Dinner Guest #40 - The A. Family

Sunday, October 14, 2012

My husband does not look back at his high school years with fondness. It’s an unhappy phase of his life he’d rather forget.  So, when the invitation to his 20-year high school reunion came around last spring, I was surprised that he paid the $90 fee, submitted his paragraph-sized biography to the committee, and read a few books on mingling.  He may have fumbled his way through high school, but for the reunion, he was going prepared.

My role at the reunion was simple:  the dutiful wife.  I dolled myself up, sat next to Ryan in a hotel ballroom full of strangers, ate my chicken dinner, and smiled.  While I don’t think Ryan’s attendance at the reunion brought Hollywood-like closure to his unhappy memories, there was one positive outcome from the night:  the rekindling of an old friendship with Mr. A.

Ryan and Mr. A. grew up in adjacent neighborhoods in Las Vegas.  They participated in the same boy scout troop and attended the same schools and church.  Their parents were good friends.  After high school, their paths rarely crossed as marriage, jobs, and interests sent them other directions.

This Sunday, we had Mr. and Mrs. A. and their three children over for dinner.  I kept the dinner very light and simple with make-your-own croissant sandwiches.  I put out platters of turkey, ham, and roast beef deli meat, a variety of cheeses, sandwich toppings, condiments, and let everyone build their own.  I also threw together a few side dishes of pasta salad, kale salad, grapes, carrots, and potato chips.  For dessert, Mr. A. made a delicious apple and cherry cobbler that baked and bubbled in the oven while we ate.   We learned that Mr. A. is the chef in the family, and a good one too.

I’ll be surprised if Ryan attends another high school reunion.  I think his curiosity has been satisfied.  However, I hope we continue to get together with the A. Family.  Our children seemed to enjoy playing together and Mr. A. has promised to make crepes for us—a little skill he picked up while living in France many years ago.

After 40 dinner guests, if nothing else, I’ve learned:

NEVER turn down a dinner invitation with friends.

Dinner Guest #39 - The V. Family

Sunday, October 7, 2012

From 2001 to 2005, we lived in Fullerton, California while Ryan attended graduate school at the Southern California College of Optometry.  During that time, we met many other couples leading similar, grueling, graduate school lives where money is tight, spouses stay up all night studying, and many weekends are spent quarantined in the school library.

A few years ago, Ryan decided to reconnect with a classmate from Optometry school.  A classmate who had also returned to Las Vegas after graduation.  One I had never met:  Mr. V. 

On a warm summer night, we met up with Mr. V., his wife, and their two boys at a park not far from our homes.  Surprisingly, our children were similar ages and seemed to enjoy playing together.  Mr. and Mrs. V. were easy to talk to.  What I worried was going to be an uncomfortable, awkward evening with strangers turned out to be fun. 

This Sunday, the V. family came to dinner.

I served grilled hamburgers, corn pudding, baked potato skins, carrots and dip, and Doritos.  The V. family brought a fruit plate.  For dessert, I served seven-layer bars and lemon bars.

I like talking to Mrs. V.  She is an experienced, intelligent, elementary school teacher who has great insights into the world of public education.  I admire how she juggles work and family, and still manages to take good care of herself at the same time—mainly because I haven’t quite figured out this juggling act myself.

Recounting my introduction to the V. family reminds me to lower my aversion to meeting strangers.  

Good friends often come from unexpected places.

Dinner Guest #38 - All the Grandparents

Sunday, September 29, 2012

On our wedding date, August 14, 1999, the official merging of the Potter and Peterson families looked something like this:

One brother-in-law spent the evening in a hospital emergency room passing a kidney stone.

One sister dropped to the floor with cramping pains and ceased to act as the wedding photographer.

Another brother passed out condoms to guests waiting in line to congratulate the bride and groom.

One niece hid behind the wedding cake, picking off the candied pearls from each layer.

Things could have gone better. 

However, thirteen years later, wedding day drama has long been forgotten by everyone (except me) and we enjoying bringing both families together.  This Sunday, our dinner guests were our parents—all four grandparents.

For dinner I served barbecue pork sandwiches topped with coleslaw, sweet potato casserole, potato chips and grapes.  Coincidentally, the day before, Grandmother Peterson coordinated the food for two funerals at her church.  So, we also ate leftover funeral potatoes and platters of fresh fruit.  For dessert, I served blueberry cream pie and lime bars.

I regret not taking a group picture.  Such gatherings with all four grandparents are few and far between.  I feel lucky to have these four people in my life and in the lives of my children. 

And tonight, thankfully, no one dropped to the floor.

Everyone was on their best behavior.

Dinner Guest #37 - The S. Family

Sunday, September 23, 2012

I live 2,450 miles from the town where I spent my first 18 years of life.  So as you might expect, I NEVER run into an old classmate at the grocery store, library, community center, or the movies.  While I wouldn’t be surprised if residents of Potomac, Maryland visit the Las Vegas strip regularly, I seem to be the only one who moved here.

With a population of slightly over two million people, Las Vegas is no small town.  However, my husband, a rare Las Vegas “native,” is constantly running into old classmates and friends.

This Sunday was no exception.

The coincidences were almost unbelievable.

I met Mrs. S. one year ago on the elementary school playground and learned that we attended the same church.  With children of similar ages, we quickly fell into play dates at the park, play dates at our homes, and swimming dates during the summer time.  All of our meet ups occurred during the day time while our busy husbands were at work.  They never met. 

Or so we thought…

I was very excited to have the S. Family over for Sunday dinner and completely unexcited about cooking.  I walked through the isles at Costco trying to concoct a simple meal that would still look and taste somewhat homemade.  I settled on a make-your-own sandwich bar of croissants, assorted deli meats, cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and onion.  I found enough energy to whip up a respectable homemade pasta salad and put out bowls of potato chips, carrots and dip, and grapes.  Mrs. S. brought a fruit salad and for dessert, I served lemon bars and chocolate chip cookies.

As expected, the kids grazed over their plates, eating more potato chips and bread than veggies and fruit, and quickly ran off to play.  The adults chatted at the kitchen table where we learned that Mr. S. and Ryan attended three of the same schools in Las Vegas.  Ryan cracked out the yearbooks from Booker Elementary School, Garside Junior High, and Bonanza High School and gave us all a good laugh at pictures of their younger selves.  Neither Mr. S. nor Ryan remembered anything about each other although, they both could honestly say,

“You have a familiar face…”

The night got late, bedtimes were long past, and we parents had to work at ending the girls’ intricate game of house, school, Pet Shops, and Barbies.  It’s nice when friends don’t want to leave.  It’s an odd, comforting compliment.

I hope these new “old friends” will come back again.