Who knew G-bury could be so wild & crazy? (aka Party! Part Deux)

The day after my thesis defense (and all night party), my mom and I were discussing our plan for going to CT and getting everything ready for Party! Part Deux. We weren't supposed to go to CT until friday morning, but I had the idea to go to thursday night instead and stay at a hotel so we could relax and sleep in on friday, instead of having to get up all early and travel on friday morning. My mom thought that idea was brilliant (I must have a PhD or something), so even though I had only slept for about 3-4 hours and I sort of felt like I might pass out and die, I packed up my suitcase and my baby Bella and off we went! We took the train to Stamford and picked up our rental car from the rudest sales rep EVER (big boooo for Avis). We got lost in Stamford, drove in a few circles, tried to enter a closed parking garage (oops), and somehow managed to locate the discount liquor store to load up the car with booze (and a few sodas). We then battled the totally pointless and mysterious traffic on 95N, and FINALLY made it to good old g-bury, CT (glastonbury for all you non-CT people). The hotel was great - way better than the one we stayed at for Russ's wedding. Bella especially loved it, and she usually gets nervous in hotel rooms.

Friday consisted of my mom and I running around like crazy. We bought decorations and other party supplies, food, cooking utensils, etc. I think we went to at least 10 different stores. I did get in a little QT with some fo the fam, including my g-daughter and her mama (my cousin Michelle), but then it was right back to work. There was a pretty funny scare when I was trying to light the burners at the club - the gas wasn't coming out so they wouldn't light, and then all of a sudden my mom found the lever and when I went to light it a ball of flame burst out. I screamed and hit the deck, and managed to come out of it with eyebrows and eyelashes fully intact. My mom and I spent the next 15-20 minutes laughing. It was especially funny because of my father - he was the most accident prone person on the entire planet - I have stories about him that would make you pee your pants. One time there was a grease fire in a pan where he was cooking bacon, so he put the lid on it and took it outside to put it in the snow. When he got outside, he took the lid off and a ball of flame BURST out of the pan and totally singed off his eyebrows and eyelashes. Now you see why we thought my near-burn was so funny...

The other funny thing that happened that day - my mom and I were driving somewhere, and she said that she didn't feel so great. So I said "What, are you just totally exhausted and kind of feeling like you might drop at any second". She said "No - I just have a headache", and I said "Oh. I guess that must be me then who feels like that". LOL. But I didn't let that stop me, and we were up until about midnight organizing the place and of course cooking: meatballs, sausage, lasagna, sauce, various platters (veggies, salads, cold-cuts). All the hard work was worth it in the end, because Saturday the party was fantastic!

Look at the kitchen in this place! Here's my mom getting the food ready on saturday night...

Yummmmmy...sausage and meatballs...no one makes meatballs like my mom...
Awww how cute are we? We decided this weekend that we should be professional party planners/caterers because we kick butt...
Even though someone messed up the organization of the buffet table my mom and I so thoughtfully set up (ok, so maybe we're a little anal), the party was so much fun.

Ricky (mom's step-brother) and Uncle Matt (mom's half-brother - he has the longest hair of any guy you will ever meet)... Uncle Charlie and his gf (I can't remember her name, but she was really nice)...
Gary (mom's other step-brother) and his gf Maria...
My mom and Cindy...so cute...
Awww me and Nada, opening my beautiful Waterford crystal glasses from my Aunt Madeline!

Mary-Kate and her hubby Braxton...they are the Banana Republic poster children, although I'm about to give them a run for their money...
There's my gram and Aunt Lois...
Cousin Gary and his wife Kathy and me...
Uncle George (my gram's brother) and Dutch...
Gary (Wes's brother) and Ruth (their mother)...she can still party!
My grandfather (my mom's father), my mom, and Maxine (they were married, got divorced, and are now dating again)...weird? Yes. Cute? Totally....
I decided to hold my g-daughter BEFORE I started drinking heavily...always a good idea...
Bill (or D.B., as he is known amongst my friends - don't ask) and Melinda...you should have seen him later in the evening. Classic Bill LOL...
Carol, my gram, Rosa dancing up a storm! You can see in the background my uncle Matt and his crazy long hair...it was flowing free that night, and kept getting caught in my bracelet when we danced...
Awwww there's my mom and her dad dancing...he has some great moves...
Me and Nada behind the bar...no surprise there! The fam totally loved Nada. They said between me being a doctor, Nada being a lawyer, Noura being a doctor too, and the fact that we are incredibly beautiful (and oh so modest), we are virtually unstoppable. That's right - watch out world...
Here's my mom and her "second son" Dave - he's basically been part of the fam forever...we just can't get rid of him (not that we would ever want to)...
My cousins...love them...Jen, Sheena, Melinda, Michelle, and Scott...
Louie and Michelle and Dirty Bill...I think someone (Shell) is looking a little "happy"...
See? I wasn't lying...looks like someone got into the jello shots...
Even Scott did a jello shot - which he said tasted like "nail polish remover"...Cindy made them, and they were so strong that I felt tipsy after having just one...
Even Rylee got out on the dance floor! She looked confused...scared...a little angry, but I still got her to laugh once...she loves her g-mama...
Mary-Kate and Brax...Nada caught them making out by the bathrooms...could they BE any more cute???
Me and Mar...I love this girl...
Dave and Nada being silly...it took me almost all night before I realized Dave had shaved his head (in my defense, he was wearing the hat Nada has on in this pic)...
In case you couldn't tell, we have reached the late-night pics...
We looooove each other...
My mom put the hat on backwards...she's too cute...
Nada and Scott...he's actually smiling!
And again! It must be the jello shot...or maybe Nada...how could you NOT smile standing next to her? Hehe...
Sheena outside the club...my family has been members of this club (well, the men anyway) since my great-great grandparents came here - there is even a pic of my great-great grandfather drinking a beer, and a pic of my great-grandfather by his car! How's that for history?

All in all, one of the best parties EVER. Of course, in addition to all the fun, I also managed to have the most embarassing and awkward moment of my life - and I don't get embarassed easily. My grandmother told the DJ to wish my mom (50), my brother (30) and my grandfather (70) Happy Birthday, but forgot about my graduation (even though it happened 2 days earlier). Cindy went up and told the DJ to congratulate me and Russ, so this is what he says..."We have one more announcement...blah blah...I'd like to congratulate Melanie for receiving her PhD and Russ for getting his MBA...to celebrate, let's have both of them AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS come to the dance floor for the next dance". Dead silence, and everyone was staring at me, so I said "Ummm...I guess he didn't get the memo". No one knew quite what to do, Nada offered to dance with me, Rosa told Russ that he should dance with me, and Russ looked at me and said "What should we do? What do you want to do", to which I replied, "I DON'T KNOW!!!". It was a rare moment of panic, but Maxine told my Uncle Matt to dance with me, so he came to my rescue. Love him. Not loving the DJ. And even though my grandparents left at 11pm and stole all the liquor (because "It's enough already!"), we still stayed until 1am (we confiscated some stuff so we could still drink) and had the best night ever. I love my family :)