The proper response to one of my ideas

M.H.’s parents are coming over on Christmas Eve, and I had the bright idea that each member of the family should contribute a dessert—from conception through execution. Here’s how everyone reacted:

• M.H.: “I don’t even know what a baked Alaska is, but that’s what I’m going to make!”
• Mik: *Still blinking in disbelief three days later*
• Dex: *Beginnings of a giant eye roll until…*
• Dex’s girlfriend: “Oooooh! I’ll help. Okay, Dex, we got this. This is going to be so great! My mom has a million vegan dessert cookbooks! I have a Pinterest account! We are going to knock this out of the park! I know it’s not a contest, but we are going to win!”

It’s really nice, now and then, to have another female person around to back me up, is what I’m saying.