Am Not.

Back story: Yesterday, while working extra hours again, I was readying a meeting for tea and coffee. With negative two minutes notice. I was in a rush. I'm klutzy. (Can you sense where this is going?) I dropped 8 ceramic mugs from a high shelf. Aside from the noise, and 7 cup deaths, there was miraculously not a big mess and only one non-mug fatality. (Well, two huge chips out of the rim, but only on the outside. If it were mine, I would keep it and use it in its ugly phase.) It was the cutest bowl I have ever seen. It was green on the outside, with a blue inside, and a full on face on the outside -- a cute little smile with a proper nose built onto the outside. It sounds a little garish as I describe it, but you may recall a mug that I am in love with that has a similar face. I described this tiredly smiling mug in an earlier post. It's a similar cute (and not loud and ugly) face. I almost shed a tear. Alas, I don't know who the bowl belongs to. So I left this note:

Dear owner of this bowl--
I am very sorry, but I dropped several mugs on your bowl. I am amazed it survived to the extent that it did. If I can buy you another, similarly adorable bowl, please do not hesitate to let me know. I am sorry for the loss of your cute bowl.
Annika

Now, 24 hours later, no one has come to me. We shall see. But another woman I work with (who is an absolute angel), Vidya, told me she had read the note. Here begins today's scene:

Vidya: I read your note. Whoever owns this bowl will read the note and melt into a tiny puddle. Who could be mad at you?
Me: Probably someone could be if I broke their favourite bowl.
Vidya: You are too good for this world, Annika!!
Me: I break things. I am no good. (joking - I don't actually think that being a bowl breaker makes you a bad person.)
Vidya: You're a hopeless romantic, aren't you?
(general agreement from surrounding co-workers)
Me: What?! I'm a hugely cynical person. Are you unfamiliar with my sarcasm?
Vidya: You only think you're cynical because no one else lives in a world where you leave a note for accidentally breaking a bowl while you again empty the dishwasher for grownups who refuse to do it themselves.
Me: ... oh.
(general agreement)
Me: ... am not.
Vidya: (as she exits the room) If only we could all be so hopelessly romantic.
Me: (more loudly!) Am not!!

I swear to God, I am not a hopeless romantic. Cynical idealist. Much better.