Friday Night Gathering

This past Friday we had a get together. Work has been stressful for both of us these past couple of weeks, so I was really looking forward to meeting up with friends. Also couple of Michael's friends just moved back to MS and that gave us the perfect "excuse" to have a party. Michael sent text messages with the details to all. We got replies and all was set.

When I got home Friday from the office, Michael had already set a few things out that would be used for the party. While I got the hamburger fixings together, he used the blower on the back patio, made sure we had enough chairs for our guest and got the charcoal and the grilled ready. Right at 7, Cindy arrived --she is Michael's co-worker. Ginger went bananas barking and jumping next to her. I guess Ginger figured she had a visitor. Pat came a few minutes later. The three sat on the patio and started grilling hamburgers while I finished preparing the melted cheese + salsa + ground beef. A few minutes later Derek, Danyel and Derek's father, Larry arrived. Since it was still hot outside we sat at the kitchen table and ate. There were hamburgers, baked fries, potato casserole, chips, salsa, baked beans, etc. We were chatting and laughing. Derek told us about a phone conversation he had earlier that day. The story got weirder and weirder by the minute. We all think that he got a wrong number and the guy on the other side of the phone keep playing along, pretending that he was in fact interviewing Derek for a job. Mississippians are famous for talking on the phone with you even if it is the wrong number-- they called you, so you might as well speak to them even if you do not know them.

We went back to the patio to continue the conversation. Scott called again to say that he was running late. We laughed at some of the stories. There was a moment when Larry, Michael, Pat and Derek were talking about motorcycles and Cindy asked Danyel and I "do you understand all they are talking about or I'm the only one lost?" She made us laugh. I do not understand all the motorcycle conversations, specially when they start naming parts and telling that bike X had abc while bike Y had def but bike Y model 19?? did have abc. They might as well be speaking Chinese.

Theresa, another of Michael's co-workers, came by late as she has a previous engagement. More stories about when they went to Little Sturgis, MS and what happened to the bikes. More laughs. Then Scott came and he had all of us holding our stomach as we laughed so hard and we could not speak. He was telling us about a trip to TX and that on the two nights we was there there was a bar fight. Another story had to do with a girl and a boyfriend and that he had to take the long way to come to Hattiesburg to make sure no one was following him. It was almost one in the morning when all but Scott left. He and Michael came in and ate something as Scott was tipsy and we did not want him driving. I went to bed and left them talking.

It was so nice to have them over. Gathering, telling stories and catching up was good as we do not get together that often. Being in friends company also makes us forget about our work stress. The stories, all the jokes and the camaraderie is good for the soul.