Almost Like Having A Life

Sorry to be sort of incoherent tonight, but this summer has been manic, mostly because of family and social obligations. Take this past few days:

Thursday night I helped out with a party at my brother’s house, hosting a bunch of exchange students who were in his wife’s ESL class. I did grilling, mostly, and was sociable. This one Italian guy has olive trees and a vineyard at home and I’m tempted to move there and work with him. He’s like an Italian version of me (though much better looking than I) in his various passions. Anyway, a good time was had by all.

The rest of my time up until about midnight last night (when I finally got home) was absorbed in my parents’ 40th anniversary celebration, which was a renewal of vows shindig that was nearly a full-blown wedding. I sang one of “their” songs, Sentimental Reasons, one of my brothers presented a poem in rondo form written for the occasion, my other brother DJ’d and did the toast, a couple my Mom performs with sang a (seemingly endless) Sondheim duet, and another friend of the family did a new song she wrote for them as a “first dance” sort of thing. Yep, a performance-based family all around, but that’s yet another story.

I took 290 of the images Dad has scanned in from our family history and arranged them into a slide show projected on a screen that ran throughout most of the evening, which made things a bit more personal and gave the guests something to do when they weren’t chatting, or new things to chat about as they watched. It was arranged so as to tell little stories, and was very gratifyingly received for such a relatively simple thing.

A guy my brothers went to high school with was there. He got hitched a year ago to a girl named Rhiannon. Oh. My. God. Stunningly beautiful, with red-gold hair, beautiful body, light green eyes and a face that at the moment escapes adjectives. I know it’s impolite to stare, but (addicted to beauty as I am) it was very, very difficult not to. Wow. Just astoundingly wow.

Where was I? Oh, the party. My parents are well-loved and have many friends, so setting up the hall for the party wasn’t nearly as hard as it could have been in the California heat, since maybe 20 people turned up to help. It was really nice. The last hour of it was just a bunch of dancing to everything from Frank Sinatra to Fatboy Slim. And some Paul Anka, which is still stuck in my head… My Dad gives the appearance, normally, of being reserved and quiet. Don’t believe it. He was out there with everyone else, dancing like mad. Well, not as madly as my DJ brother, but I’m not sure he’s able at his age to bounce around like that.

I got home, got a shower, and collapsed for a few hours before heading to work. Now all I need is some sleep. Ok, that’s not all I need, but you know…