My Father's Husband: a Novel by Elloise Bennett

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Why are wine racks too small and other things that don't make sense...

I'm not a scientist, but I liked science, LOVED science actually. And I like to think that I have a rather logical mind. (Some people may quibble with that... but I hold my spreadsheeting powers as evidence of extraordinary logic.)

But there are some things that I have lately been struggling with. They just don't make sense for me. There just is no possible explanation. Or at least none that I have found. Perhaps you could educate me if you know the answer to any of the following:

  • Wine racks: Why on EARTH is there only five spaces on the shelf of a metal rack? Bottles are sold in lots of 6. What am I supposed to DO with that sixth one?? If I place it on the next rung, then I have a bottle out of place. And that of course affects other wines. Leaving me with some rungs with five lovely partners side by side... and then one weird rung. With onesies. Well, let's be honest... the best solutions for this is just to drink the sixth bottle right away ;)
  • French women: Why are they NOT all skinny? American media has trained me to think that all French women look like Juliette Binoche. There's even a diet book about eating like a French woman! So why... here in the rural SouthWest France... is there a ton of evidence to the contrary? Well, let's be honest... it's the land of bread and cheese. And WINE. And foie gras. What was I thinking? Of COURSE not all French women are skinny! In fact... they are human.
  • Sunshine in rain: Why does it sometimes happen that there is torrents of rain, while the sun is shining? In Africa, we were told that it means the fox married the wolf's wive. Well... there's nothing more beautiful than raindrops glowing in the sunshine. So maybe I don't care that this one doesn't add up.
  • Cancer: Why does cancer choose some people and not others? I don't really want to know the answer to that one. But it leaves me wondering in the wee small hours of the morning... why on earth does it barrage some... and leave others?
  • Manual transmission cars: sorry, I just don't get them. I'm an automatic-gal!