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Sunday, March 8, 2009

Something for Nothing/I’ve Got Everything

The car ran out of blinker fluid late Friday night and Willie barely got it home.

And when I say it ran out of blinker fluid, I could just as well be telling you that the piston-ring end gap was loose or that the windshield solenoid’s pvc valve needed replacing and it would all sound the same to me. I know nothing about cars except how much I like how some of them look.

Vin, knower of cars, competent drinker – ha! – and previously-used (and relatively unscratched) citizen of the U.S. (thank you, Great Britain!) offered to come by the next day and help fix it.

What should’ve been, by all accounts, a 20-minute job has turned into a multi-day event. The head of a bolt, apparently, rusted to the point of snapping off, has left a left-threaded bolt in a hole.

Or something like that.

While the men were outside, Jenn (wife of Vin, friend o’mine) stopped by.

It was a good day for an afternoon in a sunny room, and we sat in the sitting room, the iPod on shuffle.

I really do need to keep a nice danish on hand. I really need to get to the grocery store more often.

Hours later, hungry, tired, and dirty, the men’s manicures ruined, they came back into the house. Wwe headed to the Spring Street for dinner where we went crazy, ordering pitchers of beer and hamburgers, sides of green beans, onion rings and tater tots (both seasoned and unseasoned).

Seasoned and unseasoned tater tots! That’s how we roll in Nordeast.

Of course, you can’t go to the Spring on a late Saturday afternoon without playing Springo (Bingo).

What do you get when you win at Springo? A free drink, a travel mug, a “light stick”, a “whacky” St. Patrick’s Day Fiasco cum Dr. Suess-style felt hat…

There's no charge to play Springo.

The very best thing you can win is a $26 bar tab.

Twenty-six dollars. I have no idea where they got that number, but who cares? Willie won it on the cover-all...




I love Saturdays. I love that Vin spent the afternoon helping Willie fix the car, I love that Jenn showed up not long after, just to sit on the couch and talk for hours, that we had dinner, that we joked and talked and toasted each other.

You don’t have to have a lot of things to have everything, do you?

20 comments:

Douglas said...

Nope, you don't have to have anything more than a sunny day, a few friends, and a place to gather. The beer and Tater Tots (which definitely beat french fries altogether) are just icing on the proverbial cake.

The Retired One said...

Sounds great to me! Except I don't like beer...so for me it would have to be wine coolers or Amaretto and 7-ups....which means I would probably be a lot more drunk (and faster). But I LOVE visiting with friends...especially when it is impromptu..(no time to fuss!)

ICKY said...

Shoulda called 'Loud Randy'........again

Frank said...

Since this blog had a message and it’s Sunday, can I count it as church??? Everyone should have a Vin for a neighbor. Why the bar uses $26 will plague me all day. Is it two average entrées, is it twice as good as 13, is it the owner’s birthday, is it the number of hookers you can fit in a mini-van???

Mary@Holy Mackerel said...

So true.

As long as there are potato chips and a box of chocolates as well, I'm happy.

Michelle said...

Great question Pearly-Q!!!

I say you have to have A LOT of things to have everything!!!!

I'm just saying!!

I want everything!!!! NOW!!

Kim said...

I love those days where friends wander unexpectedly into my house and it lasts the whole weekend!

Joanie said...

Sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday!

Pearl said...

Douglas, it’s everything, isn’t it, those moments in a lifetime?

Retired One, the impromptu get-togethers are the sweetest because of the trust involved.

Icky, I’m saving the Loud Randy shout-out!

Frank, everyone should have a Vin – and everyone should BE a Vin! As for the $26, I have no idea! The average cost at the Spring is maybe $8 a plate… Twenty-six hookers in a minivan?! Those are pretty tiny hookers!

Mary Moore, those would be good additions!

Michelle, oh, you’re so young, honey!! That’s what makes you so cute.
The older I get, the more I’m thinking that I’ll be happy as long as I have friends. Everything else falls into place!

Under the Influence, I totally agree. We were talking Friday night about last Spring, when an unseasonable warm day turned into a group of friends in the backyard, drinks, food, and music. The very unexpectedness of it made it a helluva party!

Sweet Cheeks, that Jess! Send him over and we’ll learn him some manners!
:-)
(Sounds like fun!)

Joanie, it was a beautiful day.

Frank said...

@Pearl. You’re right; as usual!!! My neighbors love me. Better make that a full size van for the hookers.

fingers said...

Spoken like someone who doesn't have a speedboat...

Pearl said...

Frank, planning is everything whilst moving hookers.

Fingers, I wait for others to make that kind of investment!

Jennifer Juniper said...

Pearl - another lovely part of those impromptu get-togethers is how a good friend can become a dearer friend over the course of a couple hours lounging on the couch.

One of my favorite idle memories of Saturday is how we each became more relaxed as the hours passed and the menfolk struggled outside. We let ourselves relax deeper into our respective lounge chairs - and is it too much to think that the friendship relaxed deeper, too?

I've got everything, too, indeed.

Pearl said...

Jennifer, Juniper...

I love that song!

And agree with you entirely on all points.

It was a lovely day.

xoxo

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

Sure don't, Pearl M'Lady! In fact I've found the math to be one of them there reciprocate thingies: less you possess, more you got...

Eskimo Bob said...

What a fun day. It's great to have buddies who stop by to help out and just to chill. Since we've moved to the "big" city it seems like everything needs to be planned and approved.

De Campo said...

They make seasoned tater tots? Furthermore, they serve them at bars?!

Alas, it was discovering the realm of tater totness that I realized I have nothing.

SweetPeaSurry said...

Sounds like good times!

Mark Sanderson said...

All this talk of food and all I've got is these corn beef sandwiches.

darsden said...

Best things in life are free :-) I like how you rolled with either seasoned or not.. you been hanging at the mole hole too long if you are speaking that's how we roll...LOL