More Success than Not (though it was close)

This weekend we threw our first warm weather party of the year. Things quicky got, not exactly out of control, but you might say the control was sub par. This was in large part due to the arrival of Donatas and Giedre first. Donatas had some very tasty moon shine, man it was good.

• Success: drinking tasty moonshine.

I mean, this was so good I couldn't believe some farmer made it in the woods. It was easily better than cheap whiskey, which is what it tasted most similar to. However, this led to us going through it pretty quickly, which led to lowered hand-eye coordination and time sense for both of us. That was particular detrimental to our Beirut game because partners were chosen randomly and Donatas and I ended up together.

• Unsuccess: losing the first 2 games of Beirut.

First Gvidas and Linas beat us, finishing with two bounced balls which both made it when we had exactly four cups left. Why didn't we block them? I tried, and I almost got one, but I was distracted by Donatas's absence! I realized at the last moment that I have to block both and ended up knocking in the one I almost blocked and letting the other one bounce in too. Where was he? Ten feet away doing something.

While we were getting the grill going my special lady came over and said something, and I replied with a really hilarious remark, a perfectly cued and timed "that's what she said" style remark.

• Success: making a hilarious a joke.

It was so funny that Linas, Paulius, and I then talked about how none of us could believe I came up with it so rapidly, instantly really. It was like I was born to make that joke even though I didin't know it. What was that joke, exactly?

• Unsuccess: forgetting all the funny jokes you made last night.

I talked about it with Linas the next day, neither of us could remember.

Then came the meat. I'd prepared chicken wings and a pork loin, which I was precooking in the oven. I wasn't confident that it'd cook through on the grill. We got everything going and put on my wings, and the sausages, burgers, and two steaks that Linas and Paulius had brought. All that stuff took up the whole grill, so the pork loin had to wait. But when it came off it was delicious.

• Success: eating delicious barbequed food.

I told the men to get some more embers going for the pork loin. When I went inside I found that it was already completely cooked.

• Unsuccess x 2: losing track of time and burning too much wood.

I pretended this wasn't true, though, and I put it on the grill for a couple mintes. Then, Voilà , it's done! We ate all the food with my homemade barbeque sauces.

• Success x 2: making delicious barbeque sauces, plus my spicy whiskey one was better than the non-spicy brandy one I made fore my special lady.

Everybody loves a good sauce, right? Spice rules! Whiskey beats brandy every time!

Then Donatas and I took on Egle and Gvidas for another round of Beirut. Egle is one of the best players around, so they should have beat us for sure if Gvidas and Linas had beaten us. But no, we prevailed! I don't think I sunk all ten cups by myself, but I did sink the first six at least.

• Success: redeeming yourself at the Beirut table.

However, Donatas was so happy he gave me a high five that I can still feel on my hand four days later.

• Unsuccess: hurting your Beirut partner.

Then it was time to mellow out. Because women love to have their girl-time, the men decided to leave them be and went out to the beer barrel down the street for a drink. We are aware that ladies need time in person to talk about their ovulations and shopping plans, and we don't mind accommodating them.

• Success x 3: drinking and winning at cards while accommodating your special lady

Apparently, we may have overestimated the amount of girl-time that could be spent productively. Actually, what is more likely is that we underestimated how long we spent out. But, really, what is most likely is they my special lady, Asta, Giedre, and Egle overestimated how long we spent out and convinced each other we must have done it because we're inconsiderate—which you know is the opposite of the truth if you've been paying any attention at all. It was a classic example of groupthink, unfortunately not an atypical result of girl-time.

• Unsuccess: upsetting your special lady.

Sunday we still had a couple guests over, so we figured the best way to get through the dry pork loin was with sandwiches. I baked two loaves of beer bread with left over beer and 24 onion mustard rolls.

• Success: baking delicious food.

Four adults, one child, and one toddler managed to eat all the rolls and one of the loaves of bread in one day. It was a fun day.

• Successes: bearing mention too, we fired up the sauna and had a good time in there, went swimming both days, and got rather toasty in the sun on Sunday.

Sunday is my daughter's favorite day (because it's so sunny, unlike Windsday).