The actual purpose of a graduation open house is not to socialize, show off, or collect cash - the institution of graduation parties exists merely to raise blood pressure and decrease appetite.
Okay, so mine wasn't actually all that bad. Yeah, there were the tents and the tables and the pork barbecue and the photo albums and scrapbooks and citronella candles to organize, label, heat, paste, light, and assemble, but otherwise - it was pretty fun. I'm blessed to have a large extended family on both sides, not to mention several close friends that might as well be family. Unfortunately, because so many people came, I spent a great deal of Sunday evening just saying, "Hi! Thanks for coming! So glad to see you! Food's inside, please sign the picture frame, try out the snow cone machine my sister found at Walmart, etc etc." I didn't want to be unfriendly, so I made a point to talk to everyone who came. Which, of course, meant I didn't talk long to anyone.
I did, however, manage to snatch a piece of cake inbetween bouts of schmoozing. The cake was chocolate, coated in the good, starchy icing - not that wimpy whipped cream kind. It was also emblazoned with the Notre Dame logo in blue and gold icing, which lead to - you guessed it - a green tongue. Awesome.
After about 9:30, most of the adults and family had left, leaving only my close friends. They ended up playing Guitar Hero in my basement while I recuperated on the couch, swaddled in the quilt my mom made of all my high school t-shirts from plays, clubs, or student council.
Cleaning up - that's the fun part. For me, cleaning up entailed putting away my photo albums and sorting through my graduation gifts. I'm happy to say my newly opened checking account is very obese right now.
"Right now" being the operative word here. I've been wanting to get a digital camera for a while now, and since I still am not entirely sure how to get my student software, I decided to buy the camera before my laptop. It cost nearly the entirety of the money I had saved up from my job, but I think it's worth it. So, I am now the proud owner of an Olympus Stylus. Goodbye, $300. You better safeguard my memories.
And now ... I'm off to one more graduation party. Oy.
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