Please, please come back another day - or at least wait until Sunday, after my luau party tomorrow. There's a 40 percent chance of rain forecasted. Yes, m'dears, the sky may just open up and drench us in our sarongs, Hawaiian shirts and board shorts. It's been the strangest summer so far -- very cloudy and muggy, with intermittent thunderstorms. At least one doesn't have to worry about getting sunburned.
So my co-host, A, and I went to the grocery store tonight and bought out half the store: Beer, wine, pork butt (for kahlua pork), hamburger patties and buns, tofu dogs, veggie burgers, fixings for macaroni salad (so Hawaiian), macadamia nut cookies, chicken long rice, barbecue potato chips, lemon bars, and of course, a few whole pineapples to slice up. I've also got five friends bringing salads or veggie dishes.
I was going to start cooking tonight, but I'm too dang tired. Must. Sleep. Now.
Realgone asked for a clue on the long story I filed today. Hint: It's about a nationwide trend involving food, one of my favorite subjects.
Oh, and one more thing: My brother called me in a bitchy mood this evening out of the blue. He got stranded overnight at Washington Dulles Int'l Airport, about 45 minutes away from my house, on his way to Frankfurt because of stormy weather here on the east coast. He lives in Denver, and this is the first I heard of his two-week trip to Europe. In fact, it's the first time I've heard from him in months.
He asked if he could stay with us tonight, and I said he was more than welcome to. Then he called me back 20 minute later and said that, no, he'd changed his mind. He befriended someone on the plane and he was going to share a room with him at a hotel near the airport instead. How weird is that?!
I asked him why. And he replied, "Oh, well, I don't want to put you out." I said, "It's not putting us out at all. We haven't seen you in a while, so it'd be nice. Plus you haven't seen our new house yet." He replied, "Oh, well, I got a discounted rate at the hotel anyway, so I'm just going to stay here."
Oh.
Then he got pissed because I balked at driving out to the hotel tomorrow to see him, even though I explained that I have tons of stuff to do and errands to run with this party tomorrow (plus I have to get there at 1 p.m. to help set up), so why can't he just take Super Shuttle to my place? He said curtly, "Huh. Well, I'll just call you tomorrow. (Then, sarcastically) Byeee!"
The boy hasn't changed in more than 25 years. He's still an immature brat with zero social graces or regard for anyone but himself.
Not that I'm irritated or anything ....
I love family dynamics. I am sincere about that. I love bitchy brothers and incoherent mothers and harumphing fathers and eye-rolling sisters.
ReplyDeleteIn the airport, I watched a family with 2 small boys. They sat next to their father as we waited for our flight to be called to board. The brothers sat side by side, wearing visors, looking very LLBean at ages about 5 and 7. The small one dipped his head in towards his brother and grabbed the sides of his faces and grinned broadly at him, like he wanted a kiss. So innocent. I couldn't help wondering who they would be in 20 years, if they would still be as close, if they would talk to each other about things they cared about. Or would they irritate each other.
Fictionalized fact. It's what we observers do all the time. I wonder what people in the airport thought, listening to your brother call you. Life and the bounty of its endless possibilities!
Oh ya, forgot to say, if it DOES rain, then it really will be like a bona fide Hawaiian luau. Every single luau I've been to for every single family shenanigans in Hawai'i have been blessed with a pouring by Lono (Hawaiian god of rain).
ReplyDeleteGood times, sistah! Enjoy yourself regardless, and if anyone looks heavenward at grey clouds, should they come, tell them you ordered them from Hawai'i just for the occassion. Fo' da real kine luau.
Family! Huh! I've had my share lately... I posted a good rant yesterday. I know how you feel. I would have been upset at my brother if he did that to me! Unfortunately, my brother and I don't even have a relationship -- his wife has disowned all of his family and friends -- and he allows it -- even with two children who have never met his side of the family. Sick if you ask me. Oh well...to each his own.
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