The open bar was a hit. Everyone was mingling, drinks in hand, and laughter filled the room. The waiters placed two bottles of wine on each table, along with bread and butter.
“This wine is fantastic,” Bob said, pouring himself another glass. “Have you tried it, Mike?”
“Not yet, but I will,” I replied, reaching for my glass.
Soon, the buffet was announced. The emcee explained that tables would be called up a few at a time, starting with family.
“That makes sense,” Sarah said. “Family first.”
We watched as the first few tables were called. The buffet looked incredible, with a variety of dishes. However, I noticed something concerning.
“Those plates are piled high,” I whispered to Sarah. “I hope there’s enough for everyone.”
“Yeah, me too,” she replied, frowning.
Time passed, and more tables were called. Family members returned for seconds, their plates even fuller than before. My stomach grumbled as we waited.
“Finally!” I said when our table was called.
But when we reached the buffet, it was almost empty. We managed to scrape together a few scraps and returned to our seats, feeling disappointed.
“This is all that’s left?” Jane asked, looking at her nearly empty plate.
“Afraid so,” I said. “I can’t believe they ran out of food.”
Everyone at our table was visibly upset. The mood had shifted from joy to frustration.
“This is ridiculous!” Bob said. “I’m still hungry.”
“Me too,” Sarah added. “What are we supposed to do now?”
We sat there, picking at our meager portions. The conversations around us became hushed and tense.
“Someone should have planned better,” Jane muttered. “This is a wedding, for goodness’ sake.”
Tom, the groom, walked over with a concerned look on his face.
“Hey, Mike, is everything okay?” he asked.
“Not really, Tom,” I replied. “There’s no food left. We’re all still hungry.”
Tom’s face fell. “I’m so sorry. I thought there would be enough for everyone.”
“It’s not your fault,” Sarah said kindly. “We’ll figure something out.”
After Tom left, we continued to chat, trying to make the best of the situation.
“Wouldn’t it be funny if we just ordered pizza?” Bob joked, trying to lighten the mood.
“That’s not a bad idea,” I said, half-serious. “I’m starving.”
“Let’s do it,” Jane said, her eyes lighting up. “We can all pitch in.”
Everyone agreed, and we quickly pooled our money. I called a nearby pizza place and ordered four large pizzas and some wings.
“Thirty minutes,” the delivery guy said. “We’ll be right there.”
“Perfect,” I replied, feeling a bit of relief.
We waited, our anticipation growing. The mood at our table started to improve as we imagined the pizza arriving.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this!” Sarah laughed. “This is going to be a story to tell!”
Finally, the pizzas arrived. I met the delivery guy outside and carried the boxes in, feeling the eyes of other guests on me.
“Did you really order pizza?” one of them asked, surprised.
“Yep,” I said, grinning. “Help yourselves if you didn’t get enough food.”
As we started eating, the atmosphere at our table transformed. We shared the pizzas with nearby tables that had also missed out on the buffet, and everyone was grateful.
“This is the best idea ever!” Bob said, biting into a slice. “Thanks, Mike!”
“No problem,” I replied, feeling a sense of camaraderie. However, I didn’t notice the other tables looking at us with clear disapproval.
I tried to enjoy my pizza, but I couldn’t shake the feeling something bad was coming. Just then, a tall man in a suit, who I recognized as Linda’s father, approached our table.
“Excuse me,” he said, his voice stern. “Where did you get that pizza?”
I looked up at him and sighed. “We ordered it. There wasn’t enough food left at the buffet, and we were all still hungry.”
He glanced at the nearly empty pizza boxes, his eyes narrowing. “You didn’t get enough food?”
“No,” I replied, trying to stay calm. “By the time we got to the buffet, there was hardly anything left.”
Linda’s father frowned. “There are two slices left. May I have one?”
I looked at him, feeling a mix of frustration and disbelief. “Honestly, sir, no. Your family ate most of the buffet food. We had to order this just to get something in our stomachs.”
His face turned red. “You’re refusing to share?”
“Yes,” I said firmly. “We barely got to eat anything, and we’re still hungry.”
He stood there for a moment, clearly angry. Then he turned and walked back to his table, muttering under his breath. The tension in the room was palpable. I could see the bride, Linda, glaring at us from across the room. The family at their table was whispering and shooting daggers our way.
“This isn’t good,” Jane said quietly. “I think we’re in trouble.”
Tom came back over, looking distressed. “Mike, I’m sorry, but you and Sarah need to leave.”
“What? Why?” I asked, feeling a surge of anger.
“Linda is really upset,” Tom explained. “Her father is furious. They think you disrespected them by ordering pizza and not sharing.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Tom, we were starving. We didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“I know,” he said, looking genuinely sorry. “But it’s causing too much tension. Please, just go. We’ll talk later.”
Feeling frustrated and hurt, I nodded. “Alright, we’ll leave.”
Sarah and I gathered our things and left the reception. We called a cab and went home, the evening ending on a sour note.
A few days later, Tom called me. “Mike, can we talk?”
“Sure,” I said, still feeling a bit annoyed. “What’s up?”
“I want to apologize,” Tom began. “I had a long talk with Linda and her family. They realize now that there wasn’t enough food for everyone. Linda is furious with her family for taking so much and leaving the other guests with nothing.”
“I appreciate that, Tom,” I said, feeling a bit relieved. “It was a tough situation for everyone.”
“Yeah, it was,” Tom agreed. “Linda’s father feels terrible about what happened. He wants to make it up to everyone.”
“Really? How?” I asked, curious.
“He’s planning an ‘After Wedding Shindig’,” Tom explained. “He’s going to invite everyone who was at the wedding, plus a few more. There will be plenty of food and entertainment. He wants to make sure no one goes hungry this time.”
“That sounds great,” I said, genuinely pleased. “When is it?”
“Mid-August,” Tom replied. “He’s pulling in favors and going all out. There’ll be food, drinks, music, and even some fun activities like axe throwing and a bonfire.”
“Wow, that sounds amazing,” I said, smiling. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too,” Tom said. “I hope this helps smooth things over.”
“I think it will,” I agreed.
As I hung up the phone, I felt a sense of relief. The situation had been awkward and tense, but it seemed like things were moving in a positive direction.
Reflecting on the whole ordeal, I realized how unexpected and strange it had all been. A simple lack of food had caused so much drama, but in the end, it brought about a solution that promised to be even more fun than the original event.
Newly-unveiled statue of Queen Elizabeth II includes her beloved pet Corgis
A great deal of people felt sorrow upon Queen Elizabeth II’s passing in 2022. She was adored by the public and the longest-reigning monarch in British history, having ruled for 70 years.
The late queen is now being honored with a monument that was recently unveiled, honoring her affection for her pet corgis!
The Queen’s new statue, together with her dogs
On Sunday, a 7-foot-tall bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth was unveiled in observance of the monarch’s 98th birthday.
In Oakham, England, the sculpture was made by artist Hywel Pratley and is situated close to the Oakham Library. It is Queen Elizabeth’s first ever permanent memorial.
Rutland City Council said that hundreds attended the unveiling. There was music from local school bands and bagpipers.
The most priceless feature of this new memorial is that the queen’s cherished Corgis pet is also depicted, immortalized in bronze by the monarch’s feet:
The city authority claims that local schoolchildren created the designs for the Corgi monuments.
In contrast to the many stern and imposing monuments of queens like Queen Victoria, Pratley stated he wanted the statue to portray the idea of Queen Elizabeth as “an almost motherly figure,” according to the New York Times.
During the unveiling, local dignitary Sarah Furness remarked, “What most of us remember about Queen Elizabeth is her warmth.” “We demonstrate Queen Elizabeth’s humanity by showcasing her affection for dogs.”
The statue’s creator claims that he intended it to be hospitable to onlookers. Pratley said, “We designed it with a bench you can sit on.” “And there’s a corgi you can pet, and I do believe that this will eventually become a selfie-encouraging statue.”
The Times reports that a number of Corgi owners brought their dogs to the unveiling, indicating that a large number of people have already visited the statue.
The history of Queen Elizabeth’s Corgis pet
For many years, the Queen’s corgis were an iconic aspect of her life and a solace during tough political and personal times. Fans all throughout the world were likewise pleased by the cute pets.
The first Corgi was acquired by the royal family in 1933 when Dookie, a dog owned by Elizabeth’s father and predecessor George VI (who was then the Duke of York), was brought home.
Dookie was reportedly extremely cantankerous, yet Elizabeth and him appeared to have a unique relationship.
Then, on her eighteenth birthday, the Queen received a Pembroke Welsh corgi of her own, named Susan.
Susan reportedly slipped under a rug in the royal carriage to disrupt the wedding of the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, according to the BBC.
1959 saw Susan’s death at the age of almost fifteen. Her epitaph referred to her as “the faithful companion of the Queen,” and she was laid to rest at the royal estate of Sandringham House.
The Queen stated, “I had always feared losing her, but I am ever so thankful that her suffering was so mercifully brief.”
But Susan left quite the legacy; during the ensuing few decades, the Queen accumulated over thirty corgis, all descended from her original canine companion.
The Queen always had at least one corgi, and often had several at once, from 1933 until 2018. She traveled with the dogs in tow, and they resided in a designated “Corgi room” at Buckingham Palace with wicker beds. It is said that the Queen took care of them personally and baked them biscuits over the holiday season.
These canines undoubtedly received royal treatment and grew to represent the Queen throughout her life.
While Elizabeth valued the dogs greatly, Prince Philip apparently didn’t feel the same way. Like many others, she took great solace from the dogs, who served as a link to the simpler times in her early years due to their relationship with her late father and her upbringing.
According to Penny Junor, a royal biographer, “her corgis are hugely important to her.” Over time, they have become more intimate with her than any human has ever been. She has never been let down by the incredibly affectionate and devoted corgis.
It also makes sense that the Queen, who represents both Britain and the United Kingdom, would have a strong bond with a quintessential British dog. Wales, a member of the UK and a neighbor of England, is where corgis first originated. When corgis were adopted as royal dogs, the breed was rare in England; yet, the Queen had a major role in the globalization of the breed.
The Queen owned several “dorgis,” or corgis bred with daschshunds, in addition to purebred Pembroke Welsh Corgis.
When the corgis and dorgis appeared alongside Queen Elizabeth on the cover of Vanity Fair in 2016, they became well-known worldwide because to Annie Leibovitz’s photography. At the time, the dogs were Candy, Vulcan, Willow, and Holly.
A notable aspect of Queen Elizabeth’s reign and a significant aspect of her life were her corgis. Their inclusion in this first memorial statue of her seems so fitting.
Please tell this tale!
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