The Labor Party

Humbling, fun, grueling, sleep deprived and pooped all describe my Labor Day weekend of 2010.  My friend Marcy got “a hair up her ass” and decided to throw a big bash which was not to be missed.  After a sleepless Thursday night (due to a violent rain storm which knocked out the electricity and made me unable to sleep for fear of oversleeping), I took to the road after work to begin the four hour drive to Oklahoma City.

The grueling part of the trip began on the Cherokee Turnpike when the rattling noise that had been going on for about three weeks underneath my Toyota Matrix got a bit louder and then ended with a loud bang in the direction of the rear of the car.  Not being one to be smart with my automobiles, I decided to not make my usual stop at the midway point of the turnpike and drove straight through to “the city”.  Just so you’ll know, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the engine so there was no real danger to the car and I made it safely to my destination.

The sleep deprived part of the story continued through Saturday but there was so much to do that I didn’t let it get me down.  For some reason I didn’t sleep well on Friday night but I’m sure that most of you don’t sleep that well the first night in a strange bed.  Saturday morning came way too soon and with it brought much to do to prepare for the Big Bash.  Marcy had invited over 150 people and there was lots to do around her wonderful home...blowing leaves, scooping poop, setting up food and drink tables and tidying up.  What is it about Marcy's parties that makes me drive for hours and then work my ass off?  You'd have to attend one to know how worth it it is.  Of course, Marcy's ass no longer exists from all the work she did.

The fun part was the party.  Marcy’s back yard was where most of the action took place and as you can see in the picture it is one great back yard.  What a wonderful venue for a party!  Marcy is the hostess of the decade and the guests were a mix of her good friends and interesting acquaintances.  I had many conversations with some of her new friends and with people I’ve known for a long time.  I think this was one of the best parties she has ever had.  According to her count, at least 90 people were in attendance which I think is probably a record.  Oh, and did I mention the food?  My contribution was cheese and fruit combinations...sweet ripe cantaloupe paired with Spanish Manchego, organic bing cherries paired with Cambozola and organic black grapes paired with Havarti.  There was such a variety of foods, everything from hummus to pasta salad.  Everything I tried was good and there were lots of things to try.  The shindig began at 7:30 and continued until after one o’clock  in the morning.  I lasted much longer than I thought and left at around midnight.

Sunday was a day of rest.  It should have been spent cleaning up but...

The humbling began on Monday afternoon when I went to Kim and Ron’s wonderful home.  Ron graciously volunteered to take a look at my clanging car problem and he found that a bracket had come loose from a protective panel.  He worked his magic and after about 30 minutes had fixed the annoyance.  He then noticed that one of my tires had only 8 pounds of pressure and, after filling it with air, said that there must be a slow leak.  The words he used were “that was a blow-out waiting to happen”.  Gads.  How very humbled I felt and thankful that he was concerned for my welfare.  The drive back home was completely uneventful.  Thanks Ron!

I arrived home pooped but happy.  I love visiting Marcy and seeing all of my OKC friends but home is where my heart is.