Tuesday, March 22, 2016

What Remains


The other day I was making a recipe for cornbread that calls for an 8-inch cast iron pan. But I wanted to double the recipe, so obviously the original pan size would be too small. The MiL is usually the one who uses this recipe, and I knew she usually doubles it, so I asked her what size pan she uses when she doubles it. She uses the 10-inch pan. Righty-o.

I made some offhand remark about how it was kind of odd that twice the amount of batter should fit inside a pan that's only two inches wider.

Later that night, the MiL presented me with a list she had made of all our sizes of cast iron pans and their respective areas in square inches.

I looked at it for a second, and then said, "How do you figure out the square inches in a round pan?"

At which point, the MiL asked me very pityingly, "Didn't you take any geometry in high school? Pi times "r" squared?"

Yeah. Right. I took geometry in high school, all right. Almost failed it, too. The chances of me remembering anything from it other than the feeling of dread before a test are pretty much nil. On the other hand, I do remember how to sing "Rubber Duckie" in Spanish, which has made me pretty popular with Cubby, who is learning Spanish in school now.

We all have our own areas of expertise, I suppose. Geometry is not mine. But song lyrics I learned twenty years ago will never leave me.

5 comments:

Mary W said...

One of my math teachers in junior high told a joke that had the punchline: Pie are round, cornbread are square. I don't remember the set up. She thought it was funny. Math teach humor.

Anonymous said...

Geometry almost destroyed my existence in high school. Didn't like it; don't remember it; don't use it. Life goes on pretty well, however...! I think we are in good company; I don't know people who liked geometry.

Anonymous said...

I asked your neice (obviously the eldest) for how to figure the square inches of a pan for the same thing. Helps to have an almost high schooler for a reference (since I obviously don't remember).
-moi

tu mere mere said...

Way better to remember song lyrics. So much more fun for everyone!

Daisy said...

But of course you remember song lyrics! Pi is overrated. Pie, on the other hand, is delicious. (Can you tell I teach music, not math?)