"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:38:56 -0800 (PST), Lenona >
> wrote:
>
>>Pretty amusing.
>>
>>Lenona.
>>
>>http://www.buffalonews.com/life/colu...icle325123.ece
>>
>>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.
>> (much snippage)

>>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...

No kidding! Even if I served seafood cocktails which contain scallops and
shrimp it wouldn't cost hundreds of dollars.

> 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.
>
Not to mention, just because his car was in the driveway doesn't mean he
didn't have an emergency. Who knows what sort of emergency it is? The word
"emergency" doesn't necessarily equate to something medical or a reason for
his car to have moved. Maybe it was a work emergency. So many people work
from home these days, he could have been held up via phone by a tyrannical
boss and a computer. It happened to me often enough when I did software
tech support for a living, usually on holiday weekends.

Jill

On 31/01/2011 8:55 AM, jmcquown wrote:

> Not to mention, just because his car was in the driveway doesn't mean he
> didn't have an emergency. Who knows what sort of emergency it is? The
> word "emergency" doesn't necessarily equate to something medical or a
> reason for his car to have moved. Maybe it was a work emergency. So many
> people work from home these days, he could have been held up via phone
> by a tyrannical boss and a computer. It happened to me often enough when
> I did software tech support for a living, usually on holiday weekends.
>


There could be more to it than meets the eye, Perhaps it is a matter of
credibility. If someone can be counted on to remember an invitation and
to show up, they might be more readily excused for an emergency. If
OTOH, they have a more causal approach to invitations and sometimes
don't show up, their excuses might be treated with a little more
skepticism.

One of my nephews is notorious for being late, really late. My FiL used
to have a family Christmas party/ birthday party the weekend before
Christmas. Nephew lived closer than anyone else, but he was always late.
He always had an excuse, but he was always late. The buffet was served
at 11:30 and Fil wanted us there for 11. We drove 80- miles and were
able to make it on time.

One year the nephew showed up after 1 pm. His excuse was that he had had
to take his daughter to the hospital the night before and didn't get
home until 2 am. I figured he was always late and always had an excuse,
and that he had just come up with a better excuse. No one questions
acts of kindness for infants.

I didn't buy the excuse. The daughter was living with her mother. If she
had to go to ER the mother would have taken her. He was free to come to
the party without her in the morning. Even if he didn't get home until
2 am he still had lots of time to get some sleep and be there for 11.

On Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:55:09 -0500, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
.. .
>> On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:38:56 -0800 (PST), Lenona >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Pretty amusing.
>>>
>>>Lenona.
>>>
>>>http://www.buffalonews.com/life/colu...icle325123.ece
>>>
>>>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.
>>> (much snippage)
>
>>>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...
>
>No kidding! Even if I served seafood cocktails which contain scallops and
>shrimp it wouldn't cost hundreds of dollars.
>
>> 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.
>>
>Not to mention, just because his car was in the driveway doesn't mean he
>didn't have an emergency. Who knows what sort of emergency it is? The word
>"emergency" doesn't necessarily equate to something medical or a reason for
>his car to have moved. Maybe it was a work emergency. So many people work
>from home these days, he could have been held up via phone by a tyrannical
>boss and a computer. It happened to me often enough when I did software
>tech support for a living, usually on holiday weekends.

That wifey wouldn't give the nature of the emergency smells fishy...
the most likely reason for a last minute cancel with a nebulous
explanation is that they got a better offer.... most likely they got
the better offer much sooner but purposely waited till last minute to
make the "emergency" seem legitimate and left no time to make further
inquery... these people have done this before, they're experts at the
stand-up/leave-flat. Such douchebags get *permanently* removed from
my social calender. I'm not very good with accepting alibis, the two
lamest being "I forgot/I lost your phone number"... in this day and
age of cell phones and email it's not possible to forget, especially
not possible to lose a phone number.

On Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:29:43 -0000, Janet > wrote:

>In article >, Brooklyn1
>says...
>
>> That wifey wouldn't give the nature of the emergency smells fishy...
>
> IME, in an emergency people
> may not have time (or inclination) for explanations, or may need to
>clear their phone line to make or recieve other calls to deal with it.
>
> Janet.

If someone has time to make a call to cancel then they have time to
say why. If they don't have an inclination to make a brief
explanation then they are not someone I ever want to bother with
again. Wasting someones time/effort/expense requires an explanation
and an apology. There is never an excuse for the manners (lack of)
you were taught.