It's party time!

Yep, it sure is. This Saturday at ye olde homestead.

Let me explain. Try to stay with me here, this gets a bit convoluted. My oldest son was going to the culinary academy and due to graduate. The year? 1999. I thought of an idea for a graduation party. We'd have a Jimmy buffet! We'd have a Cheeseburger In Paradise and drink margaritas and play Jimmy Buffett music and it would just be marvelous. I bought the neatest neon colored plates and cups for the occasion. Well, as it's definitely not 1999, I'm sure you've figured out there was a fly in the ointment. Two months before Brian graduated, he decided he wanted to go and earn a different degree. He now wanted to be a teacher. So, right after graduating, and becoming a full fledged chef, he was off to a different university to earn a bachelors degree in education. I said we'd have the party after he graduated the next time. Both he and Jason, my second son, graduated the same week from their respective universities. The year now was 2005. My youngest son was also in college at that time so we decided to wait until he graduated to have the big shindig. OK, still with me? Excellent! It's now 2008 and Joshua graduated from his university this April. I'm going to be 50 in October(A Pirate Looks at Forty, but I already saw that)! Dennis and I had our 30th anniversary in April and our first 2 grandchildren were born. This was definitely the year for the party!

I've been planning this party for 9 years folks, and oh yes, I do still have those plates and cups I bought in 1999! I can now actually say it's the day after tomorrow! I'm excited to say the least. The guest list is up to about 60 people. My son Joshua is flying in from Miami. My brother Dan is flying in from Reno. Our friends from Indiana are coming and my long time, bestest girlfriend from grade school and beyond is coming, and this Brown Eyed Girl is just so excited she can hardly stand herself! My one sadness of the day is my dear friend from over the pond won't be able to be here. I'll Miss You So Badly Ian.

I've been waking up at night for the last several nights thinking of things to add to the list. You know, the list of things to do. The list of things to cook. The list to find the list! I do love lists.

Here's the menu, in list form of course. I'm a bit particular about the food I serve so I'll be doing all the cooking myself.

Appetizers to be put out at 1PM are as follows:

*Margaritas, pina coladas, strawberry daiquiris, and various other libations (Hey It's 5 O'clock Somewhere!)
*Swedish meatballs
*BBQ meatballs
*Sausage balls
*Ham roll ups
*Creamy salsa dip and tortilla chips
*Homemade dill dip and fresh veggies
*Rice krispie treats

Dinner to be put out around 5 or 6 or whenever people get hungry. Den will be manning the grill and the rest I'll have done ahead of time.

*Cheeseburgers (in paradise of course!)
*Bratwurst
*Potato salad (of the parrothead variety)
*Macaroni salad
*Baked beans with hamburger
*potato chips

Dessert will be as follows:
*Peanut butter sheet cake (not a Peanut Butter Conspiracy)
*German chocolate sheet cake
*Homemade cookies
*Fruit salad

We're planning a bonfire when it gets dark and the party should go on late into the night. I plan to have everything done tomorrow so I can just play on Saturday. Oh I just can't wait! I shall take pictures and post them in a future blog. Come Monday it'll be all over, but for now Why Don't We Get Drunk?

Now, if I could just find that darn lost shaker of salt......