Hi Debi,
I was just lookng around the forums and came across your thread. Congratulations on becoming one of us! A women old enough to be logged!
Turning 50 for me was ok emotionally, but my party stunk!
My hubby asked me what I would like to do, and I told him that I wanted a beach party (July 26 is my birthday). I love the beach and we were having a stellar summer. We also have quite an ecletic group of friends and relatives. I thought hanging at the beach for a day in the sun and a picnic would be a great way to let everyone have their own space (and I could ly out in the middle of the lake on an air mattress...I'm not to fussy on large crowds...but my hubby's family wouldn't understand 'no party').
Well...it was smoking hot on the day of the party and, as usual, my disorganized husband was way behind schedule (I was supposed to be letting HIM do all the work! LOL) By the time we got to the lake there was only two parking spots left! I tried to save one for my sister and some lady started yelling at me for trying to do so (who says Canadains are so darn polite!) As I started to panic I noticed some small bites on my legs...sand fleas!!! When my sis and hubby finally arrived we took a look at the beach. Not even a tiny spot to lay a towel let alone parking for all the other guests... (scratch scratch)...This meant taking the party back to our house. (sniff sniff..yes I did cry!)...(scratch scratch)...Now we have a great back yard...but being a control freak I knew I wasn't about to have a nice relaxing day trying to entertain all these different people types on such a hot day and I was going to have to play the hostess. (scratch scratch)
As the ecletic group of people started making their arrivals there was a definite 'split' happening. My hubby's family in the shade, old friends in the middle of the lawn, my family in the house and on the front deck(hiding mostly so they could drink there beer...it was HOT out!), neighbors walking around looking lost... and me wandering around in my bathing suit (much to my mother-in-laws shock!)...(scratch scratch) As the hostess now, I spent the hot muggy day walking from group to group making sure every one was happy in their little huddles on the hottest day of the summer. The drinkers (hic) were on the front deck, the tea sippers in the shade. (And boy did I wanna hang on the deck with my beer guzzling sister, but I had my husband's family to think about...not mine). (scratch scratch) On one of my 'walk-bys' the glass sliding door got stuck and we were stuck out on the deck! Yippee! Realizing the beer was in the house we started calling and calling, but no one out back could hear. Finally my hubby noticed me missing and came looking.(scatch scratch)
Consequently, every one ate an early dinner and most just left out of boredom. At nine pm my daughters finally showed up with flushed cheeks and copious amounts of food for the 'party'...appetizers (thanks to my hubby) But there were very few guests left to eat it. (scratch scratch) My son (who lived in an apartment without airconditioning at the time) came home from work and fell asleep and never even made it to the party. (scratch scratch)
As the night wore on, and the tea sippers left, I pulled out a bottle of wine and with a few of the stragglers that stayed, sat around our fire pit out back and .... well, got loaded.
My daughters have since disallowed my hubby to plan any more parties!
If I could do it all over again...I would just go away somewhere ... a cabin on a lake ... or SOMEWHERE with a beach, a good book and my own bottle of wine...and just spoil myself!
So....what did you do?
__________________  TTFN from Corky and She |