Pack rat

Denial is the first step... and I'm pretty sure my mom is still not fessing up.

I've developed a problem due to her inability to throw anything away; which begins with buying more crap.

It all started when I mentioned to my mom and Aunt Bobbie over the summer that someone stole some of my Corelle dishes from the UWSP dorms a couple years ago. I was missing a plate and a bowl. No big deal.

(I've all but given up on paper plates and bowls -- except in the case of pizza.)

My aunt just moved to Oshkosh last summer, right by the biggest outlet mall in NE Wisconsin, which just happens to have a store exclusively devoted to selling Corelle dinnerwares, utensils, baking things and cooking business. And if you know anything about aunts, grandmas and moms, they like to go on shopping missions with the sole purpose of finding the most perfect purchase for family members, and then some.

So at my aunt's request, I sent a picture of the inept dinner set I already had, with the hopes of once again having my full line of plates and bowls.

Also as an aside, I mentioned if she found any larger bowls that could fit an entire can of soup, that'd be swell; as well as a 9x9 baking dish.

She did.

Except, when I was on the phone last night with my mom, she mentioned I could get an entire SET of baking dishes, instead of just one 9x9 baking dish, with pie pans and custard cups for $20 at Target.

I DON'T NEED PIE PANS or CUSTARD CUPS. If you've seen my apartment, you know I have a counter space that's 2 ft. by 3 ft., with one cabinet underneath for all things cooking-related. It's already full.

Now, I love cooking. I'd like to think I'm not half bad; but what am I going to do with a 10-piece set of Pyrex cookware? (It's a rhetorical question.)

I think I know what I'm getting for Christmas.