Mama's House

What time is everyone showing up tonight?

So the powers that be are meeting up tomorrow to discuss what went right and wrong this past Fonacier family reunion and to begin preparations for the 2008 version, rumored to be held on August 9.

If you're not one of the powers that be but still want to be heard, you can sound off here. So feel free to say whatever you want - that's what anonymous commenting is for, you cowards - about what you liked and disliked about this year's reunion, what you would like to see happen at next year's, or any other thoughts. Disappointed that there weren't any t-shirts? Loved the selection and want to see the same menu for next year? Happy that we changed locations last minute to stay dry? Found some of the name tags inappropriate? Not enough hot chicks we weren't related to there - always a problem? Thought the neighbor was going to run us all over and thus prevent any need for further family reunions?

Anyway, if you want to see improvements and have a more enjoyable experience next year, speak up and be heard.

As for me, the last minute change of location was disappointing because I had looked so forward to spending the day at the park. So making sure weather is not a concern next time would be nice. I supposed that can be done by either having it on certain days when you know it won't rain or by having it indoors. Regarding this year's location, it was nice that someone opened up their home to all of us, especially at the last minute, so that we could stay dry. But I think that maybe having it at a house is not conducive to getting a large group of people to know each other. It was much too easy for one part of the family to dominate a room at the exclusion of other family members. There were certainly those social butterflies that moved easily from one room to the next, meeting new family members, but on the whole that was limited. So perhaps the answer is to hold it in a place without so many walls so that people can't so easily section themselves off. As for the food, the only things I ate were chips, a hot dog, and a hamburger. And that was more than enough to satisfy just me.

All in all, the first Fonacier Family Reunion went well, very well considering it was our first and the weather did not cooperate. It went well enough that I won't be skipping the next one, especially considering that it was our first and that it can be and should be even better next year.

I asked Jayden what he wanted to be for Halloween and decided to ask him what other people should be for Halloween, his answers were:

Himself: Spiderman
Annalynne: Princess
Angelynne: Princess
Mom: Dolly (I'm pretty sure he means a doll and not Ms. Parton)
Dad: Butt (said he could wear it on his head)
Roland: Cat
Faye: Cat
Vanessa: Cat

Roland is flying into town today for one of his best friend's wedding that is happening this Saturday. Annette is picking him up this afternoon. That's the excuse I'm being given anyway as to why I have to pick up Jayden.

So if Roland owes any of you money, now is your chance to collect.... Or I suppose you could just say hi to him or something.

For all you little kiddies planning on doing some trick-or-treating at the end of the month, you best prepare your route.

So who is dressing up this year and as what?

Lindsey's last comment makes me curious. What's everyone's homepage? And if the answer isn't this webpage, why not this webpage?

As for me, I use iGoogle as my homepage. Why not this site as my homepage? My iGoogle updates more often.

4 of the 9 visits to this site today have come from San Diego by a person using a Mac. Don't we all know a certain someone from there who has midterms all week long? I guess the 1 am visit shows that she was up late, perhaps doing some late night cramming.

Good luck on those tests.

Can anyone answer my question regarding one of the photos of Mama's and Papa's 50th Anniversary? I know it's a long shot that anyone could possibly remember what was so funny at that moment - thankfully captured - so long ago, but you never know.

Heck, maybe it's better that I don't know and imagine that Papa told a witty and hilarious anecdote that upon further reflection imparted some wise lesson about life and love. You know, the kind of story that puts Papa in a very admirable and favorable light and in the ranks of George Washington, Mister Rogers, and Papa Smurf. Of course, my limited and crude imagination only leads me to believe that Papa leaned over and let out a big one.

So if you know, please be kind and leave a response. Or feel free to speculate.

TO: The guy air drumming on the treadmill in front of me at the gym

FROM: WFS

DATE: 14, October 2007

SUBJECT: Air drumming while on the treadmill at a public gym

Though you almost inspired me to get on the treadmill next to you and do some air guitar, but for fear of getting my ass kicked, you're obviously in need of some help. May I make a suggestion?

I'll start off by saying it was good times celebrating Uncle's 50th, with that said, I'll probably most remember Uncle's 50th for a couple of reasons.

First, the service was terrible. So it was dim sum and the ladies with the carts came by. As usual with dim sum, maybe more so this time because we had a section of the restaurant to ourselves consisting of six tables and all of the ladies coming at one time, it was chaotic. For the most part they did their job right by asking the table if we wanted any of the dishes they were pushing around.

After it seemed like we were settled in with the several dishes we ordered, a few more dishes started popping up onto our table. Our table was only about half seated when service started and it was the empty half of the table began to fill up with dishes. Noticing this, I asked if any one at the table had actually ordered any of those dishes being set down. Everyone said no and so we asked the ladies to remove the dishes we had not ordered.

All they did was ignorantly smile and move on. Granted, they may actually not have known any english and we may have initially asked those who had not set down those dishes to take them away, which I can understand they can't do. So we pretty much had to figure out who set what dishes down and practically hand them back. Now the thing was, we were sure those who had gave us those dishes had stamped our order sheet/tab. We counted up the dishes on our table and the stamps on our tab and figured out that there were two extra stamps. When we asked the ladies to cancel those orders, we got the same ignorant smiles.

We then explained to the guy in charge what had happened and he was very reluctant to correct the situation. I mean considering we were a small part of a party of close to 40 why would we try to get a couple of dishes for free? And what happened to the customer always being right? It was understood that the stamps were for different dishes categorized by "A, B, C, D, E" for pricing purposes so it was not so easy to see what we were being charged for that was not on the table. But I even offered that he could just remove two marks from the least expensive category. In the end, he went over with us with what was on the table and each correlating stamp on the tab and couldn't explain what one of the stamps was for and even then he seemed unwilling to make a concession. Finally, he removed that stamp from the "C" category and after all that hassle we probably ended up "saving" $3.00.

The second thing I will remember is Lindsey's friend Brian. Before he arrived, he was described as someone who perpetually looked and sounded stoned. And when he did arrive sporting a Rasta style hat, he did not disappoint. Seriously, his retelling of his weekend so far that included a trip to Red Robin sounded like the sequel to a classic, I half-expected him to tell me that Doogie stole something of his.

Not so memorable moments but still notable:

• The taking of the soy sauce.
  
• Karen's cake stained mouth.
  
• The 25-30 stamps on one table's tab.
  
• Meeting Lindsey's friend The Enabler.
  
• Lindsey sporting the librarian look.