Sunday, June 19, 2011

170/365

"SO, WHAT? NO FUCKING ZITI NOW?"

I had daddy's 70th birthday party yesterday... we were trying to keep it very simple. The house was a mess... I've been pulled in all different directions with appointment after appointment... I haven't really had the time to plan a big party. Plus my landscaper was on vacation. I actually cut it myself friday night... I think from the air it may look like crop circles! ;-) Truthfully, I was just going to skip the party altogether. I decided to just do something simple... I asked The Dad what he wanted - first he said picnic food (which I'm not really crazy about) then he wanted all Italian - sauce, meatballs, macaroni, greens and beans, etc... (which I think is easier.) He was back and forth until he decided on PICNIC and then started adding to it... sausage and peppers, eggplant, meatballs and ziti! So, after all that simple talk, we ended up with BOTH. AJ would have been happy.

I've given up trying to have any order to his house right now so that was ok - even though I only had a couple days to prepare I thought I was pretty organized - my post-it notes came back! Unfortunately that's were the organization ended because it was still a little crazy. We ended up with a hodgepodged three table buffet surrounded by the chaos of all things boxes and bins.
Thanks to all my helpers - especially Aunt Joyce and Debbie who know how to jump in and make it happen - and, thanks to Colleen, the kitchen was never cleaner. ;-)

I think it took me the longest time ever to make the layered salad... It was after 1 am, but still... I kind of lost it and didn't know what I was doing. At one point I forgot I was even making it. I think I had the bacon cooking and walked away and came back in the room and realized I just quit. Like I said - I wasn't that prepared. It did rain for a little bit - but no one seemed to care very much. The Dad took cover under a napkin and if you look at that green thing way back there...
...it was crouching tiger hidden Twin - keeping his cookies dry!
At some point the 0 in the 70 disappeared into the heavens without anyone knowing and all that was left was the 7!
Which is pretty much the age the birthday boy prefers to act like. ;-)
I always think one of the best parts of a party is eating again after everyone leaves and, of course, my late night coffee... ;-)
You know it's a good party when you go through 5 pots of coffee...

I'm going to bring back my usual "party's over" photo... There was one pooped pup in the house. She was E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D.
Happy 70th and Happy Father's Day to The Dad. ;-)

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