vegetarian of convenience

my dept were at my bossman's house yesterday & today, for the off-site retreat.

both days, bossman provided lunch. yesterday, it was lasagna, with beef. as he was serving it onto plates, i said - oh, don't serve any for me. his response - i thought we might have a vegetarian in the group. this is a man i have worked with for 15 years. the fact that i do not eat beef has come up every single time we have ever shared a meal. i kid you not. could he seriously forget that i do not eat beef? okay, maybe. sure. the world does not, in fact, revolve around me. i do not expect him to make something special for me, but it was odd that he acted like he did not even know at all. i had salad & another bagel from the breakfast snack tray. i was fine.

[side note -- i am not a vegetarian. i eat meat but not beef. to most people meat=beef. it is easier to allow folks to think i am a vegetarian than to explain that it is beef i do not eat. i always order vegetarian dishes when with the group.]

today, he served the lunch before the rest of us entered the dining room. we came in, and on each place was a bowl of beef soup. i did not eat it - i just took some salad. i did not even touch my spoon or the soup. no one said anything about my meal, including bossman. again, i will say that i do not expect him to fix me something separate, but... couldn't he have said - yesterday - i am making beef soup tomorrow, so if you would like to have something different, please bring it. or, maybe he could have NOT served it into a bowl & placed it in front of me like that -- which was weird & totally made me feel like he was pressuring me to eat it or something. there is no way he forgot in one day that i am "vegetarian". he could have said, today, we are having beef soup, would you like a cheese sandwich? you are welcome to help yourself to some bread & cheese. or, he could have said, we are having beef soup, so i did not serve you any. please help yourself to some salad, and if you want some soup, it's on the stove.

was i rude not to eat the soup? i don't think so. especially after saying yesterday that i am a vegetarian. why would he not have an option for me, or tell me to bring something on my own?

i discussed this with elvis. he called me a vegetarian of convenience. cute.