Graduation Party
June of 2010, my eldest daughter graduated from High School. Not to sound oldfartish, but when I graduated from High School we kissed our parents at the school and went out to celebrate ourselves. Nowadays a wedding planner and someone from HGTV seems to be a must.
In May, smack dab in the throws of black fly season, Don and I decided to install a paver walkway out front. The landscaping was making a tremendous comeback now that the goat problem was resolved and the crushed rock needed replacement. This project took a week and a little piece of our souls. We have never dug so much and our bodies felt like we had grappled with Tyson. Project done and it was a smashing success.
After the walkway the insane cleaning, scrubbing, mowing, leaf blowing and meal planning began. Knowing we would have my parents in from Pennsylvania, my best friend Anna in from Texas, Frank from Texas and a host of family making tracks from New Jersey and Massachusetts, the planning was crucial. Lasagna and Chicken Alfredo was made ahead, groceries were purchased weeks in advance to soften the financial blow, beer, wine, cups, chairs, my god the chaos!
Graduation was on a Thursday evening, that was Lasagna night with the family and friends traveling into town. The real party was scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Wednesday Anna arrived and as usual we were up until 1am watching Drag Me To Hell, which was fitting considering the schedule to follow. Staying up until 1am and then rising at 6am can make you a little shaky, but when the adrenaline is flowing you just push forward.
Thursday's graduation was held in the school gym due to a rainy mess outside. A nice young graduating senior dazzled us with his guitar skills singing, "Thanks for the Homework" rumor has it he is a bit of a experimentalist with recreational veggies such as mushrooms. He was hysterical and I hope he's on You Tube somewhere. During the ceremony someone made a loud fart noise, I still vote for 'actual', and our incredibly mature mob of friends and family all laughed until we cried.
That evening everyone stayed until about 11pm, we were singing, dancing, laughing and as usual everyone was talking at once. Again, up until 1am with Anna talking and laughing. BACK UP AT 6AM... little slower this time.
Friday we headed out to the coast for lunch and to pickup lobsters for dinner from Shaw's Wharf is the setting for Message in a Bottle, which I liked despite hating Kevin Costner, that's another story. Knowing we were heading towards Saturday's big party, we decided to again stay up until 1am, in for a penny, in for a pound.
Saturday morning Don came out and said, "I'm all partied out." Anna said, "Man up Don, we got the big party today!" I was so tired but it was time to rally. At 11am Anna looked at my father and said, "Come on Bruce, it's time for a beer." They were off again. We got all the food out, burgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, baked beans, fondue, chips, salsa, there was food everywhere and I couldn't have been happier.
A fire was going in the fire pit out front and my father was supervising. He was also trying to talk my 12 year old nephew into having a beer. Someone needs to keep an eye on him, my father, not my nephew. There were people everywhere and the party was going quite nicely. It was around 7pm when the party switched gears. The satellite was set to 70s, turned up, along with the outside speakers and the group singing commenced. I hauled out my little blue guitar. I don't know how to play the guitar, but that doesn't stop me. When American Pie came on everyone piled into the house and we all sang as loud as we could. Paradise By The Dashboard Lights had us singing even louder.
While we were all inside nicely liquored up and singing quite well in our opinions, Billy our neighbor down in the woods, came out of the woods on his 4-wheeler. Anna happened to be alone outside taking video of the fire when she heard him approaching. She told me she thought for sure it was the Klan and they were coming to haul her away while all us drunks were too loud to hear her screaming.
At 11pm my father left with Billy on his 4 Wheeler and I watched and wondered if I'd ever see Dad again. He came back at midnight and announced, "I was propositioned and I kinda liked it!" One of Billy's friends was a very very drunk tall woman who earlier had been hitting on our dog while he sat scared out of his mind on the sofa, she took a liking to Dad, but thankfully he declined, we think.
At 1am, Anna, Lauren and I were eating cold cheeseburgers, drinking champagne and reminiscing already. Everyone left on Sunday and Monday and I thought I'd be hospitalized for sure. It was more fun than I've every had, a party for 4 days straight. Lauren graduates in 2014, which seems like just enough time to recover and do it all over again!
In May, smack dab in the throws of black fly season, Don and I decided to install a paver walkway out front. The landscaping was making a tremendous comeback now that the goat problem was resolved and the crushed rock needed replacement. This project took a week and a little piece of our souls. We have never dug so much and our bodies felt like we had grappled with Tyson. Project done and it was a smashing success.
After the walkway the insane cleaning, scrubbing, mowing, leaf blowing and meal planning began. Knowing we would have my parents in from Pennsylvania, my best friend Anna in from Texas, Frank from Texas and a host of family making tracks from New Jersey and Massachusetts, the planning was crucial. Lasagna and Chicken Alfredo was made ahead, groceries were purchased weeks in advance to soften the financial blow, beer, wine, cups, chairs, my god the chaos!
Graduation was on a Thursday evening, that was Lasagna night with the family and friends traveling into town. The real party was scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Wednesday Anna arrived and as usual we were up until 1am watching Drag Me To Hell, which was fitting considering the schedule to follow. Staying up until 1am and then rising at 6am can make you a little shaky, but when the adrenaline is flowing you just push forward.
Thursday's graduation was held in the school gym due to a rainy mess outside. A nice young graduating senior dazzled us with his guitar skills singing, "Thanks for the Homework" rumor has it he is a bit of a experimentalist with recreational veggies such as mushrooms. He was hysterical and I hope he's on You Tube somewhere. During the ceremony someone made a loud fart noise, I still vote for 'actual', and our incredibly mature mob of friends and family all laughed until we cried.
That evening everyone stayed until about 11pm, we were singing, dancing, laughing and as usual everyone was talking at once. Again, up until 1am with Anna talking and laughing. BACK UP AT 6AM... little slower this time.
Friday we headed out to the coast for lunch and to pickup lobsters for dinner from Shaw's Wharf is the setting for Message in a Bottle, which I liked despite hating Kevin Costner, that's another story. Knowing we were heading towards Saturday's big party, we decided to again stay up until 1am, in for a penny, in for a pound.
Saturday morning Don came out and said, "I'm all partied out." Anna said, "Man up Don, we got the big party today!" I was so tired but it was time to rally. At 11am Anna looked at my father and said, "Come on Bruce, it's time for a beer." They were off again. We got all the food out, burgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, baked beans, fondue, chips, salsa, there was food everywhere and I couldn't have been happier.
A fire was going in the fire pit out front and my father was supervising. He was also trying to talk my 12 year old nephew into having a beer. Someone needs to keep an eye on him, my father, not my nephew. There were people everywhere and the party was going quite nicely. It was around 7pm when the party switched gears. The satellite was set to 70s, turned up, along with the outside speakers and the group singing commenced. I hauled out my little blue guitar. I don't know how to play the guitar, but that doesn't stop me. When American Pie came on everyone piled into the house and we all sang as loud as we could. Paradise By The Dashboard Lights had us singing even louder.
While we were all inside nicely liquored up and singing quite well in our opinions, Billy our neighbor down in the woods, came out of the woods on his 4-wheeler. Anna happened to be alone outside taking video of the fire when she heard him approaching. She told me she thought for sure it was the Klan and they were coming to haul her away while all us drunks were too loud to hear her screaming.
At 11pm my father left with Billy on his 4 Wheeler and I watched and wondered if I'd ever see Dad again. He came back at midnight and announced, "I was propositioned and I kinda liked it!" One of Billy's friends was a very very drunk tall woman who earlier had been hitting on our dog while he sat scared out of his mind on the sofa, she took a liking to Dad, but thankfully he declined, we think.
At 1am, Anna, Lauren and I were eating cold cheeseburgers, drinking champagne and reminiscing already. Everyone left on Sunday and Monday and I thought I'd be hospitalized for sure. It was more fun than I've every had, a party for 4 days straight. Lauren graduates in 2014, which seems like just enough time to recover and do it all over again!
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