Dinner Party Conversations

I sent out a couple of Tweets via Twitter earlier this week about a dinner we had with friends. I had several requests for more details (Twitter limits you to very short bursts of information) so here goes:

We had several couples over for dinner one night. On the guest list were two ER doctors (husband/wife team), a small business owner and his wife (a SAHM) and a retired police officer and his wife. I knew that dinner conversation definitely had the potential of getting ... "interesting" ... with 2 cops and 2 ER docs but didn't think too much about it. Of the women, two of us were married to officers and had pretty much heard most of the stories or had developed the survival instinct of tuning them out at will.

I forgot about Lauren.

Poor, poor Lauren.

Lauren is the wife of the small biz owner who is also one of our neighbors and very good friends of ours. But she really hasn't been exposed to the down and dirty war stories that tend to come out after veteran officers gather together over a few hours of drinks and good food. ER doctors and nurses fall easily into that category, also, with many similar experiences in their line of work - and aren't easy to gross out.  (Me? I fall somewhere in the middle. Some stories I've heard so much that I've become desensitized. The rest of the time I've developed a sixth sense of knowing when to "check on the kids" or something like that.)

So there we were, enjoying our after-dinner granita in our backyard(for my foodie readers, see the full menu below) and I was deep in conversation with the other officer's wife about the kids' Little League schedule, having lost interest in the emergency room case the others were discussing. Suddenly I hear Lauren gagging, her husband patting her on the back and then she's up like a shot and running into the kitchen to "help with clearing up."

The story had turned to a case where someone had a seizure while driving and his car went into a place of business, hitting several people, children included. The driver, who should not have been driving, was so distraught when he regained consciousness, had taken a large shard of glass and in his suicidal despondency over what he had done, had attempted to slit his own throat. The doctor, who had been on ER duty that night, was describing the wound, complete with sound effects.

Poor Lauren, she was green when I checked on her and she even ended up doing all my dishes, she was too afraid to head back out for awhile. Worked out fine for me : )

Menu

• Roasted eggplant dip
• chips and salsa
• Cucumber/smoked salmon/fresh dill appetizers
• Teriyaki chicken kabobs
• BBQ Tri-tip
• Green salad
• Roasted vegetables
• Pina Colada Granita (an Italian ice dessert - like a slushy but fancied up)
• platter of chocolate-dipped strawberries, dried apricots, pretzels

Comments

[Meadowlark]

I'm happy to have always had a strong stomach. Unless the word C*c*R*ach ... I can't even TYPE the damn word.

eeewwwwwwwww

Menu sounds rockin

[Mich]

LOL,poor woman.
In the beginning of our marriage,hubby didn't tell me anything about work.
Now,I get to hear it all.
Doesn't matter where we are.
One time he told me some stuff,body parts,etc. in a restaurant ,the people at the next table looked a bit shocked and sick at the same time,lol.

BTW,the menu,yummy.
I'm heading to the station,cooking some Nurnberger Brats for the guys today :-)

[Blue bird]

Aaaaw I'm with Mich.. Poor Lauren. She found her calling that evening,cleaning your kitchen.LOL What a dear heart.
I think you already know Cliff is a ER nurse so there's really no grossing eachother.Thats actualy one of the things I really liked about him LMAO He could handle the stories.
I still think a dinner party with you,me,Cliff,Jake,Mich and DH would be priceless.
That menu is mouth watering Renee.

I'll make the Margarita's.

[Mich]

ROFL Blue,that would be one heck of a dinner party,lol.
Who can gross out who first,lol.