Wasted.
The day, not me. I can't believe I slept until 2pm.
I didn't go to bed until 3am but still - that's no reason for an 11 hour snoozefest.

It was my brother-in-law's 50th birthday last night and my sister had a blowout party - 140 people - at their new home. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a blowout like, say, the senior party at nationals in Dartmouth. The guests were mostly affluent, middle-aged and figure prominently in business, politics and sports.

The invitation said BBQ but I knew that meant something completely different with this crowd. I struggled with my wardrobe (gaining so much weight doesn't help since most of my 'cute' clothes don't fit) so I settled on black dress pants and raspberry camisole with a wrap sweater. So glad. As I searched for a parking spot on their street, I noted the trail of people heading to their house - suits on the men and everything from cocktail dresses to pleated Burberry skirts topped by Lacoste polos on the women. At least I'd blend in. My sister looked fantastic in white linen pants and a loose, patterned shirt she had picked up in West Palm beach on their last ladies' group trip. She's slimmed down incredibly since I last saw her at Easter. She has always been able to starve herself leading up to any given event. On the one hand, I wish I had that ability but on the other, it's completely unhealthy. Either way, she looked incredible and happy!

Randall is a pretty laid-back guy with a good sense of humour. Loves the cottage, fishing, golf...so the caterer went with a cottage theme. There were massive posters of him on the living room walls - blow ups from the family albums of him waterskiing, scuba diving, driving the boat...and outside there were portable bonfire pits where you could roast marshmallows and make s'mores (with imported chocolate, of course).The hired musician was playing the grand piano in the foyer early in the night and later brought his guitar out to the bonfire where he played a lot of Dylan, Neil Young, Springsteen...(basically the music of our high school years and definitely nothing recorded after 1980).Tara's male friends loved it since that's what 17 year old boys are listening to right now.

And then there were the bass... in the hot tub. Yeah, that's right, I said bass...as in fish. The hot tub wasn't heated obviously - and I guess the idea, stay with me here, was for the pro photographer she'd hired to take shots of these people in Armani suits and cocktail dresses wearing hip waders and holding up the bass they'd "caught". Unfortunatley, the hot tub borders the chlorinated swimming pool. Three of the bass jumped the breach into the main pool. They were netted and returned to the hot tub (fresh water) where they instantly died and sank to the bottom. Am I the only one reminded of the WKRP thanksgiving media event where Les throws turkeys out of a helicopter not knowing they can't fly?

The food was pretty amazing with staff circulating an endless stream of french fries in small take-out containers - topping choice of ketchup, malt vinegar, mayonaisse or truffle mayonaisse - and trays of shrimp with coriander, mini burgers of pulled pork and a dining room buffet that featured mango salad, a variety of pasta dishes, pad thai, roast beef, etc....I didn't actually see the entire buffet. I had eaten dinner and was cursing myself for it. I wasn't at all hungry so only viewed the spread from a distance (although I did have some of the truffle mayonaisse fries). There were 3 bars going but since this wasn't really a drinking crowd, they shut down the one on the patio once the speeches started.

I left at around 11:30 and headed out to Pickering where there was a going-away party for Ryan. He's moved to Carlton Place and taken the head coaching job at the club there. He has a line on a teaching job and Julie will join him in September.

Since I was so late, lots of people had already left but Kevin & Karen, Schro & Amy, Pete & Sarah were still there. I also ran into a db paddler I haven't seen in awhile, Mike. Mike's a hardcore Salsa dancer and I've been wanting to ask him about where I can take lessons. I start an introductory class at the Spanish Centre next Saturday but if I really enjoy it, want to take classes from someone from within the (extensive) Toronto salsa community. Mike has put dancing on the backburner these past couple of years while he went back to school to add some letters to his name. He's finally finished his degree so I'll get in touch with him after this 5 week session is over.

The Clarkson contingent left with me around 1:30. The Gardner was closed and there was construction on the 401 with a massive backup from around the 409 exit. I took the detour towards the airport and swung back around to the 427 south in order to miss it. Bad news for the people in the car who desperately had to go to the bathroom.

When I got home, I wasn't tired and finished watching the movie Delirious.

So now, I'm eating a Burrito Boyz chicken burrito and watching Quantum of SOlace. Might as well make the day a complete write-off!