Life's a Party

Ever have a stretch where your life just seems to be one big party after another?

That's how this last week has been for me. And what's funny, is that every party has somehow involved the Red Wings' playoff games, even though I'm not really a Red Wings fan. I'm just not much of a hockey fan altogether. I mean, I like the Red Wings seeing as how they're from the D and all. I've even been to 3 of their games in my lifetime, 1 at the Joe, 1 in San Jose, and 1 in Tampa Bay. I'll watch part of this game or part of that game on occasion. But I'm not a FAN.

But this post isn't even about the Red Wings so much as it's about the fun partying I've been doing this week with the Red Wings kind of in the background.

FUN PARTY NUMBER ONE
The first party was totally impromptu, spontaneous, and unplanned - yes, I know all of these words mean the same thing.

Saturday night, Amy and I got together at her house while Kevin & Joel went out to the bar to watch the Red Wings. We didn't join them at the bar for a couple of reasons….A) It was "guy" night and B) Amy was babysitting Kendrea's boys that night.

It was me & Amy, Jordyn, and 7 boys hanging out at Amy's house flipping between the Food Network, the Style Channel, the Learning Channel, and occasionally the game.

So, of course we had to drink some RED wine. (Did I mention there were SEVEN boys there? You would've been drinking, too!)

When Kendrea & Joe returned to Amy's to retrieve their boys, it was almost midnight…Amy & I we were feeling pretty good having survived the 7 little fellas (thanks, to the vino, I'm sure!). There was still a lot of night left, the game had just ended and the Wings had won, Kev & Joel were still up at the Tap, our remaining 4 boys were falling asleep, Jordyn was at the house with us (built-in babysitter), so Amy and I decided to join Joel and Kevin at the bar. Did I say join them? More like surprise them!

We both thought, How fun would that be if when Amy & I were out at the bar (which occurs a lot more often than when Joel & Kev are out at the bar) for our husbands to just show up and surprise us?!? That would be SO much fun!!! Surely it would be just as fun for Kev & Joel to be surprised at the bar by their wives!! Surely.

Amy had texted Joel to tell him that JOE was on his way up to the Tap to ensure Kev & Joel wouldn't leave the bar (which, if she hadn't have done that, they probably would have gone home shortly after the game ended…that's the kind of partiers they are with out us girls).

SURPRISE! And what fun it was! We shut the place down! And despite Kevin ribbing us for showing up at the bar and how unfair it was for us to crash their guy night and how now they get to have a free guy night out any time they want (go right ahead!), and Kevin flipping me the bird in every photo that I took..that ANYONE took…despite all of that, they were both pretty surprised (pleasantly, I think) to have us girls show up.

And to add more fun on top of the surprise, we ran into Scott & Shannon (Amy's next door neighbors), Kelly & Shannon (the couple that USED to live in Amy's house!), and Mair (my super cool PTO silent auction friend) & her fun friends Liz & Paul. So, that means we knew about half of the people there (the Tap isn't that big).

Good times. Good times.

FUN PARTY NUMBER TWO
Monday night, after a delicious dinner that my wonderful husband made for us, I went outside to garden for a few hours while Kevin sat down to watch the Red Wings game. I gardened from 7pm-10pm (when the daylight finally disappeared, doggoneit!).

When I finally came inside, Kev was heading up to bed. He gets up really early now to take the GM bus down to the RenCen, the Wings were losing in the second period, and he was still dragging from the SATURDAY night party, so he figured he'd turn in. Before he hit the stairs, however, I asked him if he'd like to join me, his loooooooooovely wife, out on the deck with a glass of wine. Reluctantly (what's that all about?), he agreed, as long as I poured the wine for him.

It was a beautiful night and the lake was so calm and the wine was so smooth and the conversation was so easy.

Three or four glasses of wine laaaaater……Kev's curiosity about the Wings prompted him to turn the tube back on to check the game. The Wings were WINNING with 5 minutes left in the game, 5 minutes to go until Stanley! We retreated back to the deck for another glass of wine. Then Kev decided to peek in the window at the TV…..50 seconds to go until Stanley!!

Excitedly Kevin rushed inside and no sooner did his rump hit the couch and just as I was saying "See, aren't you glad I made you stay up so you could watch the Red Wings win?!?" the Penguins scored to tie the game (and eventually went on to win in triple OT). It didn’t matter to me, though. We turned off the TV and headed up to bed.

Late night. Relaxing night. Low-key, two person party night.

Just me and my Kev. Sweet.

FUN PARTY NUMBER THREE
Wednesday night I met up with my girlfriends from high school at the Clarkston Union for dinner (I hade the yummy chopped cobb salad). We were the loudest booth there and we talked about a lot of things that probably were not suitable for a restaurant that used to be a church, but the conversation was lively and hysterical and sometimes serious but most of all, FUN!

Our new momma, Lori, left early to tend to her new baby. Our pregnant momma, Erika, left after dinner. And as sad as we veteran mommas were to see these ladies leave early, we've all been there before, so we understood. That just left Heidi, Andrea, and I to soldier on with out them.

So, after dinner, Heidi suggested we walk down the street to Pizza CocCo, a little bar inside the Clarkston Café. We had a super fun bartender girl and. The Red Wings game was on the TV and we'd peek over at the tube occasionally. We saw that they won, did a little cheer, then went back to chatting and laughing. At 11:30, the manager said, um ladies, we close at 11:00, are you done? So, we kind of got kicked out, but in a nice way.

Back to the Union we went. They HAD to still be open. They were. There were many playoff-beard sporting men dancing and celebrating in the basement. Not being a huge Red Wings fan I still belted out "We Are the Champions" every time they played it (like 3 or 4 times). I don't think that song can be played with out singing along to it as loud as you can. Yep. Got home around 1:30. On a school night

What a fun week. But, man, oh man, I am plum tuckered out. I think I'll go to bed right after dinner tonight since napping at the office is generally frowned upon.

Life's a party man, live it up!