Mostly mangoes.

[mrissa]

timprov went to buy freeze-dried mangoes before my birthday party, and he bought a lot of them, because we needed some for my mom and some for the party and some for rysmiel and some for just us around the house. He had the following dialog with the 17-year-old clerk:

Clerk: You must really like mangoes.
timprov: We're having a party.
Clerk: A mango party?
timprov: A birthday party.
Clerk, beaming: I think it's just great that you still have those!

So yah. In our greatly advanced age, we have had a birthday party. I am so spoiled. Lo these many monkeys came to share it with me. And some of them stayed late, and it's been a long couple of weeks anyway, so I'm pretty zombified today. But in a good way. As with most partyish things we have here, I got to talk to nearly everybody who came, and I didn't get to talk enough with any one person. I suppose this is far better than if I was sitting around thinking, "Hoo, boy, enough of you," about particular guests. There were some old friends I hadn't seen in way too long, some new friends I don't see often enough...old friends I don't see often enough...yah. Monkeys. Many happy monkeys.

When brithistorian went to take little L. home, L. was clearly concerned about something. He came to wish me more happy birthdayness, and he kept repeating mournfully, "Happy birthday cake and candles." I managed to get out of him that he was not keen on going home because he had not yet witnessed the cake and candles. Once he was clear that we were not having any but were having cookies instead, he was very worried about how I was going to manage to have a happy birthday without cake and candles. It was really sweet.

Lessons learned: four avocadoes is not a large enough batch of guacamole; indicating with signage what beverages are where increases the chance that people will get the beverage they want and not merely the nearest convenient liquid thing; do not leave freeze-dried mangoes in a bowl on the counter overnight, or they will go sort of limp and squodgy.

Lessons reinforced: bomber bars flat-out disappear at parties; I have awesome friends.

Comments

[panjianlien.livejournal.com]

Oh, huzzah!

I am so glad you had such a wonderful party and such a good time.

[jenett]

It was a very excellent party. Many interesting and talkative and thoughtful monkeys indeed!

I was also delighted to actually meet Ista in person. Finally! She is the most adorable beast ever, and as you know from conversation, I am mostly not a dog person. (Actually, what I am is a "I like dogs if they're someone else's, and if I don't necessarily have to be too close to them, because I'm more allergic to dogs than to other pets." But this does not fit as tidily in the conversation.)

I was very appreciative of the guacamole - any special recipe?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

markgritter learned to make guacamole from watching his dad. About half a lime per avocado. Garlic, in the quantity of "plenty." Salt, in the quantity of "some."

[crimini.livejournal.com]

That sounds like my kind of recipe! :D

[markgritter.livejournal.com]

The ratio was about:

4 avocados
2 limes, fresh-squeezed
8 to 10 cloves garlic, pressed
3/4 to 1 tsp salt

[reveritas.livejournal.com]

you don't put in chopped tomatoes or paprika or what?

[markgritter.livejournal.com]

Nope. Just lotsa garlic. :)

Paprika might be good, I'm not a big fan of tomatoes in guacamole.

[timprov.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I'm in favor of paprika in guacamole.* Maybe cayenne.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I have enjoyed chopped tomatoes in guacamole in the past, but I like this version's purity of flavor.

[jenett]

Thank you both!

(She, who has avocados currently in hand, and could have the rest of this fairly easily...)

[aedifica]

The guacamole was delicious, and I was impressed that there was enough to last as long as it did! And having the drinks labeled was very handy. Also, the the round cookies were very, very tasty. Virginia told me twice what they were called, but it was late and I never managed to really hear the second word. Brum something?

I had a marvelous time talking with people I like but don't see often, and people I had never met before. Thank you for inviting me! I'm sorry I didn't get more chance to talk with you, but the front room was usually fullest so I spent more time in the other rooms.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yah, when I'm not vertiginous, I tend to circulate more, which makes it easier to talk to everybody and to keep one room from getting quite so crowded (or rather, to pull some of the crowding out of whatever room has gotten crowded at the moment). This time that was less possible. Ah well.

The cookies in question are brun brod (http://www.marissalingen.com/brunbrod.html).

[aedifica]

Thank you for the link to the recipe! I'll try it the next time I bake. Looking over it I'm surprised--the cookies taste very much like cream cheese spice cookies, my favorite of the cookies lisianthia makes, but they have almost no ingredients in common!

Years ago when the Tim Malloys played regularly on Tuesday nights, and Neil was still with the band, and several of us used to go regularly to hear the band and to see each other, Jess used to bake things and take them to the bar because it was more than she would eat by herself. Later she posted the recipe.

P.S. Today I re-read Bimbos of the Death Sun and it's not as good as I remembered, I'm sorry. It's still a nice mystery, but I had forgotten how many ways the author gently insults the SF/F fan community (and especially young thin men and large women).

(Edited to fix a typo in the link.)

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Gently?

[aedifica]

OK, not always.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

I'm not even really a part of the fan community (I just read the stuff) but if I remember the book correctly, at best she treats cons as being like ... um, wherever that was that Christian rested in Pilgrim's Progress before continuing to his *real* destination and at worst, "Well, thank goodness there's a welcoming place for Those Subhuman People where they don't get picked on." But my memory of it may have grown harsher than it deserves - it's been a while.

Which is funny, because I got the impression that was the author's viewpoint, whereas my reaction to her description was "Sounds like fun!" My one big con experience (Worldcon '06 in LA) didn't quite measure up, but that was mostly a matter of not knowing many people. I'll try again someday, maybe something a bit smaller.

[aedifica]

Wow, it's been a long time since I read Pilgrim's Progress! I barely remember it. I should re-read it and see what I make of it these days. I read it when I was about 12, I think, and I read it because I had my very own copy (I bought it at a garage sale, and it was a very venerable copy--old enough not to have a copyright date printed in it). But I do think McCrumb's treatment was mostly gentle. There were passages that were entirely sympathetic, almost as though she had to keep reminding herself to write the unsympathetic passages.

But I'm belatedly realizing that this might not be the best place to have this discussion. My initial comment about the book was because I gave Mris a copy for her birthday, so as far as I know she hasn't read it.

On cons: So far I've had far more fun at small cons, though the larger ones I've been to have still been worth it. I haven't been to anything near as large as a WorldCon, though.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Your memory is likely more correct than mine. It will be interesting to hear M'ris's opinions. (I can't just go reread the book and decide for myself; it's in storage.)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Indeed I have not read it yet, but your initial PS was a useful thing to know.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

If you don't either know a ton of people or have a group you can default to hanging out with, WorldCons can be pretty daunting.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

"At a time like this, all you can think to say is 'gently'?"

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

I suppose it's possible the clerk meant still as in "older than 12". Maybe.

Whatever, glad it was a good party!

(Wow. It just occurred to me that it's been nearly a couple of years since I've been to an actual party. Odd.)

[timprov.livejournal.com]

Oh, she clearly meant still as in older than 12.

[rosefox]

Happy birthday! I'm so glad you had such a great time.

HIPY PAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY!

[miz-hatbox.livejournal.com]

Many happy returns!

[laurel]

I'm glad it was a fine party and gladder still that you have awesome friends.

Sorry we didn't make it, we were both just totally wiped out and never made it anywhere on Saturday despite the best of intentions. Suspect we needed rest after having our previous weekend taken up entirely by helping my parents etc. It's been a long couple of weeks (<- Minnesotan understatement, of course).

Probably wouldn't have made the Twins game today (er, Sunday) if we hadn't rested on Saturday and since I wore my lucky Justin Morneau shirt the Twins won so hey-- good deal! (Kevin thinks I'm being a little too Morneau-esque by fearing that if I wash the shirt I'll wash the luck out.)

We should get together sometime for ice cream or something, I'm just not adept at coming up with a plan (or suggested plan) beyond that at the moment.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Ice cream or something is a good plan. Do you want evening ice cream or afternoon ice cream? E-mail me. I like ice cream.

Would have liked to see you, but glad you enjoyed the game today, despite kaustin having to wear noseplugs through it.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

It's convenient that when I went to google "bomber bars," your recipe was the third hit! ;)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

We aim to please. Also their original name was "blonde bombers," so probably you'd have gotten a wider variety of recipes under that name. (Some made with white sugar. I just do not understand some people.)

[crimini.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a great time was had by all! Huzzah! And happy birthday!

[prettymuchpeggy.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the wonderful time. I was very happy to be one of the monkeys. Happy recovery.

I always find it interesting how conversations weaves in and out of different topics -or- even how conversation in one room floats through the ether to another room.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

The ether gets crazy that way. I can have a conversation with someone about something and then find that a dozen other people want to talk about that thing in the next week, without any of them talking to each other.

[prettymuchpeggy.livejournal.com]

Usually, I listen a great deal at parties. I smile and nod and make mental notes. Often because someone else will say what I wanted to say so much better. I actually openned my mouth and sound which was not singing came out. This is good. I have been very shiny lately perhaps that has something to do with it. hmmmm.....{thoughts go into thinking about thinking and shining and a shooting all over the place.}