Mac's graduation party was the largest celebration we have hosted in four years and the largest by far that we have ever cooked a meal for. Mac requested a spaghetti and meatball dinner, so Sean and I made the sauce, meatballs, salad dressing and croutons, garlic bread and assembled ninety desserts. We started prepping on Tuesday and worked every day until Saturday, an hour before the party, when the electricity went out.
As we went outside to see if it was an isolated incident at our house, we heard the transformers blow at the local power station.
Uh oh. (except add bad words)
Saturday was the start of a heatwave and apparently everyone had a little too much power going.
Sean went to the grocery store to get more ice and I started pacing on our front porch as I made phone calls. My sister and her husband, our friends, Mac's dad, his sister and brother-in-law and my brother all came to our rescue. Thankfully all the food was cooked and just needed to be warmed. We had already borrowed several crock pots to serve from, so if we could get them plugged in we figured we could still feed everyone. We gathered a generator, a gas can, an extra ez-up, more coolers with ice and extra hands to help.
Then the power came back on just minutes before the party was supposed to start. My brother helped Sean and I get everything ready to serve, Mac and his dad greeted everyone as they showed up and we had ourselves a party.
Up until now, I think our best worst party story was when the police showed up several years ago. No electricity and almost sixty people to feed now wins the nightmare hosting story contest...may it never, ever have more competition.
I made notes to send to everyone who helped us. Hopefully you'll never need these, but just in case, here's a sheet you can print...electricity thank you notes.
