first Saturday in May

Whew!  I am a little drained today.  Quite the Saturday behind us.  I will need a nap this afternoon, I am sure.  And an easy night ahead.  Please!  But first, I sit here sipping decaf, blogging.  Important things first, right?

Conrad and I got ourselves up and moseying in the May Grey yesterday morning.  A longer walk than usual, and down a few blocks that we haven't walked in ages.  Nice to be in a bit of a different part of town.  Our walk ended up being about 4.5 miles, which is longer than we've done together in far too long.  And, to no one's shock, we found ourselves having breakfast at Amara before the final short bit home.

There were a few things to be done at the condo, but not a huge amount.  It's in good shape for the week ahead.  No rush to anything, we wrapped up at the condo and headed to Van's mid-afternoon.  And that's where things got busier.  The cocktail party was set for 7:00, and we had things to do.

I had to set up my bar area in the kitchen. 

Food needed to be plated eventually.  Lights arranged outside. As we got closer to 7, we were in good shape, but still.  Denny showed up at 6:43, and we were off to the races.  And how!  It felt like I was making drinks non-stop for the first hour as people all arrived in quick sequence.  I think I got a short break by 8, and then it eased off after that.  And I'm NOT complaining.  It's better not to have all of us in the kitchen, bartending - the space considerations are one thing, and then there's the need to host people.  If there were 6 of us, no problem.  But we had 30 or so coming.  And I know, we should have had wine only or pre-made batches of cocktails.  Ah well.

The side effect of all of this is that I didn't take photos of the cocktails, sorry.  Not a single one.  And not of the people either, for that matter.  I was busy, and then it was late and I finally had time to socialize, and I didn't even think to pull out the phone to get shots.  I finally did so when it was late and most people had left, and Conrad commented on how the paper bag lanterns lining Van's drive looked lovely.  Then I popped out for a moment, into the welcome cool air, snapping the lanterns leading the way in and out.

The other funny thing is that I didn't drink anything other than water all night.  When I got that first break in making drinks, I was warm and wanted some water to rehydrate and cool off.  Later, I realized I didn't know what I might want, and later still I realized that it was probably too late to drink.  So, I didn't.  Water all night.  Which may be why, despite us going to bed just before 2 (the last people left around 11:45, and then we all did the work of cleaning up everything pretty completely), I was out of bed this morning before 7 and feeling no ill effects.  I type that knowing that I am imminently heading upstairs to nap!

But it was a very good night.  I do wish I'd talked to some of the people there more than I did, but I know that, between them, Conrad and Van were able to chat with folks I missed.  And guests chatted with each other!  We over-bought food, alas, but I'd rather provide plenty than have guests not have a bounty to enjoy.  And now I'm quibbling with myself.  The drinks were good, I did a great job of them, I'm glad we did it, and now I can go grab that nap....

a wee holiday party

Our busy holiday season of enjoyable social activities continues.  Last night Van hosted a wee party for five of us.  Oh, and Olive.  She certainly was in the mix throughout.

Before we knew Van, he had been married to a man named Doug.  Sadly, Doug died in 2018.  All that Conrad and I know of him are Van's and others' memories and photos.  And now Heath.  Heath is Doug's cousin, perhaps a second cousin.  Van has told us the exact family connection before, but the age difference between Heath and Doug (Doug would have been in his early seventies now, I believe) throws me off.  We met Heath at Thanksgiving when Van invited him to come for dinner, and last night we got the chance to meet Nicole as well.

First off, they are a delightful couple, very good company.  I know them only a little and what strikes me is that they each seem like people who appreciate things - experiences, food and drink, travel, learning, a lot more.  I find that such a terrific quality in people.  Second, they are a connection to Doug, and that's a lovely thing.  I always like when Van shares about Doug and their life together, and I never want him to lose his connection to his late husband.

So we had them over at Van's.  Olive was in her element. 

Not only did she have Conrad at her beck and call,

but she had two more dog lovers to demand attention (and treats) from.  Lucky, happy girl.  Van had purchased light bites and the makings of a particular cocktail, and Conrad and I set to work setting things up. 

I made us all the drinks throughout the night.  There were gifts exchanged,

and Heath and Nicole left with the makings of Last Words at home.

All in all, a very nice night.  Two nights after a fine evening at Mitch and Ted's, we had another opportunity for an intimate gathering.  Conrad and I powered through the dishes and clean up, and this morning, we all got up to find a tidy kitchen and no stress over that!

Party!

Gosh, it's been a long time.  So very long.  I think the last time we had a party that wasn't a dinner party was, oh, August of 2019.  We did a wine tasting, the weather was terribly warm, and it was a fun time.  Add last night to the (meager) list of our parties.  A cold April night, wine and cocktails.  We had a fun time.

I have to say, all the work that Van did on the planters really paid off.  And all the work that Conrad and I did on swapping out artwork and tidying did as well.  The condo looked great.  I set up a nice spread of things to nibble on, and we were ready for guests to arrive at 7.

I didn't take many photos during the party.  For one thing, I was stationed at the bar I had set up in the kitchen,

making cocktails. 

And - much to my surprise - folks wanted cocktails, not wine.  So be it.  But there were people who came over we hadn't seen in so long, like Carrie and Ron. 

Almost 5 years!  Too long.  So good to see them.  So I caught a few photos, like of Jennifer

and Erik,

but not many more.  I was just too busy enjoying the talking with friends.

What a late night, though.  Clean up was done by one, but I was too wired to go to sleep.  I think I was in bed at 2 AM, and awake again at 7:30.  Oh yes, a Sunday morning nap was needed.

I joked with Van earlier today that I have now become a dinner party person.  Yes, cooking for folks is exhausting, but unlike last night, at least I get to sit down!

birthday surprise

No, not my birthday - that's months off, and given my advancing age, let's keep it there, thank you. No, it was a surprise for TK that took us to Baltimore last weekend.

Backing up a moment, I should assign credit. If I remember correctly (and never assume that I will), it started back in December when TK's partner, Michael, called to say that Mark and Maureen
were coming for the weekend in January. Did we want to come too? Mark and Maureen, by the way, are Todd's brother and sister-in-law, and their visit was to be a surprise, too. So it was that I spent about 5 weeks hiding the truth from the man whom, other than Conrad, I consider my best friend. It ultimately devolved into outright lies about me taking a trip downstate for work last Friday just so he wouldn't wonder why I wasn't showing up online at all through much of the day.

Oh, TK, I am so sorry.

Judging, however, by his reaction when he got to Roy's, I think I'm forgiven.

He was stunned, quite simply. Oh, in a good way. He was happy to see us. But it was a real surprise for him. Curiously, for all that I hate surprises done to me, I loved this one. Again, sorry TK.

It was a terrific weekend. Michael had done a great job of selecting some restaurants. Dinner at Roy's on the Friday night.
Brunch at Wit and Wisdom the next day (few photos from that, but the food was quite tasty). A party at Phillip's on Saturday night with much to nosh on.


A generous brunch at Langermann's on Sunday.


Oh, and gelato in Fell's Point on Saturday afternoon! Conrad and I left Baltimore with full bellies, I tell you.

But best of all was just getting this unexpected opportunity to see TK, see Michael, see Mark and Maureen. Get some quality time with two of my favourite dogs, Coney and Buster.
Belly rubs!!! I got a bit of a lakeside walk with TK just so we could talk a little together, enjoy that quiet and easy friendship. After the cheerful hubbub of the party the night before, it was a real pleasure to find a sunny, peaceful moment together on Sunday.

I very much hope it was a good birthday for TK, a fitting celebration for his landmark. Tomorrow night will be one more celebration, a dinner we'd planned for in Dallas well before this surprise weekend was thought up. No surprises this time, though. TK, I promise.

last 40th birthday post (I think)

I know, I know: we're all a little sick and tired and bored to tears of Peter's 40th birthday.

Suck it up, princesses.

;-)

No, not a lengthy post in terms of words here. I think I've gotten across the essence of our Vancouver vacation for my birthday, and I think I've commented enough on the celebration itself. Want photos? Check out Flickr!

We hosted two get-togethers for the birthday, one at the condo in Vancouver, and one here in Chicago. Casual, easy affairs. Nibbles and wine at the first. At the second we attempted some fun cocktails. Nice to see friends, catch up, have a good time of it. Special thanks to Brian who made both gatherings - again, I very much love how our Vancouver and Chicago lives can overlap.

Some photos from both, then, with thanks to all who came. May it not take until my 50th to see you again!

(and with that, let's move beyond the birthday postings for another year...)