It’s not very often that we have company stay over for more than just one meal. Sharing a meal is about all the time we can squeeze out of our busy lives. In other cases, that’s about all the interaction we can handle with other humans. So opening up our home and inviting a non-related adult person for a weekend is a rare occurrence. Almost like the Olympics it seems- about once every four years.
We gladly open our home, but only every four years.
The last time we were in Calgary, a friend of ours whom we met years ago through the convention circuit, mentioned she would be out our way. We offered to meet up with her and spend some time away from the comic con lifestyle and just shoot the shit. She was attending a work summit in Whistler, BC so we drove out to meet her. We returned to our home and had this other person stay with us for a couple of nights. Of course not only did we have to supply a private room and clean linens for our guest, I even had to feed this person. Not just dinner, but numerous meals. I’m not going to lie to you, I enjoyed it.
I love to cook. I love to show off my mad culinary skills. I love to discuss how I make the food- from preparing to cooking to displaying to eating. The majority of my friends know that if they want to meet up for a dinner with my wife and I, I never suggest a restaurant. I would much rather make a home cooked meal. Even our children’s friends want to come back for meals more often.
Not only did we set the table, I built it from scratch as well.
Besides patting myself on the back about how amazing I am at being a chef, I am also a perfectionist when it comes to food. I time everything to be ready at the same moment. This can often lead to a bit of organized chaos in the kitchen/dining area/patio (or all three) as the meal is being finished.
But the best part is the enjoyment of eating the meal. Every meal I made this weekend brought pleasure to our guest. Not just, “Thanks. That was good.” But a pleasure you could witness by the silence. After our last meal with her, she commented on how great the weekend was and also said, “Seeing someone’s ears move during a meal is a better sign than hearing someone rave about the food.” This really made me beam inside.
Take a break from life.
She also told us she hasn’t slept that well in weeks until she stayed in our home. Our lifestyle is laid back. We didn’t make any plans with her to race around town. Instead we just woke up when we wanted, relaxed in the backyard,listened to music, shared a few drinks and stories. It’s a huge sigh of relief to most people when they come out to experience a little bit of nothing. We gave our friend undivided attention, barely ever reaching for a mobile device.
Perhaps it’s time to invite more people to stay more often. If you ever want to get away from it all for a couple days of R&R- come to our castle. You will be greeted like family and treated like royalty without even realizing it.
Making It Up As I Go 