Where are the plates?

When you move into a friend's house and try to live, there are lots of things you must learn. There are questions that you never thought to ask - like "WHERE ARE THOSE PLATES?" This morning I was getting hungary and decided to have a breakfast of toast (from bread that David had made) and some jam that David had gotten for me yesterday. The mugs were in the rack by the sink and the kettle was easily found to boil the water for coffee. I put the bread in the toaster (which took a minute to figure out) and then went to get a plate to put it on when it was done. I LOOKED EVERYWHERE! I checked every kitchen cabinet and found bowls, mugs, pots, pans, plastic containers to store leftovers in. I found everything that anyone could want in a kitchen -- but no plates! I could not believe that there were NO plates so I kept looking - checking the laundry area, the dining room and even the living room. NO PLATES ANYWHERE! I just could not believe that someone in today's society could function without plates. I finally decided to use a pie pan for a plate. Then I went to get a spoon for the jam and finally figured out which drawer had the spoons. I thought - I will give every cabinet one more look. Who would have ever thought that plates could hide on a high shelf above the pans below the silverware drawer? -- BUT THERE THEY WERE -- on that little high skinny shelf that I had missed the first time I searched the kitchen! I had a lovely breakfast of coffee in a mug and toast with jam -- on a plate!

David and Barbara had to take the car into the city so they offered a ride to me and I was able to get the 'pay-as-you-go' mobile phone questions answered, sort out a problem with my iphone, get a photo taken for a month-long bus pass, get stamps and envelopes and then do some grocery shopping. Since they were kind enough to offer their car and suggested that I stock up, I did. I should have enough soap and toilet paper to last a couple of months!