The Party

Published on by harrigantales4 Comments

All week long I have been checking the weather to find out if it is going to rain.  This past summer has been one of the wettest that we have had in quite some time.  Regardless of the weather the party was going to happen.  The tikki torches had been set up all long but we couldn’t put the tables and tableclothes until we knew the weather was going to be okay.  It rained the day before and the day after.  The day of the party couldn’t have been more perfect.  It was even a little on the chilly side.


Friday Rich and I brought everything up that would need to be set up the next morning.  The kids were brought to my in-laws for an overnight sleepover.  Saturday morning came and we started to set up.  I was making the last minute dishes in the morning and early afternoon.  My friend Sue came over to help with cutting and putting things together.


By this time we pretty much knew who was coming and who wasn’t.  Knowing there was a good possibility of last minute cancellations due to child illness or emergencies we had a good handle of the amount of people coming.  Due to the effort that goes into this party it is important to know how many people.  The gift bags were already put together.  The party is mostly friends and neighbors that have now become good friends.  Some people even ask months in advance when the party is going to be to make sure it makes their calendar.  Some people I find are a little less enthusiastic.  I would never want to force someone to come.  I want people who want to be there.  The invitation states “An evening of good food, good friends and laughter.”


Everything was on-track until the phone rings at about 6:01.  The party starts at 6:00.  People were already starting to arrive.  Keep in mind I know that things can happen but this just put me over the top.  A friend called and said they couldn’t make it because they were buying a car and still needed to sign the paperwork.  I thought she was kidding until she quickly chuckles and goes into what a great deal they were getting.  I am thinking to myself – you have to be kidding!  The last thing I wanted to hear was what a great deal they were getting when I had over 20 people coming to my house for a party.  Others that couldn’t come either had other plans or were on vacation or had a true childcare issue that arose unexpectedly.  But purchasing a car?  This was a first.


Let’s just say the invitation list gets rearranged every year and this is an example of why.  I want people there who want to be there.  It was just as well because the people that came had a wonderful time and stayed until 2:00 in the morning.  They helped clean so the next morning involved minimal cleanup.


The party was a success and we are already planning the next one.

The List

Published on by harrigantales1 Comment

As our summer party quickly approaches the outstanding list of things to get done starts to diminish. It is pretty amazing how these things that have been on “the list” for years somehow get done when written down and you have a deadline. We love throwing this party every year. For us, it is a ure way of getting alot of projects done.  It is not a tremendous amount of people for this party but enough to make it interesting. All ages and background come together and share stories.


Here is a sample of some of the things we had to get done.

  1. paint deck
  2. touch up paint inside house
  3. paint kitchen (keep in mind we had to take down the wallpaper and spackle the crap out of the walls)
  4. clean screens
  5. chop wood
  6. week hill & side gardens
  7. replace plexyglass & screen for door to deck
  8. sweep below patio
  9. attach tikki torches to deck (not recommended but we do it anyways – fire extinguisher always nearby)
  10. plant perennials
  11. fill in flowers with annuals
  12. deck door – paint
  13. storage door – paint
  14. fix floor
  15. get invitations
  16. replace light fixtures – kitchen
  17. replace bath faucet
  18. replace rugs in kitchen
  19. clean patio
  20. weed-be-gone patio / parking place
  21. songlist for party
  22. CD for party gifts
  23. make strawberry /peach
  24. print labels for CD’s
  25. replace both door bells and chime

So this is just a sample of our list and most of them are done. Needless to say some are quick and some are long and involved.  The kitchen is finally painted – Summer Pudding.  For those who don’t know what summer pudding looks like – it’s cranberry.  We did however, change the light fixtures in our kitchen by ourselves. For those who read the previous entry know that is a huge accomplishment this is for us.  Keep in mind that the first light in the kitchen took six attempts for it was a success.


So now all we have to do is go grocery shopping, make the food and gift bags then bring the kids down to my in-laws at the beach.  If we aren’t too exhaused by Saturday we should have a great time.

Who needs electricity? WE DO!

Published on by harrigantales5 Comments

So needless to say hubby and I are trying to paint the kitchen before our summer party.  The color is “Summer Pudding”.  Basically – cranberry.  Anyways I went to Lowe’s to pick up the paint and figured that I would get a new doorbell and doorbell buttons to go to the front and back door.  How difficult can this be?  Yeah, well I didn’t think so either.


We cut the power to the house as they suggest in the directions.  It took all of 15 minutes to change the doorbell and two buttons.  Hubby went to turn on the main circuit breaker to the house – nothing.  We later find out that the main one should not be turned on and off in the older versions.


It was broken and it was Sunday.  Never a good situation to have to call an electrician.  After going to the store to get bags of ice to make sure the food in the fridge doesn’t go bad we feverishly make phone calls to any 24-hour electrician that we can find.  In the meantime my father is trying to get a hold of a friend that it an electrician.


“Mr. Electric” was the first to call back.   The story gets worse from here. 


“Yup it’s broken he said and it will be anywhere between $500 – $1200 to fix.”  He said but with a smile that you could hear through the phone lines.


As I was hyperventilating the phone rings and my dad says that Kevin will be back in the area in about an hour and a half.  I was slightly relieved in that I knew he was good as well as reasonable.


Walker says, “Mommy,  I can’t turn the T.V. on right?”


“Nope.”


I don’t think the house has been that quiet since before children.  Besides the fact that it was potentially a financial nightmare I was enjoying the quiet.


Kevin shows about a few hours later replaces the breaker switch in about 15 minutes and says, “Okay the part of $25 and for my time and gas how about $60.”  I could have kissed the ground he walked on.


So forget about knowing people in high places – make friends with an electrician. 


Recap


Having your electricity go out… alarming


Having it go out on a Sunday… expensive


Having a friend that knows what he is doing and is willing to fix it on a Sunday for a minimal price… priceless