The Graduation Party Post

Early on the day of the party

The Graduation party has been in the planning stage for over two months. It started as an idea sometime in the rainy spring time as a distant idea for a time in the distant future that would only come after a real long wait and there was so much time to do things.
      When the cover for the pool was taken off in early May and the water was a dark coffee color, no milk, no problem we have time. When it rained at least one weekend day every week, that was OK, we have time and I don't think I can work two full weekend days every weekend any more. Plus who wants to. And the rain, the excessive rain every week didn't bother us, me either there was time for the weather to change.
     




Late May came and it was still raining. The mower broke and for two, three weeks the lawn grew like a weed with the excessive rain. Around the beginning of June with a fixed mower and a little luck the yard started to come together. The raised bed /pot (not the smoking kind) vegetable garden got planted. Tho the gardens on the north remained patches of weed (not the smoking kind) heaven. Finally progress seemed to be made.
       Then the week before the party hits and I could see all that needed to be done. There was work both Saturday and Sunday. Teri came out and power washed the chairs take had gotten stained by the fall and winter weather. Occasionally during the week a little more work would be done.
       Friday before the party I pick up Vanilla and Raspberry flavored Vodka thinking I'm going to make jello shots. Teri wants to make a Lemonade and lemon vodka drink and she says the jello shots will be a lot of work and we don't have time or refrigerator space, plus I didn't get the small cups I needed. I did remember to get the ribs I ordered from work. I get home and re-mow the lawn and put out the lawn furniture. At nine at night I am making hamburgers with the hamburger former Amanda got me for Christmas.
       On the morning of the party I'm thinking why didn't I make the party for Sunday? There is still so much to do. Teri is inside doing all the food prep and there is still dirty chairs, pool vacuuming, pool stairs to be put in, tents to get and assemble, beer to buy. The Weather is cooperating  sort of today. It is not raining, but it is hot and humid, going into the low 90's. Maybe it is a little too hot to stay outside. Good thing we cleaned the house extra good.
       Sally Ann comes over a little early to help. Teri is feeling stressed and when she gets stressed she picks on things that need to be fixed and on this day she draws me in. We have a quick nasty fight. I apologise to my mother who was helping me set up the tents. I think I tell Teri that if she doesn't relax she'll be crapping diamonds by the evening.
       Guests start appearing and most everything is done. Katie says, "Why all the stress, it's just family that's coming over." Hearing her say it I still think, I couldn't have people over, even close relatives like what today is if the house and yard weren't up to it. I'm sure Teri feels the same.
       Teri makes salads, macaroni and regular. The menu is hots dogs, hamburgers, ribs, baked beans and deviled eggs by my mom, and lots of other stuff I don't eat.
       I was going to let Sally Ann work the BBQ grill like she did last year, but she has gone to get a table and Teri wants to start, so I pour a large glass of Vodka and lemonade, a dangerous drink because you don't taste the vodka and I throw a package of hot dogs on a medium flame and go get some of the thirty-six hamburgers I made last night. Over a medium flame things cook slowly. Teri brings out a aluminum pan to put the burger and hot dogs on, but I serve directly from the grill to serve the food hot. I keep working the grill and drinking the vodka and lemonade. I don't feel drunk, but every so often the earth stops spinning or maybe it would speed up and I'd lose my balance. Once the stairs going to the back door tilted and I almost slipped off them. Other wise I wasn't feeling the alcohol.

       This was also the day the first ever baseball game is played in London England and I wanted to see some of them. I heard the Yankees score six runs in the top of the first while driving getting stuff. I figured the games is over until the Red Sox scored six in the bottom of the first. Final score was something like 17-13 Yankees.
       The Pool got its first real workout of the year. The water was clear and only moderately cool, perfect for swimming. There were at least a dozen kids in the pool at a time. Even the trampoline got used. As I was walking over to tell them no flips someone with long hair does a beautiful flip landing reasonable well. That was the first and last one.
        The evening came and people drifted away. The party got down to a small group. I bought out a photo album I had from the eighties and Madeline and Karl and a few others got a laugh from it. Ruth would too.
       Clean up started and it was not too bad. All the stress (Teri did relax, no diamonds) was well worth it. Everyone had fun and it could not have gone better. I hope everyone even Elena had fun. I asked Elena the next day about the party to get her take on it, what she did, was it fun. It was like pulling teeth. I got a it was fun, even tho I didn't want a party. I swam in the pool, that was about it. God I love her. I hope deep down inside she knows just how much. Don't worry Nastia you are loved just as much. Good luck with David, make the right decisions.






















/