Whew!

Part One: Bourbon
Friday night we went to dinner club with my friend Irene. Seems one of the couples in her club had to stop coming - so we were added. Her husband kept encouraging me to have one more drink - three bourbons, two Irish Coffees and a cream liquor ( or three) later, I couldn't drive home. Bill is in his eighties - and true to the Irish Rogues I have known in the past he joked that he wasn't trying to ply me with liquor, unless of course it was working! I made some great fig cake - though the chocolate guiness puddings were a little rough. We had so much fun that when it got to midnight, we were surprised -but left anyway. They are so genuinely charming - just down to earth and practical - I have really enjoyed them.

Part Two: Summer Already
Saturday was fanatastic - I woke the kids with a bagpipe and drum cd - quietly at first- then full force. I made bacon and oatmeal and fried potatoes - mmm Irish breakfast.
We got downtown to the parade and what should we find but Summer! She was dressing out for the parade, but that other person who was supposed to be in costume with her bailed. So we brought her with us instead. It was cold, but we managed to get a sunburn in spite of that. Only 4 peices of candy, though. What the hell is that? I thought that was a big part of the parade- to throw candy at the kids??? Anyway - after the parade Summer's fiance' changed out of his costume and we went out to eat at the Greasy Spoon.

This city landmark is known for no nonsense burgers and onion rings - great chili fries and chili dogs. If you don't know what you want when you get to the counter, they'll send you to the back of the line. The counter person yells: whatll ya have? whatll ya have?" Then yells back your order. We bulked up on grease and cholesterol - and loved every second of it. While Ivan was quiet in the beginning, the inner geek of the gentlemen at our table kicked in and they spent most of lunch talking about movie stuff.
I should be able to post some pictures tonight - but the USB cable was messed up and I couldn't get them to download.
After we went home, we settled in to dinner of Corned Beef and Cabbage - and new potatoes, and carrots and honey oatmeal bread ( that did in fact have flaxseeds, but you wouldn't have minded, it was like oatmeal cookies in bread form - I'm having it again today for lunch!)

Part Three: Running
Sunday we were on cleanup duty after coffee and donuts. while this means we are assured a donut for breakfast - it also means we are stuck at church until 11:20. We wiped tables, vacuumed and swept the floor and got to spend a while with my friend Mary from church.
My friend Irene, who provided the hooch on Friday night, asked me to go with her for a luncheon to join the K of C Columbiettes. Little did we know that we were stuck there from noon until 4pm. Holy moses. But the ceremony was painless and the sausage and peppers at the end was good - so no complaints here!
I got home only to find that Josh and his three buddies needed a ride about half an hour away to a birthday party - so back in the car I went. I got home about 15 minutes before CCD where we practiced for Confirmation on Wednesday.
Confirmation practice went well, I am astounded, though, by the number of people who feel it is appropriate to yell in the sacristy - it makes me tired when people act like their opinion is more important than what is best for the group... but that is a whole other issue.
On the way out of church, I called Justin - offered to stop and pick up something for dinner since it was only the two of us - and Jake. Justin was out putting all the animals away, and I was looking forward to sitting down for a bit.

I walked in with my Taco Bell tacos - pleased with myself for managing to get dinner by 9 after the day I had - when I heard one of Josh's friends in the front room. Seems they upset the mother who was picking them up and she came at 8 instead of 11. 10 tacos was not going to feed 6 people - especially since four of them eat like teenagers. Thank God for a well stocked pantry - I whipped up chipotle brown rice - a can of Organic Black beans -with green chiles added in - then I sauteed up some shrimp and grilled a couple pork chops.
Miraculously, 30 minutes later there was dinner - and I even had a little rice and beans left over. Crisis averted.
By bedtime, I was whipped - but a little Kahlua knocked the stress right out of me - oh yea, have you ever seen Conan the Destroyer? It is on our free movies right now - and it was better than I thought it would be - or that might have been the Kahlua.