It's a hard job but someone's got to do it.
Over the past two years of living together as husband and wife, CBC has jokingly referred to me as 'The Tea Police' as I harry and shoo him to finish any cup of tea. If he leaves a cup of tea unattended or doesn't touch a cup, I get edgy and keep pestering him to drink it. If a certain amount of time has elapsed and the tea is undrunk, then it becomes fair game and ownership is forfeited to the tea police who will consume it forthwith.
- If I use a teabag, then it must be used for multiple cups or an entire pot for one person. 5 cups will do. Large.
- If the tea has gone cold, you must still drink it.
- Put it in the microwave OR add hot water to it.
- DO not, I repeat, DO NOT pour it away!
There is a world somewhere, where all the undrunk cups of tea go, and slowly, but slowly, they are creating an ocean of melancholy Earl Grey- DO not flood that world!
Do I need help? I really do get antsy as time goes on and the cup of tea sits there, getting colder and colder....
and not being drunk!
I'm in Oxford, and my Mother-in-law left her tea untouched for several minutes. I reminded her about it. As we went into dinner, she apologised for not finishing it.
Ahrgh!!!!
Over to you- please tell me I am not the only tea-police officer!
xx
Kezzie, I fear that even I could not meet your tea standards, and Tea is Key in our house!
ReplyDeleteHaha, this is so funny! There's nothing worse than forgetting about your drink and it being too cold.
ReplyDeleteCorinne x
www.skinnedcartree.com
But I PREFER my tea a little cooler, and cannot drink it scalding hot. My daughters used to tease me that on my gravestone it would say 'but I can't go - I haven't finished my tea yet!' And Kezzie, DO remember that there is more to tea than a hot drink - cold tea has its uses...making tea bread, or delicate Earl Grey flavoured cakes and jellies, dyeing fabric, 'ageing' paper for use in cards and crafts, polishing old, tired wooden chairs, reviving certain pot plants, used tea bags put in the fridge make soothing eye masks, dropped in the bottom of flower pots, used tbs assist drainage...There's a whole blogpost here!
ReplyDeleteThis post was quite fun to read, hehe! I always leave my tea for about 10 or 15 minutes before I drink it, to cool down (I only have a tiny splash of milk so it's always too hot before then!) but I do always drink it when it's hot.
ReplyDeleteIt annoys me when people waste a cup of tea but I've never gone all 'tea police' on anyone - I expect people to take responsibility for their own tea management, haha! I'd never microwave a hot drink - that feels wrong. I don't like microwaves anyway, but tea needs to be drunk hot and fresh, I imagine reheating must ruin it somewhat.
I did note your clipper box hiding in the background! I only buy clipper tea as I like the organic, unbleached bags. I wouldn't use one bag for more than two cups though, I always think it's a bit of struggle getting a decent brew out of a once used bag so I'm a one bag per cup person - unless it's made in a tea pot - tea pots have different rules!
I rarely drink tea, and if I do it's of the very weak "tea-bag:water - water:teabag" variety.(Which means a very brief introduction of bag to water!) Mr FD won't touch teabags at home: only Assam leaf tea will do for his morning cuppa, made in a pot. And fresh milk - never sterry milk - which is the commonest here in France. During the day he has what we call "Black Russian" (Russian Earl Grey) without milk. I drink coffee most of the time, but I actually prefer a good instant coffee to "real" coffee.
ReplyDeleteYou would hate having tea with me :) First, because I am not a tea drinker, if I have 3 a year it's too much :) Second, because I never drink it to the end. I find it too hot, then too cold, too bitter, I don't know - as I said, I am definitely not a tea drinker. Ice tea yes :) So if we ever have tea together I will think of that!
ReplyDeleteDenisesPlanet.com
Funny! One must take TIME for tea and then tend to one's cup. It's a slow down, tea drinking.
ReplyDeleteHaha, this is brilliant! I have to confess, I have left cups of tea, ahhh! I need to make sure I don't let them go cold anymore. I've been committing tea sins Kezzie! Love that Captain mug at the end too, so cute. - Tasha
ReplyDeleteHaha, love this post! I sometimes forget that I haven't finished my cup of tea, then swig a cold mouthful, yeuk! I do drink it down though, once I'm over the shock of the temperature!
ReplyDeleteHa ha this really made me smile! I drink a lot of tea and I always make sure I enjoy it and finish it... I don't think I'm quite as strict as you though!!
ReplyDeleteI never sit down long enough to finish my tea. My tea gets cold most of the time but I can't for the life of me drink weak tea or coffee. Strangely enough, I can drink cold tea or coffee. My husband like his tea or coffee weak. It just makes me feel sick to drink weak tea. Just can't stomach it. You are just too funny Kezzie with being a Tea Police.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
JB
This is amusing -- but I don't live with you. Why do you think you get so anxious about unattended tea?
ReplyDeletevery funny:) we don't drink tea here as often as in some other places of the world, but I sure love my tea and I always feel bad if I don't finish it....I too get annoyed when my husband doesn't finish this cup but that is because I never prepare it for him unless he asks for it...and since I put an effort and made it for him- why doesn't he drink it? Well, men are complicated creatures.
ReplyDeleteThese photographs are adorable....that owl seems to be sad about those melanchony rivers of abandoned tea....
I must confess...
ReplyDeleteI'm normally the one who leaves the tea unfinished.
*ducks*
Oooo -- look at that owl cozy! He's so very cute. Well, you just might be the Tea Police. You sound pretty strict! We regularly leave cups around the house, not usually with liquid in them. My mother would leave cold cups of coffee around the house, but she enjoyed drinking it, old and cold, hours later. We never questioned that. My daddy would tour the house looking for dishes we'd left around, cups full or empty, and he would take them away to be washed, even if they were full. That was frustrating. I've never heard of anyone who would gently pester others to finish their tea. I do that with the children a bit: "Are you going to finish this tea?" or "I need to do dishes. Come finish this drink." I can be your deputy!
ReplyDelete