8th November 2019
We collected all the food for our party from The Farmhouse Deli in Douglas. It was a variety of salad dishes, and three tubs of the finest macaroni cheese in the whole world.
I couldn’t wait for the party to start.
Kelli had everything in hand, whilst I swept the fresh drop of leaves in the front garden.
The party was due to start at 6.00pm which is an unusually early time, but bearing in mind most people here are in bed by 10.00pm it was appropriate.
We had catered for about thirty people, hoping that they brought a bottle with them as instructed, as our feeble choice of booze was limited.
The first people arrived, so soon the place was starting to buzz. Kelli took a phone call from someone wanting to buy a TV stand that she had posted on Marketplace. They wanted to collect it within the hour, and Kelli explained to them that we were having a party, and if they brought a bottle they could join the festivities.
Well, the lady arrived to pick up the furniture with a bottle of wine in her hand, which she handed over with the money, but she declined the offer to join the party.
That was the weirdest thing, we got a bottle of wine from someone buying furniture from us, we should do that more often.
We never got round to opening the bottle, maybe it’s one that gets handed around from party to party and never gets uncorked.
By now the party was in full swing, Kelli, suitably lubricated with a couple of glasses of wine was dancing wildly with a couple of her friends, also well intoxicated. I remember from the wedding that the floor show was something people usually pay money for, and this was no exception. I mingled with our guests keeping a low profile, occasionally raiding my secret stash of beer.
Then it was the downing of the “ Fireballs” small bottles of whisky mixed with cinnamon. Kelli’s friends quickly swigged those down, suddenly the entertainment was turned up to “11”, and although Kelli was reluctant to drink the liquid, she was shamed into it.
Now apart from just dancing to the music she was singing at the top of her voice.
The food was disappearing, so I jumped in and grabbed a plateful, it was good stuff, the only meat available was two pieces of poached salmon (which was delicious) this was the token meat dish available, but everyone enjoyed the vegan feast.
By 11.00 the last guests left, taking the remains of the bottles they turned up with.
That is so un-party like, but I guess I should get used to the strange habits of Americans.
We looked at the apocalyptic scene in the kitchen, empty bottles stacked in the sink, and most of the food gone, we felt exhausted, Kelli’s voice was faint, I just wanted to sit down an chill.
However, there is video evidence that I was dancing with a cardboard cut-out of the Queen, she was not amused.
We had over twenty people turn up, and they had a great time, I met some new friends, but I’m not sure if we will have a party like that again soon.
Another Lifetime to go 