Friday Five: It's My Party

From Songbird, over at RevGalBlogPals: "I hate to say it, but over the years I've been to too many parties where I, or the birthday child, has felt much like the chorus of Lesley Gore's old tune. I am therefore not the biggest fan of birthday parties.

For this Friday (which happens to be Songbird's birthday), tell us these five things about parties, birthday or otherwise...."

1) Would you rather be the host or the guest?

While I love the IDEA of hosting effortless, casual get-togethers, I am one who stresses, mostly over the state of the house. The food, etc. I can handle. So I would have to say that I'd rather be a guest, but only at parties with good friends or family. The big bashes where I know few people are not this Introvert's idea of a good time.

2) When you are hosting, do you clean everything up the minute the guests go home? Will you accept help with the dishes?

I don't clean everything up all at once....well....ever. Thus, while help is appreciated, I feel obligated to clean everything up if someone else is helping, so I'd really rather just sit around the table talking.

3) If you had the wherewithal, and I guess I mean more than money, to throw a great theme party, what would the theme be?

This is a good question. I considered lots of options, and if we are dreaming here, I will say that I'd love to throw a "Queen Mum Publishes Her First Book" party......

4) What's the worst time you ever had at a party?

A particularly stupid party in college comes to mind. But truthfully I don't remember much of it. The one I sadly remember realizing that I was having a bad time, was at a family wedding, with Mr. Incredible and WonderBoy far far away at home. One sister and her then-husband were nearing the beginning of the end of their marriage, and I got stuck in the middle of it, and them, at the table. I was missing my husband, trying to celebrate the marriage of a loved one in a beautiful place, and all I could hear was the bickering between another couple. I should have changed seats, I realize now. Life's too short.

5) And to end on a brighter note, what was the best?

I need more than one. My wedding comes to mind, for one. Fantastic day, all the people I loved were there. Mr. Incredible and I helped serve communion to everyone at the ceremony. Food was delicious, music rocked. My birthday, when WonderBoy was baptized. His first birthday, when my preemie finally crawled over to the baby gate, and proceeded to pull himself up. Who needs crawling when you can go straight to walking? And SuperGirl's birthday when my mom helped me make her trademark chocolate angel-shaped cake that I must have had for every birthday party up until age ten, when I switched to wanting her pecan pie.