Holiday guests and meals

[Laura2592]

Its that time of year!

"Hi Laura! Can't wait for our stay! Question, do you have an oven that can accommodate a 20lb turkey? We plan to make some fixings for Thanksgiving and take them to my family. Do  you have a turkey pan that size? I can bring mine no if not. Thanks!"

Reading this,  I can anticipate 1) extra clean up 2) lots of pots and pans being dirty 3) guests visiting who have not been disclosed to check out the "cute cottage!" that the turkey makers are spending time in. 

These guests are coming from about 3 hours away. At least they did not ask me to supply the turkey. But who goes to an Airbnb to make a 20 lb turkey?? 

[Colleen253]

@Laura2592 “But who goes to an Airbnb to make a 20 lb turkey??” Ha, your guests! The type who like to prune and repot your plants while on holiday. Are your higher prices making it any easier to bear these wingnut guests of yours?

I could see wanting to take a side dish or a dessert to a family gathering, but the actual turkey? That’s weird, especially given they’re not at home. 

[Laura2592]

@Colleen253  ah but they are at home, remember? They can "live anywhere!"

We blocked Christmas and New Year's this year but forgot to block Thanksgiving. So that is my bad. 

[Colleen253]

@Laura2592 Lol, right!

[Anonymous]

@Laura2592  I can imagine someone with a small apartment renting a local Airbnb with a bigger kitchen and dining area to host their Thanksgiving dinner. But driving a raw turkey 3 hours to roast it in someone else's house, only to take the main course to someone else's house? Not convincing.

I'd respond to this with a strongly worded reminder that all people who enter the house must be registered as guests and paid for in advance, because it sure would be a shame to have to kick people out on Thanksgiving.

[Laura2592]

@Anonymous I wrote back:

"Hi! I honestly have no idea if the oven will fit a large turkey-- I have never tried it, nor have any of my guests asked. Its a standard range so I would tend to think it would be fine. Please do bring any specialized items for cooking. We are only set up with basics as most guests don't bother do to more than scrambled eggs or a microwave meal. 

Just a reminder about guest capacity. I know its always fun to gather around the holidays but please note that all guests need to be registered. Visitors need to be approved in advance of the stay. We would hate to interrupt anyone's Thanksgiving fun with insurance requirements so let me know if the guest or visitor situation has changed. Thanks so much!"

[Hal3292]

@Laura2592That is so well worded! Please let us know after the holiday how it all turned out.

[Marie6762]

@Laura2592 @Hal3292 

Yes, great response!

20lbs for 4 people? HAH!  She obviously thinks that, because it’s a “special occasion” and her guests aren’t spending the night, and you’re so nice, that rules just don’t 

Just hope she doesn’t “generously” leave you the leftovers!

[Marie6762]

*...rules just don’t apply in her special case!

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Laura2592 

You definitely get more than your share, Laura. I love that you share with us here! 

Some years ago we had a guest couple suddenly decide to roast a leg of lamb in our shared kitchen one time. We were rather surprised. It was also late in the evening (we have stated hours on shared kitchen) and they positively reeked of something they had smoked on the porch (against rules). We were too startled to say anything, and were relieved when their stay was over. We have lots of lovely people make elaborate creations in our shared kitchen, but they are communicative and scrupulously polite. They also leave the kitchen cleaner than they found it. 

@Anonymous is spot on with his stated amazement at the proposed chain of events and custody of said turkey!

[Laura2592]

@Kitty-and-Creek0 I love old TV shows and the leg of lamb makes me think of the classic "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" where she kills her husband with one and serves it to the investigating police. I try to eat only veggies and fish, so cooking a large animal, or piece of one, just seems a lot stranger to me than it probably would to most people. Cooking a large animal at a random vacation rental, odder still. I do sometimes wish I did not have a kitchen in my cottage 🙂 

We had a lady make a wedding cake and patisserie at our space for a wedding at a nearby winery. I was totally freaked that the clean up would be onerous. But you honestly would have never known it happened, had she not told me and sent pics!

[Kia272]

Hi @Laura2592 

I dunno......I think it's within the realm of possibility that they are nice, responsible guests who just want to have a Thanksgiving meal with family nearby, and are simply trying to contribute to the family meal. Maybe they have elderly relatives nearby who can't handle cooking the whole meal. 

Hopefully they are responsible people who will clean up after themselves and not invite anyone to "join" them in the cute AirBnB they've rented. 

I had a family cook a small Thanksgiving meal in my place a couple of years ago, and they were so happy that they could do it and enjoy it, that it was worth it. They didn't leave a big mess at all, and I didn't have a problem with it. The fact that she has asked is worth something. 

Maybe just a gentle reminder that they need to monitor the cooking (turkey) carefully and clean up after themselves would go a long way. I hope it works out! 

But you do get the most "interesting" guests. 

[Laura2592]

@Kia272 yes we have been in communication. And as such the plot (or the gravy) has been thickening. 

Seems my guests were "really hoping" to have "some family drop by." I asked how many family, visitors or guests, etc.  I am not a total Grinch (or whatever the Thanksgiving equivalent is) and don't mind visitors so long as the guest is up front and tell me ahead of time. But the hemming and hawing on that answer leads me to think perhaps our cottage was planned as ground zero for the turkey feast. And that is just not cool. 

[Mark116]

@Laura2592  Or to say it another way, your guest was intending to host Thanksgiving at your cottage and didn't read jack about the rules on visitors. 

It seems a long shot that people would be 'dropping by' anywhere other than wherever they're having the Thanksgiving meal.

[Kia272]

@Laura2592  Definitely not cool. Hopefully your message ended that plan. 

Even prior to being a host, I would never even think about planning something like that at a STR without checking with the host first. I think that's just common decency, which seems to have lost its place in this world among most people. Go figure.