I fucking hate it! My wife comes from a culture which places a high value on hospitality towards guests, but I don't want to have to cook, clean, serve, or entertain anyone in my home. I just want to be left alone to be my weird filthy misanthropic self in peace and privacy. Maybe that makes me an asshole, but anyone spending any amount of time in my personal space causes me large amounts of anxiety. Anyone who comes over should have a distinct purpose, and leave immediately once its been fulfilled. No loitering or lingering, no chatting or visiting - just get out.
Post-avant-retro-demelodicized-electro-yodel-core is my jam.
I don't object to it. The guys I live with have friends over all the time, so it's like Grand Central Station around our house. I sometimes feed them when they get hungry, but mostly, I just stay upstairs while the gang plays in the video game room downstairs.
No, I never entertain more than one.
In the world's harsh wear and tear many a very sincere attachment is slowly obliterated.
Είμαι ταξιδιώτης τόσο στο χρόνο όσο και στο διάστημα
I love to cook and enjoy entertaining. Not so much during covid but before the pandemic I loved it.
Hugs,
Mysteria
Yes. Hence the formal dining room v. the dining area. I haven't held any entertaining events of any kind for over...yah, going on two years now, given my workplace and work demands concomitant with and amplified by the arrival of SARS2-nCoV-19, but yes.
I love the little details in setting a proper table, in making the house glow with scented candles and floral arrangements (see: profile/florist), love laying out the sterling silver utensils and serve ware, and the feel of history in the cut crystal salt cellars and the sterling silver napkin rings, bearing the crest of the RAF on the obverse and the winged caduceus on the reverse. Even the things that might go unnoticed, like pressed linen Scottish lace work mantle scarves, they're all a part of the joy of entertaining.
As to the actual food--that is left to my sons, for good reason. Unless it's specifically a Viet or Cambodian meal to be served, in which case I do the cooking. Otherwise, yah, I'm a shit cook, and so my boys have long since aced the art of planning, preparing and serving everything from a family meal to a multi-course meal.
My tasks are limited to selecting wines, ensuring that the liquor cabinet is stocked (my mum's one piece of good advice, ever: "Always keep a liquor cabinet, well-stocked, with bitters and garnishes, and a copy of the Bartender's Bible. No one will care if the lasagna is burnt if you can mix a solid martini."), and cleaning up.
Now that I've reclaimed my formal dining room from a certain Very Normal Rooster who still yell/crows "Good Morning" or if he sees me, "Loud's a GOOD BIRD", quite clearly instead of, you know, just crowing, it's kind of depressing. Dusted, scrubbed, cleaned, sparkling, and woefully unused.
I can't entertain--or won't, out of an abundance of caution d/t again, the nature of my work and the various emerging SARS2-nCoV-19 variants of concern (VOC), primarily still b.1.1.7, b.1.1.7+E484K, and b.1.351, here in the Lower Mainland/Pacific Northwest. There are other factors currently in play as well which will probably be a bit of a thing for a while.
Want to spend some time wallowing in a Recommended Read? Pick one! Or two! Or seven!
I don't mind friends or family over for dinner or something, but I haven't missed it much either. And large groups, with the amount of work involved, are something I prefer to do rarely. My extended family is now up to 18 as the kids in my son's generation start getting married and that's going to make for a helluva Christmas dinner this year if we can do it. For me, the ideal "entertaining" is a few friends over for a board game or something. No dinner to prepare, just drinks and munchies.
