Stuff I've been doing since last I posted:

[spedbug]

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, we were going to a party thrown by one of MrBug's co-worker's on Sunday. MrBug strapped the grill into the bed of his truck, we loaded the cooler (full of libacious liquids and succulent solids) and away we went with Savagefuzzball and Mingo in tow. (For those of you who don't know who Mingo is, she's our "non tax-deductible" daughter. Mingo's parents moved in, next door to us, had Mingo 9 days before SFB was born and the two have been inseperable since then. Mingo has spent a lot of time at our house and has carved herself a very deep niche into our hearts).

The reason MrBug strapped the grill on for the trip is because the co-worker throwing the party hasn't learned the fine art of grilling, yet. His lovely wife bought him a small, round, charcoal grill for the occasion but MrBug volunteered to do the cooking and who'd turn down an offer like that? The small, charcoal grill was used, at the end of the party, to toast marshmallows for S'mores.

The party was fairly large and I got to formally meet many of MrBug's co-workers. I'd met a few of them before, in passing, but hadn't socialized with them for any length of time. Those who know me IRL (or from my postings in bookcrossing) know I'm not much of a socializer. MrBug is the extrovert; I prefer small groups and close friends when I'm feeling social and, most often, prefer solitary time. This party crowd was friendly and easy-going, however, and I was feeling more social than usual so I'm glad I went.

Had I not gone, I'd have missed a few hilarities -namely, one of MrBug's associates (the one MrBug dropped a crowbar on) getting snackered on Long Island Iced Teas. Not only did he regale me with some hilarious "tales of misspent youth", toward the end of the evening he entertained a group of us gathered around the charcoal grill by squatting over it and trying to "coax the coals to life" by expelling gas at the smoldering briquettes.

Higher on the entertainment chart and most hilarious, by far, was the recounting of a job two of MrBug's co-workers acted out for us. In the home repair/renovation business, you're bound to run in to some "interesting" people. Tom S and Tate happened to be working together, one day, at just such a job. Without going in to too much detail, the job was an emotional challenge for the two of them. Suffice it to say the woman whose house they were renovating was beyond eccentric and on a downhill ride toward nuts. Watching these two guys (who, by the way, recounted this as if it were a well-oiled comedy routine) act out the elderly woman's antics had me rolling.

MrBug's co-workers are good people; it's an added bonus that they're also wicked sharp and clever, too.


We hadn't decided if we were going to do anything on the fourth or just hang around the house being lazy. Our friends Omi and Tenety invited us to head down to their parish, in Middletown, and watch the annual fireworks and we ended up accepting the invitation. Part of me would have been perfectly happy to just sit around the house but part of me would have also missed the whole Independence Day tradition.
We bought Italian sausage sandwiches and funnel cakes and I flirted with Omi's Category 5 Hurricanes, again while the fireworks rocketed overhead. I swear I didn't drink more than a 1/2 cup altogether but I was feeling a bit fizzly and colorful by night's end, myself. When I woke up, on Tuesday, I didn't feel hung over but I definitely felt like I'd been "ridden hard and put away wet", so to speak. Water was the drink of the day.


Tuesday night, my mother cooked dinner at her house. My brother, Patrick (the one closest to me in age) and his two children came. My brother's girlfriend, Arij, was there and showed me the engagement ring my brother gave her. I'm so happy he finally proposed. He's been divorced from his children's mother for some years, now. Although he's dated, on and off, none of the women 'stuck'. Now, this might have something to do with my brother's personality (she says with tongue in cheek). I love him but he's not the easiest person to deal with. Not only can he be irritable and verbally cutting, but he's not what you'd call romantic. Arij is perfect for him, IMO. She's intelligent (speaks 3 languages), hard-working, upbeat and funny, personable and engaging, independent AND she won't let him walk all over her. Even though I find my brother irritating and frustrating, at times, I want him to be happy and I think he will be with her. They think they'll get married in April as that's when my sister, Patty, and her family will be here for my BIL Greg's daughter's wedding (in Florida). From what I understand, they'll be married in the backyard of my brother's home in a non-religious ceremony (she is Muslim and, while she follows dietary laws, etc., she doesn't attend mosque. He is a non-practicing Catholic).
If any of my Aussie family is reading this and just hearing about the engagement, now, please don't let on you know!! It took Arij showing us the ring for us to find out so God knows when he's telling anyone else. :o/

Comments

re your s-i-l to be...

[deenbat.livejournal.com]

since he's a non-praticing Catholic and she's a quasi-practicing Muslim, no one will mind that my response is: mazel tov!!

Thanks.

[spedbug.livejournal.com]

A mazel tov is always welcome. :)

>"ridden hard and put away wet",

[yokospungeon.livejournal.com]

Good grief, that's a new expression on me! I could slmost do with getting that on a t-shirt.

Regarding your brother - and new SIL to be - many congratulations. :)

Re: >"ridden hard and put away wet",

[resqgeek]

Its a moderately common expression on this side of the pond. I'm sure I could track it down on a t-shirt for you. :-)

I have your address

[spedbug.livejournal.com]

I have t-shirt transfer printer paper...

Hmm......

Shall it say "I feel as though I've been ridden hard and put away wet" or just "Ridden hard and put away wet"?

[martip.livejournal.com]

Congrats to the happy couple, and all your family. :-)