Party Time

Every year on the first Saturday of December my wife and I have a party. My wife started the tradition 23 years ago, and when we got married (on the first Saturday in December) I cheerfully agreed to continue that tradition - like I had a choice! This year was no exeption. We finished our basement last spring so we had lots of room to throw this years' bash. Hosting a party is a lot of fun as long as you have it catered. If you don't have it catered, you always seem to be doing something and you never get to enjoy the party. As it is, being the host you have to greet everyone and try to spend at least some time with all your guests. Which is hard because it's fun to get into a conversation when you are at a party, but unless you can get a conversation started with a group of 10, to make it around the room you need to keep your conversations pretty short. I always seem to get pulled away just when the story or joke is getting good. I never seem to remember anything anyone said to me because it all just sort of sails by. My wife could tell you every sentence that was said, but I don't tend to remember much. That may have as much to do with the fact that when you get your party catered you also get a bartender and he always remembers what you are drinking and makes sure you are always topped off because of course you are paying him and the less coherent you are at the end of the night, the more likely you are to give him a big fat tip. Always a good idea to figure out how much you want to give him before the evening starts, put that amount in your pocket and no more. We put a bar in our basement remodel, so it was the happening place this year. I have a couple nice bottles of single malt scotch and previous years have told us that mostly we get wine, beer, and vodka drinkers so I kept the scotch out on the bar. Well, we invited some new folks this year and I may be rethinking leaving out the bottles next year. I do know my dentist now owes me either a free cleaning or a bottle! Fun was had by all, the kids stayed asleep, the Gators made it to the national championship and we had leftover cake for a week!

Daddy - can we jump in the leaves?

If only grass would grow under a pile of leaves. Because a pile of leaves provides hours of entertainment. I'd leave a pile in my yard for as long as possible. But grass doesn't grow under a pile of leaves. In fact it dies rather quickly. So leaf jumping is only a day or two activity. Fun while it lasts!!

Gators in Championship Game!

Sound familiar? The University of Florida is on a roll. Can the football team match the basketball team and capture the National Title? Probably not. The football team makes too many mistakes. They are talented enough. Leak has a great arm. Percy Harvin should win a Heisman before he is done (he's just a freshman). The defense has some stellar performers. But they just make too many mistakes. Too many turnovers, too many penalties, too many bad plays. Ohio State doesn't make mistakes. And the deciding factor if it is close - field goals - Florida can't make a field goal. They can't win. Final score: Ohio State 31 Florida 28