Yesterday’s rooftop gathering was a success! I had a blast, and the feedback I received from other attendees echoed that feeling. Good friends, good food, and lots to drink—does it get any better than that?
Open for business!Wasn’t sure how many would be attending, but put out every available chair. Turns out I needed them all.The early food table included chili in the crockpot, twenty-four cornbread muffins, and brownies. Later additions were grilled meats, baked macaroni, and chicken feet.The music box. And yes, it also serves as a karaoke machine.Ice chests packed with beer and wineChristian (Inday’s fella) handled the grill choresMeats ready to grillMeat on the grillChili is ready and waitingLet’s party!The sun has seen just about enough for one dayScott’s sunset shotsThe sun was gone but the party rocked on!My chili proved to be quite popularThe Filipinas devoured the macaroni. The chicken feet were gone before I could take a photoMy neighbor Jeff kicked off the karaoke singingAnd Dave put on a showSwan’s turnAs is the custom in these parts, the gals and guys gathered around separate tables.Who invited you, Jack? I stuck with beer, and as a group, we drank a lot of it. The gals also went through several bottles of wine. A couple of the girls got up to dance, which was nice to see.
The last of the guests departed around 10 p.m., and everyone professed to have had a good time. I know I did.
I never left the ‘hood all day, confining my morning walk to the streets of Alta Vista. I had a party to prepare for, after all.
I achieved my goal of walking at least a portion of every named street in the subdivision. Did it in just under 5K.
It was a very good day to be alive. I went to sleep feeling truly blessed.
Today’s Quora Q&A:
Q: What is a habit you picked up from another country as an expat?
A: Well, I guess there are lots of little things you pick up along the way. One that comes to mind is from my 10+ years in South Korea. Whatever you do in an interaction with another person, you do with two hands. Paying at the convenience store? Hand the money over with both hands. Drinking with someone of higher status (i.e. older), you pour their drink and you do it two-handed. Not doing so would be considered extremely rude.
There are many others, but that’s the one that came immediately to mind. It was also funny when I was back in the USA and in the habit of using two hands for everything. Got me lots of funny looks!
I enjoyed my Korea life. It’s too bad things turned out the way they did.
Today’s lame attempt at humor:
I recall the time we fired a postmaster for having sex with a clerk in the vault. Talk about safe sex!Three in the pink, one in the stink…He’s not long for this world.
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for now. I’ll be back tomorrow.
5 thoughts on “Party like it’s 1999”
I’m glad the rooftop event went well. Sounds as though everyone had a good time, and even the weirdos who like chicken feet must’ve been happy with the selection. I hope everything either ran out or got taken home.
Rock on!
re: giving with two hands
As a sign of respect, it’s something you’d do when someone is of equal or superior social status, so you wouldn’t do it for kids unless you were being deliberately silly. I almost never do the two-handed thing at the cash register since I normally pay for everything by card.
Hardly any leftovers by the end of the night, so no one went home hungry.
What!? You didn’t hand your card over with two hands? Shame on you! I just made the two-hand thing a habit–paying at the convenience store or pouring drinks at home, all the same to me. I’m over it now.
With a card reader right there, there’s no “handing over” anything to another person unless s/he rudely reaches down, pulls your card out, and hands it back to you—which I don’t like. (It does happen on occasion.)
Ha! It just goes to show how out of touch I’ve become. The vast majority of businesses I frequent don’t even accept plastic payments. I use my card once a week at Royal, and they do it the old-fashioned way. It’s all good.
Probably better to be as much off the grid as you can.
I’m glad the rooftop event went well. Sounds as though everyone had a good time, and even the weirdos who like chicken feet must’ve been happy with the selection. I hope everything either ran out or got taken home.
Rock on!
re: giving with two hands
As a sign of respect, it’s something you’d do when someone is of equal or superior social status, so you wouldn’t do it for kids unless you were being deliberately silly. I almost never do the two-handed thing at the cash register since I normally pay for everything by card.
Hardly any leftovers by the end of the night, so no one went home hungry.
What!? You didn’t hand your card over with two hands? Shame on you! I just made the two-hand thing a habit–paying at the convenience store or pouring drinks at home, all the same to me. I’m over it now.
With a card reader right there, there’s no “handing over” anything to another person unless s/he rudely reaches down, pulls your card out, and hands it back to you—which I don’t like. (It does happen on occasion.)
Ha! It just goes to show how out of touch I’ve become. The vast majority of businesses I frequent don’t even accept plastic payments. I use my card once a week at Royal, and they do it the old-fashioned way. It’s all good.
Probably better to be as much off the grid as you can.