up two boxes of crackers... I'd have lost a little extra ice but
> I'd have learned that those neighbors belong on my Do Not Invite
> Douchebags list.

Precisely.