Party Time!

Good afternoon… and welcome. I see you brought your swimwear; and your towel – excellent. Grab a soda or some bottled water out of the ice chest over by that big oak tree in the middle of the deck, pull up a chair or take a dip. We’ll be firing up the barbeque in about an hour. We’re having tri-tip and chicken with some hotdogs for the kids. With your potato salad and the other sides everyone else brought, there’ll be plenty for everyone.

It’s way past time for a summer pool party. Here it is almost the middle of July and I have been so busy that I haven’t had time to think of these things. Yes, I have been in the pool many, many times so far this summer, and the barbeque has barely had time to cool off in between uses, but it’s just been me and one or two friends and occasionally the kids. This backyard was made for entertaining and it hasn’t even broken a sweat yet.
It’s too late to put much together for this weekend. Maybe an impromptu afternoon pool/barbeque/poker game, but not a “pull out all the stops” pool party. That takes about a week to pull off. I’m thinking the Saturday or Sunday after next. There is ample time to spread the word and prepare for the second annual summer bash. Usually about half those invited actually show up, but it pays to prepare for everyone – just in case nothing else is going on that day.

They way we do it is quite simple, really. Those whose last name begins with, say, A through E bring drinks; F through K bring a side; and so on. Usually I provide the grillin' materials, i.e.: tri-tip, chicken and hot dogs. Although I have many chairs and a couple of chaise lounges, I always recommend that my guests bring a folding chair because there simply aren’t enough to go around. And of course, I don’t provide towels. It is quite the cooperative production… and clean up? I haven’t been stuck with it yet and I have never had to ask for help.

Good friends are hard to come by and I have been blessed with more than a handful. It is an honor and a privilege… indeed a responsibility to extend my hospitality. I am happy to do it and humbled that I have been lucky enough to be able to supply such a tailor made venue. Yes, it that time of year – party time!