Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Hi all!

Last night, I got out of my sleeping, eating, reading slump and agreed to go to a class BBQ. I know, I know... I'm hear for SCHOOL! But I had a meeting with Tom yesterday morning, and I am not doing to badly and am right on schedule work-wise, so I decided to be sociable :)

For the past several days, there has been sunshine most of the days, which has been a HUGE blessing - and of course, the one day Nicole decides we need to celebrate (for any reason we chose), it decides to rain. A LOT. haha! so not surprised - and half-expected it!!!

So we all agreed to a potluck/covered-dish/whatever you call it, and we had pizza, flavoured tortilla chips, veggies and (hidden valley ranch - aka something you can't find in Eire) dip, garlic bread, potato salad, about every meat you can think of, and s'mores for dessert! There were 11 of us. lol!

The evening started out non-threatening... it hadn't actually rained, but had been overcast all day - a "grand, soft day," as the Irish say. It was also described as a "close" day, meaning kind of muggy... regardless -- we decided to risk it and spend what time we could outside on the deck. At one point, these tiny transparent snails started appearing on the tabletop and I got a little creeped out and had to move - I can't help it that I'm so weak.

ANYWAY!

So we all spent a little over an hour out on the deck visiting and catching up - some of us hadn't seen each other in nearly two months - and just before Diane & Eddie arrived, we decided to start up the grills.

Now, keep in mind: these are not "grills" perse. They are makeshift, temporary grills that are sold in grocery stores, made out of rectangular foil pans (the kind you put small hams in for Easter), laden with coals and covered with some kind of lattice grating. Overall, they are about 11x14x4. And we cooked something like 12 sausages, 6 chicken patties, 6 pork chops & 4 burgers on TWO of these things! AND we still managed to make the s'mores later that evening!!!

But. before we get to the s'more making, let us begin at the beginning:

The grilling began with 2 men (Jonathan and Dave) ACTUALLY READING DIRECTIONS on how to work the fake BBQs... we wanted a photo, but weren't quick enough on the draw. Oh well.

Then there was a 20min heat-up phase, during which guy # 3 (Eddie) arrived with most of the M-E-A-T*. And about 2 mins after the meat was placed onto the lattice, the rains came.

and it rained. and rained. and rained some more! At one point, there were 3 men, 2 grills and 4 umbrellas out on the deck --- and 8 women standing around the dining room table stuffing our faces and giggling**!

Once the food was cooked, less the steaks that were placed onto the George Foreman, the men returned to the dry indoors, changed clothes, and enjoyed the rest of the evening.

The rest of the evening was not terribly eventful -- but there was the free entertainment provided by #1 making s'mores over fake BBQs, #2 burning marshmallows with a mini-blowtorch-type apparatus, #3 watching a marshmallow expand in the microwave (the Irish had never done this and it drew a crowd...), and #4 singing respective national anthems (Jonathan & Eddie sang the Irish, Nicole and I attempted to sing the unsingable American, and Serena had us almost jumping up and cheering for the Italian "SI!") while waiting for our taxi.

And this is what my life is like outside of the 'usual'.

*Insert male, Tim Allen grunt here.
**This post is dedicated to the amazing men in the world who are willing to make food with fire while getting drenched in the process - it takes sacrifice!