Monday, March 8, 2010

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.

10 comments:

  1. Coincidently I was thinking about the beach south of Port Aransas last night. Used to go lots, but it's been a while. The main thing for me was to avoid spring break and tar ball seasons.

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  2. i love the idea of spring break, sugar! somehow it seems i never really got a chance to do that. *sigh*
    xoxoxo

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  3. You are the perfect host indeed, Eros. So much so that I might just drop in once I can get Broom to traverse the Atlantic without fear of conking out halfway!

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  4. I've got a verion of spring cleaning. It's called "I really need to find something and it's somewhere in one of these piles of junk, so I'll throw away bad things and put good things on shelves until I find it. But not a moment afterwards."

    I should be needing something again in about a week.

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  5. XL, That whole area from Mustang Island up to Port A is a really nice long stretch of miles and miles of beach! It's long enough to avoid crowds. Speaking of Spring Break, a bunch of Spring Breakers have all ready shown up, and they'll keep on coming all through next week.

    Unfortunately, there's rain in the forecast, which usually happens during Spring Break! It's the week prior and weeks after that usually have the nice sunny weather!

    Savannah, Where I grew up, we didn't have Spring Break. It wasn't until I was living on the east coast that I was introduced to Spring Break by my buddies! We used to take vacation time from work and mingle with other Spring Breakers who were our age, but they were in college while we were working. It was a lot of fun! And I'm so glad that after all the misadventures, we all came out safe and with lots of fun memories.

    IDV, Thanks! And please feel free to drop in anytime once Broom is up for making the trip! Just be sure to check the weather service if you plan on flying over in the summer--June to Sept is hurricane season in these parts! The only hurricane you want to deal with in the US is the kind that's made from rum and topped with a cocktail umbrella!

    Kapi, I'm much more organized and streamlined at work! At home, I'm kind of a pack rat, and I've learned the hard way the importance of being organized and clutter free at home! I've wasted too much time looking for things I've misplaced.

    Now every few months, I clear out the junk that I accumulate and try to keep things in their place, so I can find them when I need them--like my keys and important papers! And I find the whole cleaning out and organizing process to be cathartic and surprisingly uplifting.

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  6. Dear Eros you sound like the perfect host. I tend to do the same when friends come to stay. At the moment i am automatically answering the phone with "Room Service" whilst he Empress is recouperating. We have an intercom phone between her house and my flat on the same property. When I'msurfing and the phone rings i get confused by the ring tone and people wonder what the hell i'm on about until I try to explain!
    The beach sounds great tho, but I will see less of it now that we are into autumn here now..

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  7. Princess, Thanks. How about that? That's funny how you answer the intercom!

    I grew up in a remote rural area by the coast, so going to the beach was a way of life. Over the years, I've been in big cities, small towns, mountain and hill countries, plains, and deserts. But no matter how fascinated and excited I am about the new places I'm experiencing, eventually, I feel the need to go for a swim or just wade in the water, whether it be a lake, a pond, or a small creek! I guess I'm a beach boy at heart.

    It's starting to warm up in my part of the world, and college kids on break are flocking to my area for Spring Break, which basically beach parties all week long. Unfortunately, there's rain in the forecast. Hopefully, it'll be more sunny than wet so Spring Break would be more fun.

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  8. Sounds like you give your guests the perfect break.
    I too was bought up with a beach always close at hand and am at my happiest messing about in the water.I only live 15 minutes walk from the beach but Beach days are still a good few months away here . It is freezing :-(

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  9. @XL: What on earth is 'tar ball'???

    Eros, sounds like you go all out! I love spending time at the beach. Went to South Padre Island when I lived down there in the 90's. I'm sure it's changed tons since then, but the one thing I loved was how warm the water is!!!

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  10. Beast, A good beach day is a great day! And a happy guest makes for a happy host. I'm a thirty minute stroll from the nearest beach, but I prefer to drive 20 minutes to the more secluded ones, much more peaceful and relaxing, and I don't have to worry about crowds. Sometimes it's nice to be around people; other times, they're a hassle when they're noisy and messy, attracting filthy seagulls!

    Ponita, Thanks.

    Tarballs are nasty little remnants of oils spills that wash up on the beaches, esp. common when the weather and waters are really warm--middle of summer usually. I hate oil spills and those greedy corporations who're responsible for them! Their tidy profits are ruining the environment!

    Anyway, I do like to show some hospitality when I have people over. South Padre Island is still popular, esp. now with Spring Break and all the college kids are flocking down there to enjoy the waters and walk over to Mexico for alcohol :) It's still nice and mostly uncrowded the rest of the year. It's about a 4 hour drive south of where I live, but I take visiting friends there when they want to see it. It's nice place to visit.

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