The best thing about early summer cookouts is the lack of bugs. They didn’t really become a problem until after sunset, and by then things were breaking up anyway. My future mom-in-law has an early morning work schedule that makes it tough for her to stay up for long after 8pm.
Today got off to an early start. We started things off with the 8:15 church service, which meant that we had to get up as if it were an ordinary work day rather than a nice relaxing weekend. We took a quick post church nap to prepare for the rest of the day, which did help some.
My Fiancee headed off to a friend’s baby shower, while I set to work preparing for visitors. Today was cookout day! The first cookout of the year… And our guests were my parents and my future in-laws!
One of the defining aspects of a cook-out is the ‘out’ portion. And between the Smithees and the bathroom remodeling, I haven’t had time to do any major yardwork this year. The ‘cook’ portion needed some preparation too, including housecleaning and other assorted necessities. I got started on a bit of it after helping with the ramp building and plumbing cabinet project yesterday, but that got derailed by a shopping trip.
So that was my project today. I was getting started at about noon and my guests weren’t going to arrive until after 5pm. After about an hour of work, I realized that I wasn’t going to get everything done that I wanted to. Raking the yard produced a huge pile of leaves, more than enough to fill the backyard composter. The remnant wound up by the fence, hiding some of the brush that I’d cut back and the dead thistle that I’d removed from beside the house. I’d also discovered that there were several empty flowerpots stacked up behind the house and that the gutterspouts had detached from the ends of the gutters. Nothing too difficult to deal with, but all very time consuming little details. In the end, I decided to concentrate on the ‘near’ backyard, where we’d likely be eating.
Making a dent in the Mongolian Horde of dishes was my next goal. I started in on them at about 3:30, and things were going great until about 4, when my folks showed up. This was rather a surprise, since I wasn’t expecting them for another hour or so. They’d just stopped by to drop stuff off before continuing on to my sister’s place. We chatted for a bit while I did some cooking prep work (boiling the bratwurst in beer), and they headed on their way at about 4:20.
Still plenty of time.
My second group of guest phoned about ten minutes later… They were just over at Meijers and needed last-mile driving directions. I filled them in while doing quick math in my head… They were about fifteen minutes away… And I had about half an hour more prep work to do. Plus, my Fiancee wasn’t back from the baby shower yet…
Panic and adrenaline got me through the last bit of the dishes that I could finish, and then I started in on slicing up the peppers and garlic and halloumi for the pre-dinner snack. The future-in-laws arrived first and helped me set up the lawn chairs and the grilling table (two sawhorses and a chunk of 3/8″ plywood). My fiancee and my sister were the next arrivals, with my folks showing up not long after.
Mid-appetizer, I went in to get a fresh beer and I noticed that there was a phone message from Rob. Since we’d been talking about wedding things and he’s going to be one of the Best Dudes, we decided to invite him over. He and his girlfriend Joanna arrived with Rice Krispy treats and frozen venison sausage. The latter was promptly sliced up and tossed on the grill. The former would have been disgusting…
We ate and drank and talked and grilled and partied until after dark… The tailgate of my Fiancee’s truck was pressed into service as a buffet table and we opened up a bottle of the red wine that we’re serving at the wedding…
And now it’s late. And I work tomorrow, so it’s time for bed.
Good night.