PARTY SCENES

Couple of family events lately. We always have so much fun together, wonder what the rest of the world does for recreation? Couple of great get-togethers at my sister's new place. No more than sitting on the porch, listening to the IPOD and sipping increasingly exotic drinks. Or do they become increasingly exotic as we sip each one? Too deep for my mental capacity. Anyway, we have ended up spending the night each time, as we are too tipsy to walk (well I am anyway) or it just feels right. Both times someone or several someones has come down with some malady in the night which leads to much hilarity the next day, except of course, for the one or ones suffering the deficient health moment.

The Committee, daughter and daughter-in-law attended "Mama Mia" together. Are we the only ones who feel comfortable enough to sing the songs, do a little chair dancing and laugh when Pierce Brosnan tries to sing? Major good time was had by all. Of course helps if you find the music of ABBA to be a musical statement of the '80's. In between disco of course. Laughed and cried at a totally "just for fun" movie. Even the actors seemed to have a good time with this film. Event followed up by the mandatory stop at the pub for cocktails and munchies. I had to explain to the young bartender (after much prompting by the kinder souls in the party) how to make a vodka gimlet-shaken not stirred served "up" in a martini glass. Ah well, the job of the boomer generation is to teach the gen X'rs and Y's, etc....

Then we had a signature "end of summer" barbecue for Labor Day. The boys enjoyed several hours breaking in the "lower deck" as we have now dubbed it. My $1,000 deck that was created to suitably house my $100 wood burner. Ah well-it looks pretty sweet actually. I created signature cocktails with a Caribbean theme-translation lots of coconut rum, white rum and vodka. Did not realize until I inflicted one on my brother-in-law that one drink actually had 4 ozs of booze in it. In retrospect probably should have made that one in a pitcher. Ah well with enough brats and salad you can smother the effects, well maybe. Then I set off some fireworks, safely of course. Though I kept shousing myself so as not to disturb the neighbors. Someone pointed out, however, that it is tough to set off an unobtrusive firecracker -- Oh yeah. Well second theory, hide the evidence and be found innocently roasting marshmallows and singing camp songs.....

IT'S GOTTA BE SOMEBODY'S FAULT

My disgust rant of the day. Much of the spam I get relates to "You are owed money if you had a hip replacement, took a medication, had a child injured at birth (really hate that one), ate tomatoes, took a bath, played in a sandbox". Be part of a class action suit brought against whomever. They are so big they won't notice a couple thousand more people on the train I guess.

News flash. Living is risky. We make choices. We live, love, have children, drive cars, drink, smoke, eat in restaurants. At least living in America we don't have to dodge suicide bombers and armed bodyguards escorting "impotent" (deliberately misspelled)folks. At least not yet. In other words, sometimes things just happen. It is not someone's fault. Tough as it is to just deal with it and move past and above misfortune, it is what truly responsible adults do.

When we all feel "entitled" the truly needy, the truly wronged get lost in the shuffle of greed. And guess who pays for those settlements. We do in higher costs for products, services and in higher taxes. I love those who come out of the woodwork to sue local govts when their loved ones, who trust me, the family wrote off long before, do something so heinous the authorities do what they are trained to do.

Sometimes I wonder if there are too many legal folks out there looking for something to do. I have no problem with someone making money and a lot of it through hard work, intelligence and luck, what the heck. But if you have time to research some obscure issue and then build a huge lawsuit out of it, you ain't got that much to do Lucie.