Mom's Soiree Musicale
Today started with a whole lot of silly internet. Then my sister picked me and Paul up and we went to meet my brother in Tremont, where there was apparently a fabulous brunch place (Portland style, local, organic, waiters with piercings and crazy hair). We had a great time, joking about movies, games, Jay Leno/Conan O'Brian, and eating delicious food. (Actually, this place was featured on the Food Network and is so popular that there's a sizable wait for food.)
Then we scurried back to the house, where Paul, Jess, and I helped Grandma set up for the Soiree. We had so much feta and pita that the table was packed. And then the guests brought cookies and spanikopita and other delicious things. The concert itself was punctuated with jokes and fun. The music was amazing. Mom and Oleg have been working on a Liszt piece for months that I'd heard in practice, but never in concert. It blew me away. They're so unbelievably good at musicianship and showmanship.
There was a lot of hobnobbing afterwards. Jess and I hid in a corner until folks started coming up to us because they knew us when we were kids. We didn't recognize many people, and Paul certainly didn't know anyone, so we adjourned to the basement to look at the central vacuum and the furnace for a while. We sure know how to have a good time! Eventually the party thinned out and all that remained were me, Mom, Dad, Paul, Grandma, Grandpa, Jess, and our friend Grant. We sat around and had "dinner" out of the remaining hors d'oeuvres until we decided to pack it in.
Paul and I ended up having a long conversation with Dad about Life, the Universe, and Everything in his waiting room (the stairwell) before heading to bed.
The moral of the story: Today was completely awesome. There was a little bit of awkward, but overall, it was great.
Then we scurried back to the house, where Paul, Jess, and I helped Grandma set up for the Soiree. We had so much feta and pita that the table was packed. And then the guests brought cookies and spanikopita and other delicious things. The concert itself was punctuated with jokes and fun. The music was amazing. Mom and Oleg have been working on a Liszt piece for months that I'd heard in practice, but never in concert. It blew me away. They're so unbelievably good at musicianship and showmanship.
There was a lot of hobnobbing afterwards. Jess and I hid in a corner until folks started coming up to us because they knew us when we were kids. We didn't recognize many people, and Paul certainly didn't know anyone, so we adjourned to the basement to look at the central vacuum and the furnace for a while. We sure know how to have a good time! Eventually the party thinned out and all that remained were me, Mom, Dad, Paul, Grandma, Grandpa, Jess, and our friend Grant. We sat around and had "dinner" out of the remaining hors d'oeuvres until we decided to pack it in.
Paul and I ended up having a long conversation with Dad about Life, the Universe, and Everything in his waiting room (the stairwell) before heading to bed.
The moral of the story: Today was completely awesome. There was a little bit of awkward, but overall, it was great.