to think this couple are bonkers

[SlightlyJaded]

So we have got quite friendly with this couple through school. They are both professionals lawyer/banker and seem to have shedloads of money and live in a beautiful house. But I have always thought they are a bit odd - a few strange random comments and slightly bonkers opinions on things, but I don't mind strange and DD gets on well with their DD.

They invited us round to supper at their big posh house the other night and DH and I made a real effort to 'scrub up'. Paid for babysitter, dolled ourselves up and spent more on wine than we ever would at home.

We get there - all fine and lovely. Glass of wine and chit chat - slightly odd topics (sex life of Nomads in Papa New Guinea and a less interesting 15 minutes on Chinese banking but still...), then we sit down at quite a formal dinner table and hostess serves starter of.... tinned soup. We know it's tinned because it's Heniz tomato soup and there are 3 empty cans in bin... That's ok, we like soup and chat away. Hostess starts laughing uncontrollably at something. Host doesn't think this is odd but sits back and wait for her to stop. We smile and ask what's so funny but she just carries on laughing. Then she stops and carries on talking as though nothing had happened. She then makes a bit to-do and hoo-ha about serving up main course of.... macaroni cheese. Not even baked in the oven, just macaroni stirred into a cheese sauce - like I make for DCs. And that's it.

DH and I eat it and try not to catch each others eyes. Nothing is said about the choice of main course other than 'I hope you like macaroni cheese' so I start to wonder if my expectations were too high? And then we get pudding which is a scoop of Neapolitan ice cream out of the tub.

As we leave, host pinches my bottom in full view of everyone and says 'that was fun' and hostess laughs her head off and says 'pinch punch first day of the month' - even though it isn't. And that's it.

DH says they are a bit quirky and to stop going on about it but I think they are mentalists. I'm right aren't I?

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

I thought the same minipie.

[bumpsoon]

perhaps the food was ironinc or perhaps they were taking the pisss

[pencilpotmonitor]

Maybe tomato soup and macaroni cheese is swinger code for 'How about it?'

Yeah, that explains it

[MackerelOfFact]

I wondered the same, minipie. But either way it's strange!

[DirtyMartini]

Really Chickens and minipie? But why would you think that -- it seems an insanely odd thing to do, do people really do that? Deliberately invite acquaintances round and serve odd food as a joke, purely to get a reaction?

[notyummy]

Sounds very Abigail's Party!

I would chalk it up as an amusing experience.

[passionberry]

Yeah, the basic food was because their mind wasn't on the food . . . it was on the swinging!

Probably you weren't even meant to eat - they were expecting you to all be rolling around in it by that point!!

[Plumm]

Maybe they were trying to get a thread started about them on MN

[SolidGoldBrass]

Most of the swingers I know are quite into food and cookery, actually and don't act as oddly as this. THough there is one club that, instead of having a running buffet, sends out for pizza for everyone at midnight.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

OP, do you live in a village close to Danbury in Essex?

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

The hysterical laughter which went unexplained would have made me paranoid. And it is bloody odd to dish up macaroni cheese when you have a formal dinner table set. I would think that this was some 'private' joke, at the OP's expense.

[ArsMamatoria]

Invite them back, but serve Findus crispy pancakes with baked beans followed by Angel Delight.

[minipie]

Yep... sounds like one of those Roald Dahl "tales of the unexpected". Bet they have a body in the freezer.

[Malificence]

Oh god, I've just twigged - they are sploshing swingers.

All the food they served is perfect for sploshing in - did they have big rolls of plastic sheeting standing by?

[AllarmBells]

Gosh I thought I was a nasty paranoid overthinker....I would have been a lone voice....thank you ChickensHaveNoEyebrows

"The hysterical laughter which went unexplained would have made me paranoid."

"I would think that this was some 'private' joke, at the OP's expense."

I entirely agree. Nasty pieces of work. Continue to say "hi" over the fence and let DCs play together, but I wouldn't invite them back.

Mind you, I never invite people back unless I really enjoy their company. DP flatly refuses to get into some deadly ritual of "oh god, it's our turn, we've got to have them round but I hate them" thing. If the two couples don't work as a dinner party thing, I would leave it.

[BadgersArse]

i reckon they think you are rough,
they had a bet they couldnt do a dinner party and serve up shit food without you saying it.

t hey did it and felt superior. and laughed at you

sorry its not at all ncie

[LittleMissHissyFit]

FWS, I don't see anywhere the OP thinks it's disrespecting her, I think you may have got the wrong end of a stick there, which is perhaps why your opinion is not more widely echoed.

OP clearly made an effort, as anyone would if you go round to someone's house for dinner, and bought a nice bottle of wine.

The way I saw it was that the food was ODD, the evening was extremely ODD.

OK so I can cook, well. But I couldn't always. I would have bought IN, I would have invited them OUT, or I would have served bits and pieces, but never tinned soup and boiled pasta in a cheese sauce. The ice cream too!! LOL

I thought swingers too tbh....You could be being groomed.. but it could just be that they are as mad as a box of frogs!

What WAS with the giggles fit? Wacky Backy???

slightlyjaded you are going to have to go back, to see what they 'cook up' next....

Do it! For mumsnet the laugh!

[Othersideofthechannel]

I would have thought they had taken some kind of drugs.

[FallingWithStyle]

Littlemisshissyfit - the disrespected thing was in response to some of the responses.

I should have made it clear I wasnt attributing that to op.

[BadgersArse]

no nothing sexual
was HUGE pracitcal joke

[BornToFolk]

"Am I the only one who thinks the hosts served that food as a joke and were laughing at their own oh-so-clever private joke?"

Nope, that's exactly what I thought. Sounds like they were trying to make it as odd as possible to see what your reactions would be.

God knows why, though.

You have to invite them back though. Give them spaghetti hoops on toast and Angel Delight with chocolate sprinkles and see what they do...

[StealthPolarBear]

I think it's some sort of private joke.
Did you slurp the soup and say "mmm this is lovely you must let me have the recipe"
I've invited people round for less than a 4 course banquet....well all the time. But I usually get a take away or bung pizzas in the oven, and that is how they are invited - for a takeaway / pizza. They would never be under the impression it was a dinner party!

[FallingWithStyle]

I shall flagellate self with some value oven chips.