40 Dozen. Forty Dozen. 40? Forty Dozen

That is what I kept saying over and over last night.

Bill got home late after a flute and guitar rehearsal.  I was asleep when he arrived home - the day had gone a bit crazy on me and I was tired.  Though I guess I'm allowed to sleep, no explanation required, right?

Anyway, he got home, very chatty from too much coffee in the afternoon (he is very susceptible to the effects of caffeine) and proceeded to basically, in that charming way some men have, annoy me as much as possible.  Chattering on and on, poking his cold feet at me, I can't even think of all of it; I just tried feign sleep, hoping he'd get bored and go to sleep himself.

And then, when it seemed like he was going to do just that, he sprung it on me.

"Oh, by the way, I got an email from J (the mother of one of his chorus students who organizes all the fundraisers and raffles and things they've got going on this year)...she wanted to know if you could still make the cookies."

The chorus (over 200 kids) are having a pasta dinner in a few nights to help raise money for their participaton in a regional music festival in the spring.  Last year, some local bakery had donated chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  This year they can't or something.  Anyway, a couple of weeks ago - WEEKS, mind you - when this was brought to my husband's attention, he volunteered my baking services.  Which was fine.  And it was weeks ago.  And the suggestion was put on "maybe, we'll see" status, I guess, because that was the last I'd heard about it.

Until last night.

I guess they still need cookies.  They've sold...oh...400 tickets or so, at least.  Bill was saying it might be 500.

Five Hundred.

And, in my half-asleep state, my math skills weren't fully functional, so I said something like..."Oh...that's not too horrible I guess...it's only about five dozen."  zzzzzzzzzz

And after a bit of silence, Bill said, laughing "I think it's a bit more than five dozen...five dozen is only 60.  You're talking more like 40 dozen."

And yes, it's actually 41.666666666666666666666666 dozen, to be precise. 

But forty dozen sounds tidier, so I'll stick with that.

Forty dozen.

Oh, and the pasta dinner?  This Tuesday.

Today?  Well, we've got an appointment to have our taxes done this afternoon with our accountant who is a half hour away, and tonight we've already got other obligations.

So that leaves tomorrow.  Monday.  And Tuesday.

Which, I know, is certainly not impossible.

But still.

40 dozen cookies.

That might change - I told Bill he needs to call J and check on the number, and he said he'll see if any of the other parents can help out by making a portion of what's needed.  But oddly enough, there's a part of me that doesn't want anyone else doing them.  A crazy part, but a part nonetheless. 

I'll let you know what happens.

If you don't hear from me til Wednesday, you can safely assume I'm up to my elbows in butter and sugar and flour and eggs.

**Update** Don't have to make 40 dozen.  34 dozen will do.  Ahh...that's LOTS better!

Comments

[Jenny]

I get in these situations too - and I too don't want someone else taking on the baking load - because what if their cookie is not as good - or even bad and someone thinks it is yours! Good luck.

[judith]

I'm right there with you, my mom would call this the Little Red Hen syndrome. And you can't just say NO... that's what all the other people did. I feel for you, at least you won't have dry elbows being up to them in butter all weekend.

[Quirky Jessi]

Ah yes, 34 dozen is totally doable. Definitely better than 40 dozen. ;)

[Kat]

Yikes! As a veteran GS camp cook, might I suggest baking a bar cookie of some type? Brownies would be good, too, and would fly together really quickly.

[Jayne]

Id had a similar thought, at least for some of them. Ill be posting about the whole thing once Im done, I think. Thanks!

[dr.kwolf]

Spritz from a cookie press? They go fast!

Yeah... have fun with that.... ;-)

[RoseAnn]

Oh my! I will be thinking of you this weekend and wishing there were something I could do from afar to nudge you toward that 34 dozen goal!

I knew there was a reason that I don't let on that I can cook more than I do! LOL DH never volunteers me for anything involving food! ;)

[Katie]

Do you mind if I PRAY FOR YOU in church tomorrow? Because, seriously, 34 dozen cookies. By Tuesday.

It hurts me to even think about it.

[Wendy]

Oh well.... 34 dozen ...... *faints dead away* Still, it could have been the full 41.666 dozen! Looking forward to reading the next installment! Good luck and happy baking!

[Karla]

Wishing you well, and hoping you have a cookie scoop - I have two and I LOVE them. Look forward to hearing from you Thursday (after a day to recuperate!)
Prayers from me too, for sure. (and for DH, that he remembers sooner next time)

[roo]

a lovely thing to have launched on you after you'd already fallen asleep.

Do you have friends who like to make cookies, too? Maybe you can hornswoggle some of them into helping you out? A few tears, a little 'It's for the CHILDREN!'

either way, if you do it, your hubby owes you big-time backrubs and maybe a night on the town . ..