let's have a party

when the phrase "let's have a party" is mentioned in this household, it doesn't mean we are hitting up the liquor cabinet. it doesn't mean we are inviting our friends over, or turning up the music, or any of that. our kind of parties happen in the a.m., when the sun is peeking through the windows and the pets are eagerly waiting to be released from their captivity in the garage. all you need for a good party here is reading material, freshly-brewed coffee, and as many groggy family members as possible. the sound of the coffee beans grinding gets our juices flowing as we slyly reach for our favorite section of the morning paper. i usually surrender the sports section to my dad first-that's just the kind of self-sacrificing daughter i am. we all rotate the paper around like the act is somehow part of our evolutionary past...a behavior passed down from our earliest ancestors. there are only two things that can ruin a party. the first is not having coffee from the get-go; however, since coffee in this household is as vital as the next fix to an addict, this rarely (if ever) happens. and the second thing that can absolutely ruin a good party-especially if discovered after a party has already been set in motion-is being out of half-and-half. oh the humanity!unless one of us is determined enough to salvage a celebration, the party will either be terminated altogether or continued with unsightly consequences. these consequences involve the options of either having coffee with no cream or some made-up concoction of 2% milk and water. both are not fun-for the palette or the individual-for that person will remember starting off their morning with a bad cup of coffee the remainder of their day. so there you have it...another glimpse into my boomeranger mornings.