92 People

Christi computed that 92 people actually showed up on saturday. I think it may have been more than that many, but I haven’t done any calculations. I told the caterer 125. people. They sent food for at least 150. Most people only picked at food. But also most people were forced to leave with food. There are still several bottles of wine left and maybe a quarter of the keg. Fruit juice was the most popular and under-supplied beverage. All of the remainging soda pop was just used in an unsuccessful bid to unclog the shower drain. Since I’m taking five more showers here at the most, I’m not worrying about this further. Anyway, if you want some bottles of red or white wine (the white, surprisingly was better than the red. has white wine been overlooked recently?) or a pint of heffeweizen, you should drop by.
I’ve never had so many people in my house before at once. I didn’t even talk to everyone. High points of the festivities included Cola climbing up into the bunk bed and throwing her fork at people. Someone (Charles?) giving Christi flowers with a naughty name and Christi’s aunt yelling, “she’s got naked ladies!” Christi’s grandpa asking people, “Has anyone seen the groom? I’ve been looking around and haven’t found him yet.” He also told people that he was the grandpa of the whole proceedings and he told Christi’s grandma (from the other side of the family) that she was just a young thing. she enjoyed that quite a bit. Apparently, she was checking out Mitch. High points also included Tiffany’s toast, “I’d marry them both . . . We’ll change those laws next!” After which Christi saw her mother and aunt both take big gulps of champagne.
I think more parties should be large, mixed-age functions. There’s something really great about grandma oogling the best man and grandpa saying “who’s that naked girl?” when he saw Jen Stout through the stairs and kids runnning around attacking the cats and riding the dog. Perhaps traditional holiday parties should be resurrected, like big Fourth of Juky BBQs and December house parties. And more folks should get married.
In two days, I’m leaving for Vegas, and then the movers come and then I’m out of here. I’m going to (somehow) squeeze in a day trip to see my cousin, since she is too old to travel. And then gone. I’m leaving in a vw, don’t know when i’ll be back again. I thought I’d come home for the holidays, but with Christi in Paris, I might not. And she wants to spend the summer in New York at Bard . . .. And some of my friends will, themselves, move away and some will die and so there are people that I’m saying goodbye to now that I will not see again.