No, it's Not the Socks

My husband and I had a friend over for dinner Saturday night. He happens to be retired military and now works as a civilian, but in the military arena. I packed him a to-go bag so that he could have dinner the next evening, too.

Last night, I received an email from him asking what I wanted him to do with the Tupperware that I used to package the food. My response to him was, "Throw it in the recycling bin and if you don't recycle, throw it away. Or, just keep them." I didn't really care what he did with the containers. I just didn't want them back.

Why?  

A couple of weeks ago, I trekked over to Target and stocked up on GladWare. Many, many years ago, I married my soldier and we began our marriage with a decent inventory of Tupperware. Back then, as far as I can remember, Tupperware was the only game in town. Fast forward to today or, more precisely, to the day before I went to Target. I still had Tupperware, but the lids had magically disappeared. Almost all of them.

For the life of me, I can't really understand how this happened. One or two lids gone? Yeah, I can see that. But not ten!  Perhaps I left some lids in a dishwasher at one or two houses before we moved. Perhaps the packers missed a few lids here and there. Perhaps the lids that went with the bowls that I used to feed and hydrate the dog during the drive from duty station to duty station were thrown away by accident during the chaos of the move. Whatever happened, it happened over and over again until one day, I was left with two - count them, TWO - dishes with lids. 

So that's why I told my friend that I didn't want the Tupperware back. I gave him the ones without lids and just put aluminum foil on top. He was under strict orders not to return those containers to me.

For just a few bucks, I now have GladWare with lids. I expect the mates to stay together, too. Until the next PCS move, that is. In our family, it's not the matching sock that disappears, it's the matching lid. Well, there was that one time, but I'm sure it was just a fluke.....

Comments

[Tootie]

I've had some disappearing lids, too! The good thing with the Gladware is you can buy a new set for almost nothing. It seems like I have to stock up every few months to maintain a complete set :)

[Guard Wife]

This is a phenomenon I do NOT understand, but it happens at our house as well. Why is it the containers I use the MOST are the ones whose lids are gone?

I hate to break it to you, though, I have Gladware without lids now too...

[LAW]

Love Gladware. I don't feel guilty if I have to pitch it... when I have the ones with no lid - although those have a new life as a container for in the bathroom for all those little things like the tweezers, the nail files...

LAW

[Ann - AF spouse]

For two years, I was a Tupperware lady. I still can't believe I got paid to go to parties! All containers have standard size interchangable lids. Look on the bottom of the container, and there is a Letter. You can call any Tupperware lady and order a new lid.

Unfortunately, the price of replacement parts has gone up over the years. They are serious about that lifetime guarantee though.

I have already swithed to gladware for leftovers so I can happily give some away, or throw away the one that got lost in the back of the fridge for a month.

Lids, get stuck against the wall of cabinets and are frequently missed by packers, are used as frisbees by kids, warped by the microwave, and fall to the the bottom of the dishwasher and melt.

I went through several years of Disappearing forks. But I think the spoons were Multiplying

[She of the Sea]

Maybe we could start a Gladware/Tupperware lid exchange? I seem to lose the bottoms and I've got a drawer full of tops.

And Ann, I'll give you some forks if only I could find enough spoons to eat breakfast!

[Amanda]

My Marine has record breaking timing on Tupperware loss. We purchased a huge set when we got married and just 8 months later they have all disappeared. I purchases a pack of 4 containers, wrote our last name on them in Sharpie, and to no surprise a mere week later 3 of the 4 have gone missing!

[Deb]

Perhaps there's an alternate universe somewhere in the galaxy where military spouses (mostly male!) are wondering where the bowls went - their cupboards are full of lids. When worlds collide, there will be order in the universe once more.