Graduations, Toilets, and Uncle Jim's Crown.

Lady Di and I just returned from the Great Lakes State. As my brother (quoting Samuel L. Jackson's hitman character in "Pulp Fiction") would say, "it was a stone groove". I love seeing Diane's family. They are a big, Mid-Western, close-knit, Catholic crowd. Diane and her sibs' parents were a mix of Irish, German and French Canadian descent, and brothers and sisters, and their children, wear their heritage well.

My brother, the Amazing AndyMan, and I have cobbled together a nice family between our few remaining blood relatives and our "adopted families" (I'm looking at you, Baggetts). We've been to a couple of family reunions in our lives, and we enjoy getting together with each other and with Uncle Bob and Aunt Maggie and cousins Bill and John; but, really, we don't know anything about family get-togethers compared to the Hoover/Marentette clan! High school graduation party? For us, that meant a trip to Ben T. Davis Municipal Beach to see what was shaking. For Caitlin, Megan (and, next month, Kelly), graduation means scores of friends and relatives travelling hundreds- or even thousands- of miles to honor the conquering heroines. These gatherings don't just happen: providing food, lodging, and time for everyone to meet and greet requires lots of logistical work. Planning- and Providence- are required for all this stuff to work out.

Planning was much in evidence between the couple of soirees laid out for the weekend. There'd be a cook-out at Sue and Norb's on Friday. Sister Sue shopped and chopped and cooked and cleaned. Sue also wanted a the bathroom redone for the do. Norb worked hard (as Norb always does) to get it together. Old tiles were removed; new tiles were set. An old showerhead was retired; a new showerhead was installed. A new toilet- a new throne, as it were- was the center-piece of the renewed loo. Things were bought. Things were cleaned. The work of weeks and months was complete: The Espers were ready. But Murphy- he of the "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, and at the worst possible time" rule- was in the house. Big time. Just hours before the cook-out, the toilet gurgled, burped, and generally caused an uproar. At seven a.m., the plumbing backed up. The guests were to arrive at four p.m. Norb prodded, poked, and snaked the lines from the basement to the roof (he even got me up there. Yikes!). The toilet un-bolted and removed, and the laundry room where the clean-out valve and drain were located was emptied and surveyed. He got it figured out, but neither of the two drain-snaking devices he had were up to the task. Ultimately, he called the big guns. Moto-rooter, or some such service, drove up at about one p.m., and yanked the offending item from the line: a wet-towelette. Sometime earlier, a baby's bottom or a bathroom sink shone just a bit brighter, but at a terrible cost. Still, the pooper-rooter, or whatever the service's name, had done its job. The clean-up then ensued. Floors were mopped; walls and appliances wiped. Norb improvised a drainage grate to replace the corroded one that didn't survive the operation, and the laundry drier put back into place. Toilet seal-wax was set, and the throne replaced and bolted back down. All of it done with about two minutes to spare before the guests began to arrive. The cook-out was a success, with most of the crowd none-the-wiser of the epic journey that immediately preceded the fete.

Now, on to Saturday...


The brothers and sisters (Sue and Norb and their kids, Eric, Jeff and Amy; Mark (all the way from Seattle with his children, Markie and Xochilt); Lady Di; and Greg (with his bride, Kathe, and their kids, Kelly and Mitchell), were there for Jenny and her beautiful twin graduates (Jenny and John's other daughter, Lauren, will be graduating next year). Sister Andrea had to appear by phone, but she'll be there in the flesh next month for Kelly's party. The remaining male member of the previous generation, Uncle Jim, came from Colorado to be there. As the sibs' oldest uncle, Jim would be the Patriarch. See? He even has a crown.

The party was a great success. There were lots of people, there was plenty of delicious food, and ample adult refreshments for the crowd. Jenny and John put together a wonderful party for their gals. And just look at the cakes!



Here's Uncle Jim taking a picture of the brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews (with a couple of other relatives sneaking in).

It was a lot of fun. Thanks, y'all!