A tale of two weekends, part 2
This weekend was what my wife dubbed "The Laze-a-thon Weekend." A few weeks ago we'd invited DB and AD, our local chosen family, to bring tents, camp out, drink tea, work on crafts, and do absolutely nothing but what one needed to in order to unwind. Over time the invitation was extended to some other local friends. And then to one of those friend's new boyfriend. Then we learned NL, my childhood friend whom I see once or twice a year, would be in town. And then he learned the woman he's currently dating was unexpectedly visiting from Spokane, and SHE came as well.
So a small gathering turned into a rather large one indeed.
Somehow it still managed to be a completely low-key and relaxing weekend.
NL and I stayed up all hours playing PS3 games while catching up on our lives. It occurred to me while we were playing a co-operative game that while we often played games against each other, we've never in our 30 years of friendship ever been competitive with each other. We both acknowledge each other's strengths and don't take umbrage when one bests the other in certain areas. There's a lack of testosterone in our friendship that's something akin to the comfortable silences of elderly couples.
We had another outdoor tea pavilion. The weekend was cool enough that every evening and morning we settled down to various tastings: both aged and farm-fresh bai mu dans, ti kuan yins, wild-tree pu-erh, blooming display teas, and on and on. Over tea we met the new boyfriend and girlfriend, gently interrogated them, and eased them into the wackiness that is our eccentric social circle.
In a deliciously ironic turn of events, NL and his new beau continuous disappeared about the property for trysts, obviously deeply ensnared in some of the most intense NRE I've ever witnessed. The irony comes from the fact that our summer events of years past have involved much hanky-panky with poly-antics occurring everywhere, but NL has always been the odd man out as everyone else retired to their trysting tents. This time he was the only one pairing off, while the rest of us were non-intimately involved (well... almost. ahem).
L, being the enabler that she is, made sure that NL and his lady were given a private space and the necessities for their activities. NL and friend joked later that she knew she was truly welcomed at our home when she saw that their tent was stocked for intimate activity and clean-up. This is one reason why I love L so.
We cooked kebabs over a fire pit. Some painted figurines or did quilling (a papercraft of thin rolled strips). Others drank more tea or played video games with the kids.
Saturday evening culminated with a grand Rock Band 2 party, all four roles (drums, vocals, guitar, bass) played at all times. We played until the wee hours, while NL demonstrated his keen vocal skills, but M demonstrated that he had a good set of pipes on him as well.
The quiet weekend wasn't quite, but it was exactly what was needed.
So a small gathering turned into a rather large one indeed.
Somehow it still managed to be a completely low-key and relaxing weekend.
NL and I stayed up all hours playing PS3 games while catching up on our lives. It occurred to me while we were playing a co-operative game that while we often played games against each other, we've never in our 30 years of friendship ever been competitive with each other. We both acknowledge each other's strengths and don't take umbrage when one bests the other in certain areas. There's a lack of testosterone in our friendship that's something akin to the comfortable silences of elderly couples.
We had another outdoor tea pavilion. The weekend was cool enough that every evening and morning we settled down to various tastings: both aged and farm-fresh bai mu dans, ti kuan yins, wild-tree pu-erh, blooming display teas, and on and on. Over tea we met the new boyfriend and girlfriend, gently interrogated them, and eased them into the wackiness that is our eccentric social circle.
In a deliciously ironic turn of events, NL and his new beau continuous disappeared about the property for trysts, obviously deeply ensnared in some of the most intense NRE I've ever witnessed. The irony comes from the fact that our summer events of years past have involved much hanky-panky with poly-antics occurring everywhere, but NL has always been the odd man out as everyone else retired to their trysting tents. This time he was the only one pairing off, while the rest of us were non-intimately involved (well... almost. ahem).
L, being the enabler that she is, made sure that NL and his lady were given a private space and the necessities for their activities. NL and friend joked later that she knew she was truly welcomed at our home when she saw that their tent was stocked for intimate activity and clean-up. This is one reason why I love L so.
We cooked kebabs over a fire pit. Some painted figurines or did quilling (a papercraft of thin rolled strips). Others drank more tea or played video games with the kids.
Saturday evening culminated with a grand Rock Band 2 party, all four roles (drums, vocals, guitar, bass) played at all times. We played until the wee hours, while NL demonstrated his keen vocal skills, but M demonstrated that he had a good set of pipes on him as well.
The quiet weekend wasn't quite, but it was exactly what was needed.