Things I Learned This Weekend

This weekend Olaf and I went to a Halloween Party. It was thrown by our favorite DJ and we, on a whim one day, bought tickets. We haven't been to a Bar/Party since we've had kids. I learned a few things that I'd forgotten in the last 17 years.

1. Several days after I bought the tickets I looked at them. I quickly texted Olaf "The party doesn't even start until 9pm! In downtown SLC!" I had forgotten that nothing of consequence starts before 10pm in the Party World.
2. We tried to get there fashionably late but left early because with the highway construction you never know when they're going to shut the whole thing down and wind you through town, making your trip twice as long. Unfortunately we were on time. A big no-no in the Party World.
3. We weren't the only middle-aged, responsible, babysitter-at-home, type. We weren't even in the front of the line for the party. 
4. They carded us at the door. I've never had my ID looked at with such scrutiny and I used to go out with my friends back in college (they needed a driver).
5. Once the doors opened we were faced with the possibility of actually hitting the Dance Floor. Something we were never good at before and a 17 year absence makes you feel even more insecure.
6. All we had to do was wait an hour for people to get good and drunk and then it didn't matter what we looked like on the dance floor.
7. There's No Smoking in bars anymore!
8. There are a lot of Boob Jobs out there, and they like to show their assets off to the world. Hence the costumes: Slutty Pirate, Skanky Cowgirl, Bad Angel, Delicious Devil, Sexy Kitty, and of course Black Leather-Clad Go-Go Dancer.
9. I left my cell phone in the car, I didn't want to lose it, drop it, break it, get it stolen, etc. But I learned that the Cell Phone is an accessory to the dance floor nowadays. People were taking pictures and videos and posting them to Facebook, Twitter, their blogs, and anywhere else they could. Apparently if you go to a party and don't document it, it didn't happen. So sorry, no pictures of us in action.
10. 12:30 with an hour drive home is really late nowadays, we were both so tired the next day. And we didn't even have a hangover the next day to nurse.

We had a blast doing something completely out of the norm for us. We might even go next year if there's another one. We'll have forgotten what it was like by then. Maybe I'll even take my phone for dance floor pictures.

The Party

Olaf, being the awesomest hubby that he is, called me Tuesday morning and grounded me from facebook for a few days. Not because I was having a secret affair via facebook cuz we all know that doesn't work very well, everything on facebook is public. But he grounded me without any good reasons. And since my birthday was coming up I went along with it. He always likes to surprise me with things so I stayed off so I could be happily surprised.

He FINALLY came home from work Wednesday night and I said, "Where are we eating? I'm starving! I've been waiting and trying not to eat the house. Where are we going?"

Trying to be all casual and nonchalant he says, "We could go to Jaxie's, that's your favorite place in town."

"Let's go then! Everyone in the car!" and we were off.

We got there and the kids told us what they wanted and ran upstairs to watch TV, or so I thought. Olaf asked what I wanted and then sent me upstairs to watch them. So I headed upstairs. Just as I rounded the last bend I saw Baby poke his head around the corner, see me, duck back, and whisper loudly, "She's coming!" So I knew there was someone up there.

"Happy Birthday!!!!" From 30 or more people! It was so awesome that so many friends came and ate dinner and cake with me! And some people even brought presents! I don't expect presents from anyone but Olaf. It was so sweet of everyone!
This is me with my Pioneer Woman Cookbook, the only thing I really wanted for my Birthday. I should rephrase that, the only thing I wanted that was within the budget.

Here's Olaf's Scout Assistant helping the adorable little boy. He belongs to a good friend of mine who this guy doesn't know. But this little boy was so stinking cute, he was SO EXCITED for a Birthday Party! He kept running up to me and telling me Happy Birthday.

Here's the balloons another good friend put up for Olaf. He stalked her while she was at Mom2.0 until she finally told him she'd call him this week when she was back in the state. He begged her, "I don't know how to do this stuff, will you get balloons?"

Here are a bunch of my friends eating the delicious food of Jaxie's. Some had never been here before, but they all loved it!

Here are more friends visiting and hanging out. Enjoying the good food and deliciously decadent chocolate cake and ice cream.

Here's another pic of my friends. They're all the best! I think in this picture is one of Calvin's best friends that came. She'd be sitting near Middle Child cuz he was the only other person here that she knew. (Personally, she's braver than I ever was at that age!) I was so happy to see her here. I love his friends that I've gotten to know over the last year. They are all so great! A few of his other friends wanted to come but were swamped with homework.

My neighbor whose boys are the same age as Calvin and Baby and have been best friends with them since they were 2 and could play together. They are so cute and sweet. I love it when her older boy comes to get the younger one and he always hides and pretends he's not here. It makes him so mad!

Here's me visiting with some more good friends getting ready to leave. I told them thanks for coming and they said "Any chance to get out without the kids!" I laughed. They could have brought them, but I totally understand.

I'm reading my Big Birthday Card everyone signed with our bestest friends. They're the friends that are just like family. This guy here is so much like Olaf that we call them Twins, or Brothers from other Mothers, and other things I can't mention here.

Here's one of the decadent chocolate cakes. This one has almost black roses for the 40th Birthday. I asked about Oscar and Elmo. Middle Child said that Dad said they were appropriate. That was the only answer I got. The other cake was almost gone before we were 10 minutes into the party. It was also delicious.

These are a bunch of the cards I got from my family members and friends since they couldn't be here. All in All it was an awesome birthday! Turning 40 was easier than turning 30. Next year might be a different story.

Thank you to Everyone that came, called, facebooked, emailed, texted, and whatever else you did to wish me a Happy Birthday! I love you all!

6am Block Party

For an absolutely hilarious account of a 6am Block Party just two blocks away from me read my friend's blog (click on blog). She captures small-town living at its best.

Partying Hard

This is how the New Year's Eve festivities began:


What more could one ask for? Hot men and guns! After the excitement of checking out new guns and scopes and comparing a few stories (someone shot a buffalo this past year) we were ready to eat and party like 1999. We had a yummy potluck dinner and then proceeded to the partying part.

We played Guitar Hero for hours on end! (refer to 9 New Year's Resolutions for 2009 #8) It was a blast til no one could get past a certain song at around 1 am when everybody decided to head home and sleep. So we finally got to sleep around 1:30. The next morning came with everyone feeling like the Baby and his Dog.

This was at 9:30 am. Tank soon got up and went outside to take care of business. Lately he's on a short leash. With the snow and wind we now have a three-foot snow drift in our backyard, enabling the pooch to jump the four-foot fence and run free. So we had to buy a 20-foot chain to attach him to so he stays with his loving family. But unfortunately he promptly wraps it around everything within reach in the backyard and ends up whining when he's stuck with about a one-foot radius to move around in.

Then at 10:30 am Baby was in this position.


Then Tank came in and decided to wake the sleeping child.





But then Tank said "On second thought that looks comfy. I think I'm gonna join him."


And that was how 2009 began for us! Hope yours was almost as fun as ours cuz we had the rockingest party in town!