Housewarming
The housewarming party went pretty well! We got everything together in time.
After 3, soon our living room was full of people. It was odd but very fun seeing so many people in here! Bryan from work came, then Mike and Virginia (and little Charlie under construction, they showed us the ultrasound photos), then my co-worker Mario with his wife Jeanette and 2-year-old boy Fernando (who was a story of constant containment as he ran and touched everything, but man he's cute), and Tish. Trish and Adam from work came by later and brought a bag of Blow Pops with a Dora the Explorer balloon.
We made entirely too much food, which is the point of parties and all the leftovers you get to eat for a week: a slow cooker full of veggie chili, another slow cooker full of meatballs and sauce, seven-layer dip, baked garlic-parmesan chicken wings, chips and pretzels, and two birthday cakes. Didn't even cook the potstickers or order the pizzas we planned. And Mario brought artichoke dip, too. Rosemary's meatballs were a big hit. I was trying out a new chili recipe, and it was spicy without being hot.
It wasn't a big drinking party, but I still got to try out some concoctions. First up was the beer cocktails. Opting for simplicity and budget, I went with the Black Velvet (stout and champange), the Shandy (pale ale and lemonade) and The Cure (lager and ginger ale).
But the best by far was making the Bailey Shakes. In my senior year of college I used to hang out a lot with a a cool-ass grad student RA in my dorm, playing video games and hanging with his other grad school friends playing bid whist and talking shit, and we even made a band for a talent show (him on bass, me on guitar). And he taught me the Bailey Shake: vanilla ice cream, Irish creme, rum and cinnamon. Classic summer drink that I hadn't thought much of until Rosemary and I got spiked shakes at Max Burger. They were just as good as I remmebered, and then I added a splash of chocolate milk to kick it up a notch. Mmmmm.
It was nice being able to let off steam and open my home to people. To show off the wacky coffee table books, watch ECW wrestling with Tish, make fun of Connecticut, watch baseball and talk salsa concerts. I didn't grow up with a lot of guests; my parents are social but don't keep many friends, and keep their home as their own private space away from the world. Overall I am the same way, but I do like entertaining and it's easier when not living alone. We didn't get to break out the party games, so perhaps we'll have a game night now and then.
Once everyone went home, Rosemary and I finished a bottle of champagne using the beautiful crystal champagne flutes that Rosemary's aunt got us, loading the dishwasher and remarking on how bad SNL was. Some things change, some things don't.
I'm glad the party was a success. Wasn't so sure how many people would make it, especially since all our Philly friends were too far away to come, and college football Saturdays are so busy for work people unless they're not working. Our Torrington friends couldn't make it, either, but that's OK.
I think we'll have more parties.
After 3, soon our living room was full of people. It was odd but very fun seeing so many people in here! Bryan from work came, then Mike and Virginia (and little Charlie under construction, they showed us the ultrasound photos), then my co-worker Mario with his wife Jeanette and 2-year-old boy Fernando (who was a story of constant containment as he ran and touched everything, but man he's cute), and Tish. Trish and Adam from work came by later and brought a bag of Blow Pops with a Dora the Explorer balloon.
We made entirely too much food, which is the point of parties and all the leftovers you get to eat for a week: a slow cooker full of veggie chili, another slow cooker full of meatballs and sauce, seven-layer dip, baked garlic-parmesan chicken wings, chips and pretzels, and two birthday cakes. Didn't even cook the potstickers or order the pizzas we planned. And Mario brought artichoke dip, too. Rosemary's meatballs were a big hit. I was trying out a new chili recipe, and it was spicy without being hot.
It wasn't a big drinking party, but I still got to try out some concoctions. First up was the beer cocktails. Opting for simplicity and budget, I went with the Black Velvet (stout and champange), the Shandy (pale ale and lemonade) and The Cure (lager and ginger ale).
But the best by far was making the Bailey Shakes. In my senior year of college I used to hang out a lot with a a cool-ass grad student RA in my dorm, playing video games and hanging with his other grad school friends playing bid whist and talking shit, and we even made a band for a talent show (him on bass, me on guitar). And he taught me the Bailey Shake: vanilla ice cream, Irish creme, rum and cinnamon. Classic summer drink that I hadn't thought much of until Rosemary and I got spiked shakes at Max Burger. They were just as good as I remmebered, and then I added a splash of chocolate milk to kick it up a notch. Mmmmm.
It was nice being able to let off steam and open my home to people. To show off the wacky coffee table books, watch ECW wrestling with Tish, make fun of Connecticut, watch baseball and talk salsa concerts. I didn't grow up with a lot of guests; my parents are social but don't keep many friends, and keep their home as their own private space away from the world. Overall I am the same way, but I do like entertaining and it's easier when not living alone. We didn't get to break out the party games, so perhaps we'll have a game night now and then.
Once everyone went home, Rosemary and I finished a bottle of champagne using the beautiful crystal champagne flutes that Rosemary's aunt got us, loading the dishwasher and remarking on how bad SNL was. Some things change, some things don't.
I'm glad the party was a success. Wasn't so sure how many people would make it, especially since all our Philly friends were too far away to come, and college football Saturdays are so busy for work people unless they're not working. Our Torrington friends couldn't make it, either, but that's OK.
I think we'll have more parties.