The
marquee goes up for the teenage party
I was a bit stressed at the beginning of this week. My lad
was hosting his 15th birthday party and despite my best efforts to
have it away from the house, I failed. I made a few suggestions about holding
the event in a skate park or community centre but it didn’t go down too well. I
even phoned up the local hotels and bars but even he can’t pass for a 23 year
old, which is the youngest age you can have a party in these places.
There was nothing else for it but to take my oil and make
preventative preparations at the house.
I was also very well aware that the party was to be hosted on the last
day of term and this was going to mark the start of the summer holidays.
As I couldn’t legally get a hold of
tranquiliser darts I set about organising things, all with ulterior motives,
mainly to keep as many people out of the house as possible when the party got
into full swing. I couldn’t just ask
everyone to stand outside, especially if it was raining so I dug out the old
marquee. It all sounds very posh, but it’s very like a giant coal bag with
windows. It’s been three years since it
was last used but all the bits were there and the whole thing fitted nicely in
between the tunnel and garage on the lawn. I gathered together as many chairs
as I could and cobbled together a table made from plastic stacking shelves.
Hey
presto an outside party space.
Preparations
It took me a day to organise things then just before the
party started at 6pm the following day, I did the parental supportive thing by
clearing off out of the way and leaving it all to Julie. My track record preceded me and when a friend
asked my lad what time the party was starting he told him “when my dad leaves”
I got the message.
Returning later after a few hours in the local pub I was
pleasantly surprised. There was a rogue half eaten banana behind the toilet bowl
and a smashed lamp but other than that we seemed to get away unscathed. I was
amazed too that the fruit bowl was missing the avocados, these empty skins were
outside and obviously the partygoers had an appetite for healthy food as there
were piles of packets of crisps left over. I dawned on me later that I was
concerned about the inside of the house, but didn’t give a thought to the
inside of the tunnel, the veggie patch or flower beds. I think in hindsight
it’s because if things get damaged indoors it’ll cost me to replace them but in
the garden nature takes over and fixes nearly everything from snapped stems to new
flowers. As it happened no-one even went in the tunnel, not even for a
nosey.
Enjoy the moment
I was anxious before the party about how well it would go,
when the party was on I was anxious about how I was going to clean up
afterwards, when I was cleaning up I was anxious about who will take over the
mantle of growing their own vegetables in the future. You know what? Things have a habit of sorting
themselves out. I don’t need to worry; someone at the party eats avocados after
all.
Charging the flies
I did find one way of venting my pre party
frustrations. For some reason the flies
seem to be out and about a bit early this year and they are getting into the
house even if all the doors and windows are closed. It’s another sign that I am getting a bit too
fussy and OCD but the thing that bothers me second (after spreading germs onto
food) is that they walk over my computer screen and leave tiny little globules
of liquid behind. Don’t get me started about people poking the screen with
their fingers; they don’t get a second invite through the door!
What I have now is an electronic fly killer. It’s shaped
like a small tennis racket and has a wire mesh where the strings go. This is charged by batteries in the handle
and although its’ only 3 volts it’s enough to kill the pesky flies instantly on
contact. Cheap pound shops can be accused
of pandering to peoples greed at getting something for nothing but in this case
it’s the best think I have bought since the last best thing I bought ( I think
it was bamboo poles) If I carry on
getting the tennis swing practice in I will be taking part in Wimbledon next
year.
