Star Shaped Tupperware

Sometimes I hate Tupperware.  I mean, is it just me, or it is a nightmare every single time you attempt to find a lid for leftovers?  It's not that it should be that hard, necessarily.  I mean, you get a plastic container, stick something in it, pop a lid on, and stick in in the fridge, right?

Yes, at least in theory.  So WHY is it such a pain?

Well, my friends, because if you're like me, there are roughly 5-8 brands of so-called "Tupperware" in your cupboard, along with a drawer or container somewhere full of lids that may or may not go to anything that resides in your cupboard.  In fact, they may be to something you threw away years ago, something the neighbors left when they brought you food, or something you melted when you forgot it was on the stove.  Tupperware is like socks.  Keeping it matched is...challenging.

The other day I was at my sister's apartment dropping off some food.  I found a nice, rectangular Tupperware and stuck the food in, quickly scanning the large shoebox full of lids for something that might fit.  Blue lid?  Too big.  Red lid?  Also too big.  Green lid?  Wrong shape of rectangle.  Clear lid?  Obviously a different brand entirely.

Seriously, people!  This is not supposed to be rocket science.  I just wanted a lid for some ham!

Growing more and more frustrated, I tried lid after lid as my sister's roommate sat by watching.  Finally, exasperated, I asked, "Do you know where the lid to this is?"
(I think she must have been enjoying watching me battle a box of plastic, especially since I was losing.)

"Oh...that one?"  she replied.  "Mmmm....I don't think it has a lid."

Doesn't have a lid?!  Then what in tarnation was it doing in the cupboard in the first place?!  I grabbed another container, found the lid, and then transferred the food, threw it in the fridge, and left.  Tupperware-1.  Melissa-0.

On my drive home, I thought about something my friend Owen told me at a party awhile back.  We were joking about different people getting married and how some people just can't seem to find "The One."  THE one?  Forget that.  They can't seem to find ANYone!  OR...they date a million people and somehow none of them "work."  And then they are surrounded by all these people who are happily married, as though it was the easiest thing in the world.

"It's like this," Owen said.  "People are like Tupperware.  Most of them are just regular square and rectangular shaped.  So there are all these lids that look like they are going to fit.  And they just keep trying lids and trying lids and trying lids until something fits.  But other people are like star shaped Tupperware.  They are such a unique shape that it is really easy to find their match.  I mean, how many star-shaped lids are there?"

Hmmm....He had a point.  I mean, it doesn't take long at a medieval festival to realize the handsome knight across from some fair maiden probably made his own chain-mail armor, link by link, too.  Some people were just made for each other.  Absolutely a perfect fit--and it is apparent from the first few moments.  That is the kind of love you can spot through a million old rectangular lids.

"Oh honey!  I can't wait for Couples Jousting!"

And for all those rectangles?  I guess they just have to hold their breath, keep trying lids on, and hope they find something that works (before they throw the box, say bad words, or find out there is no lid).  It would appear that the more they try on, the better their chances that something JUST MIGHT someday fit.

Of course, if they are brighter than I am or have a little more reasoning sense, they may even be able to eliminate a good majority of the non-fitting rectangular lids before they even pick them up.

All that being said, I decided over Christmas break that I would once again take on the Tupperware.

See why Tupperware is so frightening?!

Attempting to be helpful one night after dinner, I took the leftovers and approached the cupboard.  Clearly not learning from past mistakes, I just grabbed something that looked like the right size, put in the food, and started looking for lids.  The first three were clearly NOs.  Not even close.  The fourth time I got it.  Or at least close.  Close enough.  I kept squeezing that lid down waiting for it to click.  I opened the fridge door and quickly put it in before the lid could decide to pop off.  Curiously, I peeked in the fridge...just to see.  Sure enough, the lid had popped off.  For as close as it was (and believe me, it was), it was not the right lid.  Close.  SOOO close.  Mad that I had been bested by Tupperware again, I marched back to the lids, determined to find the right one.  I grabbed one and put it on.

Snap!  Just like that.  No maneuvering.  No trying to force it down on each of the corners.  It was so easy.  I put it on.  It fit.  I put it away.

"Hey!  Brett!"  I called to my brother with a challenging tone.  "YOU try to find a lid for the next one."
"Okay," he said.  He walked over, picked up a lid, snapped it on and threw the leftovers in the fridge as I stood by and watched, utterly flabbergasted.

What could I say?
Some people have all the luck.