The Party.

Disclaimer: This post is based on true events. The participants' names have been changed, and any resemblance to any real people, living or dead, is purely coincidence.

So yesterday evening we had our going away party because I will be the first of us 3 to leave next Sunday at 5:50 am. Lots of people came, and it was quite enjoyable to have a colorful mix of family, friends and colleagues and of young and old together playing, laughing and just having fun. The afternoon was rowdy with most of the family and friends with kids coming, and fortunately we have a big courtyard with playground where the kids could run around, color everything with sidewalk chalk, play ball and ride around on various cars, bikes and scooters. It was really fantastic to have the kids there having so much fun, and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.

After our colorful afternoon of fun, coffee and cookies (mmm, and thanks to everyone who brought delicious sweets, especially the giant Dr. Quendt sampler, as well as other generous and very nice presents for all of us!), we moved on to the grilling part of the party, during which the beer started to flow and the meat was grilled! Our favorite neighbor stuck his head out of the window from high above the yard, and we expected him to complain about the noise and the grill, but amazingly enough he didn't. It's either because he's learned that whatever he says makes no impression on us whatsoever, or that he's heard that we will be leaving soon and going far away. Meat and cheese was grilled; olives, cheese, salad and other delicious antipasti were served; and once again, more beer flowed. Darkness fell, people with tired kids started to go home, then the rowdies showed up. They trickled in slowly, and though they are impossible to control, I was glad to see them, as they are always good for a laugh. These guys (and girls) are not dangerous (at least not to spectators, but I wouldn't want to get involved in their reindeer games), they are just the usual suspects and very likeable people. One woman performed debaucherous acts with three men at the party, on the balcony and in our bathroom. Another woman told woman one how she would like to begin some kind of relationship with the man woman one is also in some way involved with. Someone knicked the shit out of my chairs by using the chair seat to open beer bottles, red wine was spilled all over one table and seeped into the top, giving it fancy red streaks. I went to sleep at 2 am because all of this confusion was exhausting me, but my sources tell me that these uncontrolled acts of indulgence did not stop at our house, but continued at the bar until the sun came up. I can proudly say that my husband, my son and myself all behaved ourselves and managed to have a productive day today despite the late night. I'm not so sure about some of our other guests, though.

Party scorecard: A++ for entertainment value, A for effort, but an F for proper behavior. We just wanted to get all of our friends and family here together to say goodbye, not have a swinger party. Gosh guys, you can do that without us, I mean, we must be some kind of prudes to move to America...