Guests

Hosting friends and family in my meager dwelling is always an adventure. I do love having family come to visit. I enjoy their company, sharing memories of days past and taking the opportunity to make a few new memories.

When my loving mother and wonderful sister were here to celebrate some birthdays and the Thanksgiving holiday, we had a great time. The day of their arrival, I cooked a 6 course meal, served with the help of my incredible girlfriend Anzhela over a period of several hours. We invited some of Anzhela's family, since we have no friends, and shared a grand feast:

First Course: spicy carrot salad, ikra (3 types), potato salad, and deli breads

Second Course: baby spinach salad, tossed with a hot EVOO and balsamic dressing, and baby mozzarella, grape tomatoes, julienned pears, and chopped pecans

Third Course: atlantic salmon fillets grilled with lemons, minced garlic, and shaved onions

Fourth Course: baked spicy barbecue chicken and roasted garlic skin-on mashed baby red potatoes

Fifth Course: USDA Choice rib eye, grilled to each guest's order

Sixth Course: Pecan or Pumpkin pie with freshly whipped cream

I also opened a couple bottles of tasteful wine to accompany the food, which seemed to be well received. The only hitch seemed to be our short supply of standing room with two tables setup and guests stretching from the couch, which backs up to the wall under the window between the kitchen and the living room, all the way out the living room French doors onto the small balcony.

We had a great time, and after a few short hours of scrubbing dishes and packing away leftovers, all was done. We relaxed and prepared for a hard earned slumber. It wasn't long after the lights went out that the first signs of trouble revealed themselves. Strange noises in the darkness, tiny bursts of flickering light, and the distinct aroma of someone enjoying themselves just a bit too much all purposed to rouse me from the inflatable mattress in the living room. Awakened by an uninvited guest, and delirious from the festivities, I wasn't sure if I was really seeing what my eyes saw.... so fumbling around in the darkness, I managed to grab my camera and snap the following images.

I make no judgement as what these images portray, I leave that to the reader. To protect the guilty, I have not posted all the images here, just those necessary to prove that I wasn't imagining it all.