Milestones and Asterisks

Sometime very soon this blog will get its 10,000th visitor. That's going by my most conservative sitemeter (I have quite a collection if you've ever adventured waaaaaaaaaay down to the bottom of the screen here)... other jazzier and possibly virus-bearing sitemeters set that target way earlier.

But I trust the old conservative one. It reminds me of me.

Wonder who number 10,000 will be?

A friendly face? Or that banker from Saudi who wants ladieswithgiantboobs?

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Ah, the joy of the asterisk post. A bit of this, a bit of that.

It's like a salad at the end of summer, when you have a fridge full of barbecued meats and lots of veg and probably a container of cous cous or pasta just begging to be used. So what do you do? Chuck 'em all together and call it yet another lunch to eat at work, if you ask me...

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So. I feel I haven't quite captured the spirit of our summer. And that would be a shame.

This was a P.A.R.TAY summer. We entertained until our collective arses were about to collectively drop off.

I'm not big on party pics. All those bright flashed faces and redeyes needing repair. I'm more of a before and after gal.

Before:


Some kind of quiche. Seeing as how I'm not a real man, I'm big on quiche as a filler. It's never the star, but it looks nice on a white tablecloth.

And before:



Is it wrong to use a box of cherries given as a gift at one party we hosted to serve to guests at another party we hosted?

I think not. We did take off the ribbon.


and evidence of After:



we saw a lot of this, and also a lot of this:



and a lot, lot, lot of this:


... waiting for the next free dishwasher space. Any glasses we have that can't go in the dishwasher? They're politely told they're not required for parties...

The next morning is always fun for lively, well-rested kids, who do stuff like this:


and this:


to their hungover parents...

... fortunately there's always the beach as an antidote (to the hangover, not the kids)


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It was our 10th wedding anniversary on February 15th. We did not do anything then but are about to have our first night away, withOUT children for about eight years, this Saturday, as the kids are going to stay the night with an uncle and his gorgeous, gorgeous girlfriend (oh yes, for serious ladieslounge readers, this was the other thing that happened this summer) . If you've bothered to read this far, you might want to make suggestions as to how to celebrate a 10th anniversary when a couple has three children and a lot of miles showing for it...

Staying: Crowne Plaza Terrigal
Time Away From Children: 18, maybe 20 hours, if we're lucky
Aims: Does wedded bliss sound too corny?


mtc
Bec