Let's face it–I am not now, nor have I ever been a social butterfly. My tendencies lean toward hermit when it comes to socializing but once a year, we have out-of-town friends who come to visit over the Fourth of July holiday. If it weren't for my sister's annual bash, I'd be at a loss as to what to do to entertain them.
David & I are looking forward to seeing them, but I've learned something from their previous visits–we're too old to entertain overnight guests.
Why's that you ask? Well, I'll tell ya.
We're old and creatures of habit, that's why. We head to bed at 9 p.m. no matter what. We spend about half an hour going through our evening ablutions followed by watching the 10 o'clock news and a few vintage programs from the 1960s & '70s before turning out the light.
The grandkids have gotten used to our weird rituals when they spend the night although I don't think they understand. Sometimes after David heads to bed I'll try to stay up and watch a movie with them, but I usually end up falling asleep but at least I'm in the room.
But I digress. The too old to entertain out-of-town guests part comes in because I never know how to end the evening. Instead of listening to my friend talk, all I can think of is crawling into my nice cozy bed. I don't want them to think I'm trying to get rid of them, so I'll sit up until one of them finally gives in and declares they're ready for bed. This particular game of who will fall asleep first can sometimes last as late as 10:30 or 11 p.m. David takes care of this awkward situation himself, unbeknownst to the rest of us, by going to bed.
This year, after getting up at the crack of mid-morning, we'll head to town for breakfast at a restaurant known for its sugar-laden fare and proceeded by some shopping, which may be a little hard considering we will be on the verge of sugarinduced comas. I know I will be.
Next up will be shopping. Guy shopping and girl shopping are very, very different. I think this year we girls will go to the fabric store where I will buy way too much fabric which I will add to my already overflowing "craft" closet. Next, I want to show my friend a little shop that sells cute little knick-knacks that I (a) may already have but will buy anyway because I can't remember I already have it until I get home, (b) have no room for, or (c) can't resist because it's on sale.
After lunch we'll be forced to do the guys' shopping which usually consists of going to the local tool store where the guys will buy tools, they (a) may already have but will buy anyway because they don't remember if they already have it until they get home, (b) have no room for, or (c) can't resist because it's on sale. Ditto at the local hardware store and local farm supply store.
After all that shopping, we'll be ready for the evening meal. If it weren't for the shopping to work off some of the calories, I think the four of us would be unable to get in our car all at once.
We could try, probably with little success, to boil off some of the extra calories by soaking in our hot tub for about an hour. That has failed to work so far but I'm willing to keep trying! All it does for me is make me hungry again. What is it about water that makes people want to eat?
The next day will probably be pretty much a repeat except for adding online shopping and a marathon game of cards that has to be completed in stages. (It's tradition.) Whoever thought up this game is evil. After that, I'm sure we'll all be ready to hit the sheets in anticipation of another exciting day of shopping, eating, and lying around in sugarinduced comas. That just might be the funnest part of our day since we're sure to be exhausted.
Last year, after two extra days of shopping, a little sightseeing, and eating, eating, eating our friends went home and we ended up spending the next two days lying around listening to our bodies trying to figure out what to do with all the extra calories we'd consumed.
It's a good thing they only come to visit once a year or we'd end up starring on one of those talk shows where the family stages an intervention to get us weaned off coma-inducing, sugar-laden meals.
I have to tell you I've never regretted one single bite.