Monday, August 31, 2009

The missing third cup . . . . .A mystery. .

I know that the legend of the"missing sock" is pretty much, eventually, a reality for anyone who does laundry.

I myself have lost more socks to that vicious dryer than I care to remember.

But today I'm going to tell you of a far more obscure missing act than just a few missing articles of footwear.

During the course of my professional, wife/mom career, I will admit to having lost many different things.

Socks, of course.
Courtney's Coco bear. (earlier post)
For that matter, Donald's Georgie (A story for another day)
Books, cd's, VHS tapes, (I know. I know. Big Deal) DVD's, stamps, pencils and pens, dishes, silverware, rugs?

A few of these items have been dearly missed, but for most of them, nah. A short time for mourning and they are soon forgotten.

Not to mention quickly replaced, if necessary.

But there is one thing that seems to come up missing no matter how many of them I buy. I hope to one day get to the bottom of this, but, I seriously doubt I ever will.

For some reason I cannot keep my hands on my 1/3 cup, measuring cups.

That's right. The ever missing 1/3 measuring cup.

I have been plagued by this for years. It seems that I am constantly buying measuring cup sets. I should try to find a place that sells them separately.

And I know there are places that do.

But I also would be willing to bet that buying just one 1/3 cup would set me back for at least the price of three whole sets.

That is something I just can't do.
Really.
I actually did find a store one time while out of town.
Years ago mind you.
Low and behold they did have measuring cups that you could buy by the piece. I just wasn't willing to spend 6 bucks on ONE measuring cup.

Actually, I did seriously consider it.

The problem was that I knew I would suffer from a temporary insanity if I bought it and shortly after
it disappeared.

Does anyone else have this problem?

I mean, Why? Why would someone sneak off with only the 1/3 cup?!?
I could almost understand a missing 1/2 cup.
A whole cup?
Easy to understand.

There are any number of times when the use of a half cup or a whole cup might come in useful.

Maybe someone wants to take a 12 ounce bottle of shampoo, and put it into three separate but equal containers.
Don't ask me why. But it could happen.
You know?

Maybe kids would come in and take off with a lovely round 1 cup measuring cup.
Like maybe for a sand box, or perhaps play dough?

Yes a missing 1/2 or a whole cup I might be able to understand. But a missing 1/3 cup?

WHY???

Who on earth has any need for a lonely little third cup?

I mean, it's a rather obscure size as far as the Measuring Universe goes.

That's what makes it so maddening. Why just the 1/3? I have drawers over flowing with 1, 1/2, 1/4, even the practically useless 1/8 cup.

Buy just try to reach in there and pull out a 1/3.

Not in my house you can't.

I found myself badly needing one today. I was making myself some Oatmeal for breakfast. I know that the "serving" size is supposed to be a 1/2 cup, but sorry, too much Oatmeal for me.
Nope.
I like my Oatmeal.
Just not too much of it.

Back to this morning.

I get out the Oatmeal.
I get a bowl.
I get out the salt.
I turn on the faucet to hot. (I don't really know why but I like to start my Oatmeal with hot tap water)

I open up the drawer where my measuring cups reside.

Oh hello there, Mr 1 cup. I see that your fellow 1 cups are all here as well.
Ah yes, there you are Mr 1/2 cup. You and all of your 1/2 cup brothers.
No no, don't get up.

Today I need Mr 1/3.

No, not you Mr 1/4 cup. I know that I neglect you a bit but I need more Oatmeal than you can provide.

Reality sets in. Mr 1/3 cup has gone AWOL.

AGAIN!

Of course he has. Well, I guess he might be in the dishwasher.
No such luck.
Not that I had ever really expected to find him there anyway.

Oh Mr 1/3 cup.
Why are you always gone?
I have at least five sets of measuring cups and you are the one that is always lost.

Then I see him.

Poor,
bedraggled,
20 year old,
missing half a handle,
small chip in his plastic,
geriatric Mr 1/3 cup.
He is usually the one I end up finding.
I handle him gently.
After all, I realize that it is probably his age and his poor health that stops him from escaping.

I'm tempted to look a little longer.

I know that if I search hard enough I just might find, strong, healthy and still quite attractive, Mr. New, Green with silver lettering, Playtex cup. His brothers 1, 1/2, and ever eager 1/4 cup are all there.

Of course THEY aren't telling.

Just for a minute I have to wonder if something sinister is afoot.
Is it possible that Mr 1/3 is the pariah of the measuring cup world.
You know?
Not quite a 1/2 but more than a 1/4.

I guess what I'm wondering is,
maybe he didn't jump.
What if he was pushed???

Well I think that this mystery is beyond my powers of deduction. One of these days, I just know that I'm going to buy another set of measuring cups.

Kelly will complain of course.

He trades doing the dishes for room and board. (Another case of a poor, broke, starving college student, doing what it takes to survive.)
Kelly hates me bringing home new dishes of any kind.
After all, he's the one who has to find a place to put them.

Hold onto your shorts Kelly, because I just may come home one of these days with a brand new set of measuring cups.

The problem though, is I always wonder if I should just save myself the grief and go ahead and toss the 1/3 cup in the trash immediately. I know that the first time I go to look for him he will have left anyway.

Fortunately, concerning kitchen wares at least, I happen to be an incurable optimist.

The cycle will continue.
I will buy them.
They will disappear.
I will be dismayed.
I will buy more.

Yeah, I guess you could say, that as far as I'm concerned the 1/3 cup is always half full.

14 comments:

Kelly said...

If it were possible for that rats nest of a miscellaneous utensil drawer to stay organized for more than five minutes, I'd have no problem with a new set of measuring cups.

I hate disappearing 1/3 cups too. I need them to make Cream of Wheat.

Amy J. said...

Hilarious...sorry to laugh at your misfortune but I too can't begin to figure this one out! Do take care of Mr. Gariatric though! :)

Stephanie said...

Oh, Susan, you are back. I missed your stories and humor.

As to the disappearing 1/3 measuring cup I have found that now that Dave and I are the only ones here who cook and clean I can find everything. Having adult children in the home seems to add to the disappearing.

Jennybell said...

My husband takes my 1/3 cups because that's what he uses to measure his coffee, and they walk away so he takes one from my other set until I have none. Once you leave a cup setting in ground coffee for a month, you really can't use it for anything else.

Alicia said...

I have had a very similar experience with missing measuring spoons. They were all missing, and low and behold they had popped out of the silverware tray in my dishwasher to collect in the bottom of the dishwasher by the drain. This is kind of gross and required another round of washing before they were ready for use. You can imagine how this saga continues...

I am currently missing all but a few table knives...but I know where they are. I have a sneaking suspiscion that Daniel has been collecting them in his computer room.

Lisa Christine said...

And this is why you need to blog more than once a month! You have a talent for telling a good story. This one had me laughing!! I am wonderinf if this is some very elaborate prank....but the question is, who is the prankster??

I would suspect Donald, but I haven't found any stolen third cups stashed around my house.

welcome back!

Amanda said...

And it just always has to be the one that you use that goes missing! Sods Law.
Things go missing every.single.day. in our hose :-/

My Three Sons said...

This is one of my favorite posts of your's!

How funny....I HATE it when I can't find the right measuring spoon or cup! (and by the way, I start my oatmeal with hot tap water, too, I think in my mind it will come to a boil faster that way :)

Thanks for the fun post!

Heidi D said...

We loose spoons. We buy silverware and the first thing to go is little spoons. I think I have 3 left from the original purchase. I started with 8-10 I think.

Jeanette said...

WELCOME BACK!

We loose hair brushes. The girls will fight over who lost it, I will buy new ones, they will loose them. Then, they come asking to borrow mine. My strict rule is-it doesn't leave my room.

libbie said...

You have GOT to get to the bottom of this! Something is just not right about losing the 1/3 all the time!

You are hilarious! LOVE It!

David said...

5 days since your post, have you found the missing 1/3 cup yet?

My Three Sons said...

Susan, yes, it is definitely a possibility for my family to move back, & I think a chaperoned date for Marisa and Sean is a FaBuLoUs idea! (Then you and my Mom could get to know eachother, too...can I come along? :)

dani said...

a MUCH needed light and funny read, suz:) just a thought... is it possible that don uses 1/3 cup to mix oil for lawn equipment???
much love,
dani xxxx