I think if I had paid attention all these years, and documented conversations, my grandmother could be the basis of a really good sitcom. About 40 of us gathered at her house this week to celebrate her birthday. I was one of the last to get there and she immediately asked me if wanted coffee. I followed her in the kitchen where she poured out enough water to make 2 cups and added it to her Bunn coffee maker. I said to her, "Might as well make a full pot grandma." and she replied, "No, I'll just need a cup in the morning." I just shook the oddity off because everyone was grabbing me, wanting to say hello.
The Bunn coffee makers have a reservoir of something over a full pot which stays heated all the time. When you add cold water, the amount you add comes out hot instantly, and the cold you just added stays in the reservoir getting hot for the next pot.
So later on, my sister arrived and again, grandma lead her to the coffee pot and was about to add another two cups. She asked me if I wanted more and I said, "Yes, please...so, you might as well make a whole pot this time."
Grandma laughed saying, "No, I only want a cup or so in the morning."
"Well...I know we're going to drink 10 tonight, so just make a full pot now." I said.
"No, this won't come out until tomorrow morning."
"What, does it need cleaned? I'll clean it for you tomorrow grandma"
"No, I mean what I add now, won't come out until tomorrow" she again laughed.
This time her misconception of the Bunn coffee maker dawned on me. I laughed and looked at my sister who was trying hard not to, and said, "Well, no grandma, the AMOUNT you put in will come out now...but the..."
"No, now Timmy your Uncle Phil explained this to me and I've seen how it works. Whatever I put in there now comes out the next day."
I thought of how I could explain to her. "OK grandma, look...there is a reservoir tank inside here. And it holds hot water, all the time."
"Right. And right now it holds the 2 cups I put in the last time. If I wanted a full pot now, I would have had to put in a full pot of water the last time."
"No grandma! Let me explain!"
Grandma shook her head, "You go talk to you uncle Phil about it. I have stuff to do" and walked away.
I sat down at the table with a few others who were crying laughing. "Just give up. You're beat" they said. I don't like to let things like that go. But I also remember a big fight in the family when I tried to explain why they were wrong about the physics of a lightening strike. That time I finally yelled, "I know this because I am a scientist god damnit! This is what I am paid to do!" Maybe sometimes I am just too grumpy. :D
