FF Meeting, Busy (like a bee), and Pseudo-Celebrity

Well, I finally made it to FF meeting, and had a nice time, though it really threw a wrench into my day. We have our weekly meeting with GK&T, and it's something we all look forward to because T's a great kid (smart and creative), and I really enjoy G&K's company. The kids play on their own, there is a ton of stuff for them to do at their house, because it's basically a farm (Dragon's Eye Farm), and G and I get to do real-man stuff like cut down trees and drive tractors.

This meeting has been in the planning stages for weeks, and I saw PA and he asked me if I'd be there. I'm supposed to help out with the pizzas, so how could I say no? The problem was, it would mean unloading the kids on G&K in order to attend, which they gracefully agreed to. It actually makes it easier on everyone because when kids have other kids to play with, they go into auto-pilot mode. I brought over pizza and salad.

The meeting was nice, a pot luck dinner. I had intended on bringing some dish or some desert, when it dawned on R and I that it might be a good testing ground for some foods we might like to sell. An informal focus group. Since we came up with this brilliant idea at the last minute (the night before), it meant that I was going to have to scramble that day to gather the ingredients, make the food for the meeting, make the food for GK&T, and rush around town getting people to where they needed to be. Just another day in paradise.

For the record, people who think being at home with the kids all day is all fun and games (I hear this all the time), they have no idea what they are talking about.

I had to start early it the day to make the food, and because we were going over to Dragon's Eye Farm earlier, I was going to have cook the food and then drag it around town, which meant it wouldn't be as good, but it would have to do. I spent the better part of the day making and cooking, then finished the salad and hit the road. I picked up the pizza and hung out with friends. I was originally going to bring the food on my way back from the meeting, but that would have been late, and I wanted to kids to eat early enough.

I brought the food to the meeting and was hoping to get some feedback, maybe some constructive criticism, but got nothing. I mean really, throw me a bone, people. This is all new territory for me. The meeting was to plan for FF, which was in about two months. Toss around some ideas, focus on the positives and negative in order to make the experience even better.

Personally, I think FF is one of the top ten events in this town, even more than Old Home Day. OHD is a blast, a truly fabulous summer event, but it's so big and hectic. People come from all around. FF is more intimate, but really fun, and more local. Either way, PA, who led the meeting and organizes FF, does an exceptional job, no doubt about it.

Ideas were thrown around about how to improve FF, and all the while, I was hoping for some thoughts about the food. Eventually, I had to get back and pick up the kids. Actually, there was a YKW contingent there and the kids to come and play with YKW during the meeting, but it wasn't meant to be.

I'm still not clear how the pizza is going to be organized, and it wasn't clarified at this meeting. If anything, the picture was even more muddled. I get a sense they don't even have a clear picture of what's going on, and I have the sinking feeling it's going to get unloaded onto my shoulders. That might not be the best option considering that I have no idea what I'm doing, but I need to clarify that, the earlier the better.

Got to see lots of friends, old and new, at the meeting. The movers and the shakers. One thing that's funny is that I've developed a bit of notoriety in local circles because not only am I burgeoning public figure, but I just tested for my next karate belt. Both of these facts were broadcast in the local paper, and people must have read about one or the other, or both, and are continually coming up and congratulating me. I don't know what to say, it's awfully nice of them, but sometimes I find the attention makes me a bit uncomfortable. Oh well, I'll never be a Kennedy.

As I mentioned, I had to slip out early, and made it back to GK&T's house, where the kids were having fun as usual. They really have a good time just doing crazy kid's stuff. I have to confess, I really like sitting with G&K and just chatting about life. K is a Buddhist whose family has been practicing for several generations, so it's really interesting hearing her POV. I could sit there all evening and chat with them, except that by 7:00 PM, we're all barely clinging to consciousness.

We went home after yet another crazy busy day, and it was good to be home and to see R. I mentioned to R that after speaking to KK about the farmer's market, which is separate from FF, he wasn't sure if we'd reserved our spot at the market, and it was full. In a panic, we contacted the organizers who said we were a lock. Whew. She also said people liked our food offerings at the meeting, though I got zero sense of this. Good news, good vibes. You can't beat some positive vibes when you're heading into uncharted territory.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to gorillablu and Dominik Gwarek for the pics.