BBQ

The BBQ proceeded as planned and it never actually rained the entire time. Hardy NW souls that we are, we hung out on the deck and everyone ate outside even though it was grey and not precisely balmy. Everytime there was a whisper of blue sky someone, usually The Spouse, would say, "See, it's summer".

The food was great and it wasn't until The Neighbor turned to me and said, "Killer potato salad" that I realized I hadn't made anything except the baked beans. The Spouse, having worshipped yesterday at Our Lady of Perpetual Percale, ended up making the potato salad, coleslaw and whipping up the Trader Joe's brownies. All of which were, by the way, killer.

Some people who were planning on coming totally wimped out because of the rain, big babies weren't able to make it after all but we were pleasantly surprised when our former neighbor and her daugher arrived.

I shall interupt the party report now to sing the praises of the Family C. They used to live on the corner just north of us. Good times: mutual baby sitting service, being within crawling distance of each other's parties, the general fabulousness of calling over the fence and saying, "You guys want a cocktail?" Their daughter was born on my birthday, shortly after they moved in, and The Child immediately acquired the thing she most longed for, a baby sister. The husbands totally got each other (same books, movies, computer geekiness), the wives had plenty in common. It was the Ricardos and the Mertz's. It broke our hearts when they moved north. (That stinking "more house, less money" thing, again).

Note: If The Neighbor ever moves we'll have to collectively throw ourselves off of something.

Other guests included one of The Child's boy toys and his uncle (they'd taken her to the Folklife festival in the afternoon) and one of The Spouse's on-line gaming buddies, who can no longer be referred to as an "imaginary friend" because, well, he's real. And very nice. And also more or less agreed with my theories of what to expect in the 7th Harry Potter book.

Anyway, it was big fun, the food was great, I hardly had to do anything except hang with guests (which is what a hostess is supposed to do) and everyone cleared out in time for The Spouse and I to watch one episode of "Battlestar Gallactica". (JP, that really is a compelling bit of entertainment. Thank you).

Today began with significant sleeping in and will largely be composed of nothing in particular. The Child will be making dinner. My kind of national holiday.