The Case for the Missing Chair

Several weeks ago, my husband sat in one of our oak dining room chairs, and was horrified to watch it crumble beneath him. I guess the kids had been telling him that one of the support rungs was broken, and the whole thing finally gave way.
At first, we were determined to replace the chair immediately, after all, there are four of us, and we need four chairs to eat together properly. But after discovering there were no suitable replacements out there, days stretched into weeks with only room for three.
Pretty early on, I figured this was my "out" from having to sit with the family and explain why there isn't much on my plate, or why I was eating something different. I was able to serve them dinner, and, "Oh my, there isn't any room for Mom!" I take my tiny plate into the livingroom, where I get to sit at my computer or watch TV uninterrupted! Sometimes there is no plate - and I have happily lost a couple pounds. Trust me, I eat enough during the day that missing dinner is not a huge deal. Yes, I'm sure I am a horrible woman for not wanting to spend quality time listening to my kids whine about crust on bread, or vegetables "in" things. I'm sure I will suffer for it, skinny...and blissfully alone.