when EZ-Ups attack and try to overthrow their Human Overlords.

when B & i got married, 10 years ago, we were the par-tay king & queen.

before our first anniversary, we had a beach party. later that year, we had a Christmas party...except that, we had friends coming that didn't celebrate Christmas, so we called it a Spirit of the Season party.

i love throwing parties. the cleaning up, not so much.

but for whatever reason, i really, really love throwing Christmas parties. even back in high school, my friends & i were throwing them. we called it the NewMas party. everyone brought a white elephant gift, and at midnight (or close to it) we'd celebrate the new year.

after we got married, we decided every year we'd have a beach party and a Christmas-er, Spirit of the Season par-tay.

then the Husband started working at the Pennysaver and working weird hours that involved Saturdays. parties were out.

but as soon as he got back to a normal schedule, so did our parties.

what's fun about beach parties, is, we here in the OC, surprisingly, we don't have a lot of local beaches with firepits. the closest one is Bolsa Chica.
that charges $10/car to get in.
that had a half mile long line of people yesterday morning waiting to get in when the beach opened @ 6am.

oh good googly moogly.

so yesterday, i was there at 6am. in line. Brendan got there about 7, and we started setting up camp. unloading food. setting up EZ-ups, which, in my opinion, is a completely misnamed product.

we borrowed two from my friend, and with ours, had a complete tent city, with a firepit as the centerpiece.

and, while we were setting up, these two college boys came up, rather chirpily, and asked if we were planning on staying here all day.

yep. we are.

oh. they said. because we needed a fire pit.

oh. i thought. then your butt shoulda been here at 6am. like mine was.

that was before the tornado.

about 3ish, this breeze came up. and when i call it a breeze, i'm being kind.
it was pretty strong. we giggled as a party near us, their EZ-Up tumbled like Shriner clowns.
so you know that old saying about be careful what you laugh at?

i should've remembered that.

one of our EZUps went tumbling. Brendan and i went scrambling after it. then, as we were trying to take it down, EZUp 2 proved how EZ it too can tumble. and also how quickly it can whack my Husband in the back of the neck.

four girls from the camp next to ours came running to help us with EZ killer #2. then, as we got 1 & 2 under control, the third one went for a flight.

at this point, the party, was officially over.

and, like vultures on the African grasslands, they came.

hi - you leaving? cuz we're planning a sweet-16 birthday party for our friend and we don't have a firepit.

again - your butt shoulda been here @ 6am. like i was.

but of course i gave 'em the pit. (and sold my firewood for $10/a pile. i paid $7 for it at the Ralphs. snicker.)

so you see - parties - they're a good thing.
even when EZUps attack.