Host

It's been a week since the end of the Olympics meant my return to society. I'm usually a hermit during the Olympics, shutting myself off from the outside world, not returning calls, and turning down social calls and gatherings in order to maximize the time I get to watch the Olympics on tv. My friends often tease me about my obsession with the games, but they've learned over the years that unless it's an emergency, I'm not leaving the house to hang out with them. If it's your birthday, I'm dropping off a gift on the way to work but I ain't coming over for the party.

So it should've been no surprise to me that some friends called to say that they wanted to come down and visit me for the weekend. Their visit was timed perfectly to coincide with the end of the Olympics and my return to civilization. I like having people over. I just forget how much work it requires sometimes to host people, esp if they're spending a few days.

I don't have a coffee maker, because I'm not really a coffee drinker. So early Saturday and Sunday while everyone is still sleeping, I go to the gas station to pick up some cappuccinos. They taste great and they're really inexpensive. I had to buy milk, too, since I'm not really a milk drinker. I only buy milk if I need it for a recipe. And while making breakfast, I had to put up with 'helpful' suggestions, like I should keep Bisquick pancake mix on hand and buy a coffee pot. Why would I need Bisquick? I have flour and baking powder. And I don't drink coffee, so why would I clutter up the kitchen with an appliance that I don't really use?

I should mention that I don't make breakfast that often, either. I mean, I often cook really large dinner meals, enough to have leftovers last me a few days. But I rarely cook breakfast. To me, breakfast is usually just a hot bowl of oatmeal. But when I have visitors, I go all out and make pancakes, sausages, eggs, hash browns, toast, and tea. It's a lot of work, but I don't mind it; I like cooking.

And I have to admit that I like playing tour guide whenever friends from out of town visit. Which means I often do a lot of driving. I like to take them to all the local hot spots and eateries. But my fave thing to do is take them to the beach. It's actually the main reason why they come visit me anyway. And the weather was great this weekend. It's getting warm
now, in the upper 60s, which is nice and troubling at the same time. It's nice because right now, the weather is just right, absolutely perfect. It's troubling because I'm reminded that in two months, it's going to get really hot and humid around here, and it'll stay that way until November!

So from Friday night til Sunday evening, I was the cook, the housekeeper, the chauffeur, and the tour guide. All in a day's work for a good host. I'd like for my guests to have a good time, and my friends definitely had a good time. It's why they keep coming back. Sometimes, I wonder why I don't go into the hospitality industry. I certainly had a blast working in hotels when I was younger.

Now, I return to sleeping on the sofa with the tv on, eating leftovers, and planning what to do for Spring Break. If the weather stays nice, I'm definitely heading out to the beach again. Otherwise, I should get started on the spring cleaning.