Magically Delicious!

Our group date with the gang finally came!

We had been planning this night for weeks, and we were all looking forward to celebrating St. Paddy's* together.

Obviously, we also enjoyed a few bottles together to get the night a rollin'!

[All three of these wines were AMAZING!!!! FYI]

*Is it Paddy's or Patty's??

We had a rez for 12, at Biaggi's Italian restaurant in the Gateway.  They accommodated us very nicely by giving us our own room!

I guess word on the street got out that we are either loud and obnoxious, or that we are old and didn't want to deal with all the high school kids having a pre-prom dinner!

Thank you Biaggi's from the old people who didn't want to deal with all the high school kids having a pre-prom dinner!

[I know.....Italian food on an Irish holiday?  

Hey!!!  Have you seen many Irish restaurants in Utah???? 

NO, you haven't!

There is ONE and it is a pub!

The Irish specialize in beer, not food!

So there we go!  We got Italian!]

The gringos green-go's mafia.

After a two hour dinner, we were ON LIKE DONKEY KONG GETTIN OUR JIG ON as we walked to the Depot for our Irish Night O' fun!

There were two opening bands before The Young Dubs hit the stage.

I can't remember the first one's name that is in this picture, but they KICKED SOME A!!!

[was this one Swagger?]

The gal with the frontal drum was fun to watch.  She had these sticks with fuzzy purple pompom's on the end. She would beat that drum then twirl, twirl, twirl the sticks in her fingers above her head and then repeat.  The bagpipes were beautiful.  They played Amazing Grace and even some heavy metal!

Jay D led the way for Paula and I to get up to the stage.

It was hilarious to watch the 'groupies' pining for the musician's attention!

Yes I said groupies!

Even Irish mandolin guys needs groupies! ok people!

I call this picture, "sweating to the Irish".

We jigged and jumped and danced our little leprechaun feets right into a frenzy!

As you can see by our happy bystander, 

the music produced a perma-grin of happy happy joy joy 

:)

T'was a magically delicious night!

Thanks friends!

 Be a lover.....NOT a limper!

She was smiling all night......until......

Saturday night we celebrated Randy and Lisa's birthday at the piano bar.

We filled the reserved table of 20...... and then some.

I hope the turn out shows the love we have for them both!

You know we are famous for documenting our events with pictures GALORE!

Here ya go!

Here's to Randy's 46th

and Lisa's 38th years of making us all better people by having them in our lives!

The most interesting 'posing' man in the world, Jerry.

You never know where his face is gonna pop up!

Random dude that walked by our table.  

Derek couldn't pass up the photo op.

Random dude was very obliging.

Paula is always a little angel.

[that's what we want her mom to think]

Jay threw a citrus wedge headed east and it landed in the ball of my eye, and sprayed juice across my face.

I am finally rid of all freckles, AND feeling in my T-Zone.

Rich, Derek and Lisa

Noelle and Patrick

A little inside joke.....

You would have had to heard of Lisa's dream to get this one.

The boys are demonstrating their "girth".

Marilyn and Ben

Jay....

or as I called him, "Jay-hole" for being a great lemon flinger/eye blinder.

[btw:  We missed you Lyns!]

It's all fun and games until someone [RICH] buys the bday girl too many German Chocolate Cake shots!!!!!!

Awe.....Poor Lis :(

[Derek sent me an email after he looked at the pictures and said, 

"She was smiling ALL night.....until.......]

Randy took good care of his birthday sister, and held her up to get fresh air.

Ahhhh....the love we all have for the lil girl!

 Jay was proud of Lisa for partying like a rock star!!! 

And secretly, he was glad that it wasn't him this time!
We love ya Jay!!!!
Awe...look at Rand holding me and Lisa's purse!
He's such a stud!
[See Jerry's head in the background?!?!?]

As we waited for Derek to bring the chariot around to pick up his princess,

we took one last opportunity to celebrate and laugh with an "end of the night" picture.

[Paula is awesome at positioning her camera on a dainty ledge, sets the timer, and gets all of us in focus!]

We loaded the bday girl next to her man, and sent them off into the moonlight......with a Puff's tissue and a ponytail holder, 

in hopes of a hangover-free morning awaiting them :)

~~~~~~~~~~~

One more time!!! Happy Birthday Randy, my love.

Shall we play shuffle board now?

Friends, you and me......

you brought another friend.....

and then there were three.

We started our group....

our circle of friends....

and like that circle

there is no beginning or end.

Derek and Lisa hosted a gourmet meal at their lovely home to an intimate group of friends.

Lisa spent much passion and time into making the table settings and the food a loving event.

Derek's major part in the efforts toward this particular evening, was to take their two lil girls out of the house for the whole day so that momma Lisa could achieve this fabulous result.

Everyone pitched in a lil somethin' somethin'.

My contribution assignment was bottles of wine.

Paula brought a crisp and refreshing green salad,

Dalton whipped up a unique, spicy, love in your mouth, quinoa salad,

Lyns made a totally kick ass, addictive cranberry cheesecake,

and Lisa's menu was as follows:

cheese and pear appetizers

braised chicken with capers

and baked acorn squash with a sweet crusted topping.

It all came together without a hitch and  everyone was content with  full belly satisfaction.

With fingers to my mouth I say,

"delizioso!!!!!!"

We sat around the table and talked of having monthly dinner parties;

 and then realized that we sounded like old people that would get a rise out of a game of shuffle board, decaf coffee, and  a bowl of rice pudding as an after dinner dessert!

[To redeem the shame of geezer talks that came from our young mouths, 

we also made it a point to  talk about sex.

Sex talk will totally cancel out geezer talk!

I think wine had a lot to do with the sex subject being brought forth]

Paula graciously allowed me to wear her newly gifted vintage mink coat that still holds the smell of an old time swanky cocktail lounge.

I LOOOOVED it!!!!

Can you imagine the stories that coat would tell if it could tattle!

[Me, Lyns, Dalton, Lisa and Paula ]

[Dalton and Jerry]

I have deemed  Jerry 'The most interesting man in the world' due to his dinner coat, sporty turtle neck and way of posing with his mug popping up in the background of many pics.

With Thanksgiving around the bend, I would like to give my thanks to the joy  you all give to my soul in these get togethers.

Thank you Paula for the fabulous pictures!

Thank you Derek and Lisa for an evening of good  food and great friendship.

Thank you Lyns for sharing your contagious laughter and beauty.

Thank you Jerry and Dalton for the best poses I've ever seen!

As I get older, I realize that I need my friends in the same way I that need oxygen.

They fuel my body with energy and my mind with clarity.

I truly appreciate my fortune in being in this spectacular mod podged circle of commitment.

To have friends you must be a friend.

We all learned that quote at a young age, 

and the words still ring true without fail.

We make time and take effort into keeping these relationships in tact.

Thank you, my circle of laughter, friendship and love.

You are good to me and lift me up.

I'm proud to call you my friends family by choice.