“SO HOW are you, apart from blissfully happy?”

This was the question Adam got asked many times last week at our engagement party.
You can imagine why – he’s got a house, fur children and bf, and now he’s at a big party that’s all about him, he’s showing off his shiny ring and the booze is free-flowing. What more for a boy to love?
**sigh**

I am never getting engaged again. Once is plenty enough for me! For some reason, I decided that a spit roast would be a great addition to a party – after all I do love my BBQ’s and there’s nothing better than a few beers out on the back deck with a bbq and a few friends.

Only problem was the scale – as the party got closer, the guest list kept growing and growing – all of a sudden there were 90 people confirmed as coming! (which, in Party Mathematicsâ„¢, means anywhere from 60 to 100). So a few beers on the back deck grew into a massive affair, organising food in lots of 10kg. Still, I like it. I don’t know why, but I am very sensitive that I be a good host, and really want a night to go off well and make sure everyone is having a good time. I take it very personally. So that means lots of food, booze, music, and make sure people are mixing well.

Overall we had 85 people walk through our door – which is quite an achievement considering our house is only modestly sized. 65 people were there at the time of the Great Feeding where there was 20kg of beef done on the spit, plus salads and bread and everything else. Once everyone was fed, I started to relax and hit the turps – naturally the fruit vodka punch I made up went quite quickly. I wasn’t allowed to make it as strong as I like to, owing to Adam’s insistence that I usually make it so strong it fumes. And as party mathematics goes, the 65 died eventually died down to 40, then 20, then we were left with the dedicated few who would enjoy the late night drinks and stay over. Hung over bacon and eggs in the morning for Australia Day. Excellent :-)

I have to say though, Adam and I were very touched by all the people who came – we literally were not expecting so many, and with people from as far away as Canberra, Perth, UK and Canada. We got some amazing presents, and the messages written in the cards were very heartfelt and kind. I have to admit – I didn’t really expect it! The fact that people took our engagement seriously and respected us as a couple enough to venture out into the big bad suburbs to celebrate it with us was very much noticed and appreciated. I sometimes do get very self conscious that because we’re not in the ghetto anymore, people think we’re on another planet, or to use a True Blood anecdote – “Mainstreaming”. So for so many people to come – we felt “loved”, to quote Adam.

I think though in the future I will tone down the scale of our social engagements – dinners, Sunday arvo BBQ’s and other intimate soirees are far better for socialising than huge parties where the poor host is run off his feet. This year I feel will be a big one for us in terms of change and solidifying friendships – we are finally getting to a point where we can set up a “pattern” such that we have no more excuses to be antisocial.

Here’s to 2010! *clink*