Not Down with the Cracking

Every once in a while the family will have something for dinner that we don't like.  Steaks, mostly but there have been other things.

Because codependency, they always invite us even though they know it's something we don't eat. Even though they know that Kevin will feel obligated to attend.  It's always phrased as "I know you don't like this but..." and followed with "We can make/made you something else"  So now we're committed because the King of PassiveAgreevia has let us know that they went out of their way to buy us different food with a dash of "You're so picky."

Anyway...(I am so over his brother right now. I can't even)

A few weekends ago they decided that they were going to have a seafood boil.  If you don't know what it is: click here.  Their version had crab, "steamer" clams, prawns, baby potatoes, and sausage.

One of their favorite restaurants is in Seattle and this is the main item on the menu.  We have always been "Hard Pass" on this restaurant.  It is, however, topped by a steak restaurant that carries different kinds of steak and meat cuts around like a traveling buffet.  I am not a germaphobe but dude, how is this a thing?

Anyway, times two.

Kevin, of course, said yes.  Fortunately the kids were here so that lessened my annoyance.

We sat outside at the picnic table and they dumped the pot out onto three trays.  Kevin was immediately all "NOPE". He is not a big seafood fan and he has a thing about his food not looking like the animals/crustaceans that they were.

"Well, you can eat the potatoes and the sausage." his brother says. Then he took the bag of spices out of the pile and I swear I saw Kevin gag.  "What...what was THAT?" he asked.

Not to be ungrateful but I/we have said that I don't eat red meat anymore.  Neither of us eat crab and I find the process annoying. Not that I'm annoyed but that a person in this day and age has to fight so hard for their food.

And his brother invariably will say "Why don't you try...?" or "You've had....before."  Which puts us in a defensive space and have to explain for the one billionth time that he/I/we don't want to.  We're grown ass adults, we know what we like to eat.  It just happens to be mostly opposite of everything they eat so, you know, we're the weird ones.

So, they made us the unhealthy salmon and potato salad.  Yep, allergic to eggs and mayonnaise so, super fun.  There was bread though, that was good.  Kevin, bless his heart, just said - and loudly for the people in the back - "Just eat what you can."

PAUSE:  I am not precious about allergies.  I rarely mention it unless forced to.  I can order in restaurants just fine.  Nowhere else in the universe is this a Thing.  Sigh. Okay, clarification made. Not a fragile blossom.

PLAY:

Getting past the whole we don't eat this food thing.  Neither of us are big sensory people, meaning that we're sensitive to lots of different things. I've talked about this before.  Usually I'm okay, I can roll with it.  But this style of food and presentation and eating had me all spun out.

I mean c'mon. Mixed foods, open air, everyone digging through it, seafood smell, listening & watching crabs and clams being cracked open and disemboweled.  Just no.  Even I was surprised at how spun out I was and I LIVE in my brain.  I can only imagine how Kevin was dealing.

It was one of the most unpleasant meals I've ever endured.  And I have a list of those.  The only shiny side is we taught Sweet baby how to crack open crabs, then potatoes and then carrots. "I want to do it another" he says.