July 12, 2008: The Scoobies 6th Annual "Brenda's Blowout Barbecue Birthday Bonanza" Party

 

Welcome one and all to the planning portion of the 6th Annual Scoobies B-B-B-B-B-B... Party... For those just tuning in, this is the sequel to the HEY MOMMA, NO DRAMA, PIG-SLAYIN', BIRTHDAYIN', BEER-DRINKIN', CANOE-SINKIN' Scoob-Fest. (more links from last year's event) (another one from last year)

 

Time is growing short and I've been remiss in updating this on the blog this year. The party almost got canceled but then I got a call from the President of the United States who informed me that in the interest of National Security, I have to throw the party. Apparently it's a good way to get all my hoodlum friends together in one spot while the government looks down at us from satellites trying to determine which of us are Taliban supporters. (I told them it was the lady with the funny glasses, above, but they aren't convinced.)

 

Most of you have come at one time or another over the years to what has become my annual tradition. My mom is possibly, no, probably, the coolest Mom anyone could have. She loves my friends and they seem to love her too. Each year for the last six years she has asked me to invite my friends and family down to the beach for her Birthday party, to share in the festivities, enjoy some down-east North Carolina Barbecue, and generally have a good time for one weekend together each year. The Summer 2007 event was the largest gathering of the Scoobs in history, with a total of 42 guests in the front yard Saturday afternoon. This year, I hope to at least meet that number, if not exceed it.

 

One major change in venue:

We will not be hosting the party at the beach this year. Instead, we will be hosting it in Greenville. Marcus and Mary, two of the Scoobs, have generously donated the use of their beautiful house and yard for the event on Saturday, July 12th.

 

Why the change?

A few reasons: My mom just had her right hand operated on a few weeks back and won't be up to preparing a lot of the side dishes she usually does, so having the party closer to town will make it easier for us to prepare all the necessary food and side dishes. (This means I need volunteers for food this year! Help!) Also, I know that most of us don't have the funds available that we usually do this time of year. It's been a hard year for everyone with gas prices soaring and the cost of hotels on the beach will make it prohibitive for lots of our friends to join us that usually do.  The weekend following is also Marion's wedding in Ocracoke, so I know most of the gang can't do both weekends on the beach. This way we all get to attend and have fun together. So, considering all that, we're putting a new spin on the party this year.

 

The New Spin

My mom turns 60 this year. Well, she's always told me that she's going to move to Greenville when she retires at 65 or so. So, rather than have her 60th birthday on the beach, we're going to have her 65th birthday party in advance this year, to show her how life will be when she comes to Greenville after she retires. This means in five years, we'll be able to go back to the beach and have her 60th in our usual Scooby style. I'm not sure if she'll be too old by then to throw skiers off their ski's by that time, but I wouldn't hold your breath on it.... she's a mean ski-boat captain!

 

Where is the event?

 

Here is a picture of the location. Marcus has done a wonderful job of landscaping his yard and creating a nice atmosphere for fun out back. His house is in Greenville and is really easy to find. At his request, I have not listed the address here on the blog, but I will be emailing directions to all parties who are attending, so don't sweat that part. It's really easy to find and we'll have signs up at the end of the street on the day of the event.

 

 

I want ANYONE reading this blog to feel more than welcome to attend; friends, family, newly minted acquaintances, whomever. We have always had an awesome time, never had any drama to speak of, and we all look forward to it again the next year.  As we grow up, our time together as a group is more and more infrequent, with life filling in all the small gaps we used to have with new responsibilities, more chores, increased work load, and overall less fun. This is my ONE time a year that I ask everyone to put it all aside for 24 hours and come have a good time with us.

 

What's the schedule?

Since we aren't on the beach this year (Thanks to Judge Boyle for screwing that one up for us) we will be shortlisting the activities to one-day only. Saturday morning is when the real festivities begin. The pig goes on the cooker at 8:00 AM, with most of the morning and early afternoon spent hanging out with each other, taking turns on the slip-n-slide... yes... yes.. Marcus actually bought a Slip-N-Slide, or sunning on the deck. I can't get too far away from the pig for too long (I'll tell ya the big ball of fire story later).

Lunch is served sometime around early afternoon when everyone is around, usually between two and three in the afternoon. Basic menu items include, carolina pork barbecue, fresh-grilled corn on the cob, barbecue chicken, cole-slaw, potato salad, collards, cucumbers in vinegar, deviled eggs, hush puppies, chips, dips, veggies, fresh watermelon, various pies and deserts, cake, ice cream, drinks, and I'm sure much more. There has never been a lack of food so far.

 

 

The evening festivities are yet TBD, but will most likely include taking the crowd down the street to "Live" a local music establishment that we have been frequenting for years! It's not a club, so you out-of-towners won't feel out of place. It's a nice sports bar that will more than likely be having Karaoke night. I'm working on getting a local band to play the event for us, but I'm not sure how that will work out yet. I'll keep you updated on that one as it evolves.

 

What are the Rules?

To keep this a fun event for all involved we kind of separate the day into two parts. Anyone wanting to do some serious drinking is welcome to do so before Saturday morning, and on Saturday night. Since we try to keep this a family-style affair, I do ask that you keep your wits about you during the main event on Saturday.

 

Drinking is perfectly fine, just be level headed and don't get obnoxious. From about 11 AM until 6 PM on Saturday is likely to be filled with family, some younger children, etc and I want them to have a good time too and to feel like they can bring their families the next year. In all the years we've been doing this, we've never had anyone get out of hand but I feel better if I say it up-front. Anyone that gets obnoxious gets ejected from the event via slip-n-slide!

 

Other than that, just don't trash my Marcus' yard.  He and Mary have put a lot of time and effort into making their new home and property look really beautiful and I'd like not to have to clean up after everyone's cigarette butts and napkins by myself once everyone is gone.

 

 

What do I need to bring?

I'm just going to come out and say it this year. Bring either food, supplies for the party, or cash. Last year was an absolute blast, but I was making a lot more money than I am this year (at least so far) and I don't like to see the burden ride on the shoulders of a few. This is Mom's Birthday party, so I'd like to see her come out of this without having to spend much of anything.

 

I'm going to provide the pig and the cooker (thanks to Jody Griffin each year for the use of his cooker!) The rest of you will be asked to fill out one or more of the items from the menu or to bring a cash donation to help those out who contributed.  Done right, this can be a WHOLE lot of fun for really little expense. If we had ten dollars from everyone who spent last year with us, that would have paid for the whole party. I'll figure out the amount later, but it'll be something in the ten to fifteen dollar range, nothing anyone can't afford.

The menu and requested items are listed below. I'll update this as we go, so check back often.

 

If you would like to contribute something from the menu, please leave a comment on this post and I'll update the menu with your preference. (This is first come first serve, so make your plans now if you want to bring a dish or something.)

 

 

Requested Menu Items:

Item	Qty	Person
Pig & Cooker	1	Jody Griffin, Doc, Tommy, April
Buffet Tables	3 or 4	Marcus, Leven
Chairs		Marcus
Yellow Corn (in the husk)	20+/-	Tommy
Potato Salad	1	Chris Comeau
Potato Salad
Hush Puppies	1	Leven & Tommy
Deviled Eggs	2	Brenda Outlaw
Bags of Chips & Dip	5+	Brandy
Ice	40 lbs.	Leven Stokes
Cooler(s)		Marcus (has plenty)
Pasta Salad	2	Brenda Outlaw
Veggie Tray w/dressing	1	Marion
Veggie Tray w/dressing	1
BBQ Bread	2	Brenda Outlaw
Bread/Rolls
Cole Slaw	1	Bridget & Clay
Banana Pudding	1	Faye
Honeydew/Cantaloupe	2
Watermelon	2
Hot Dogs	2	Leven Stokes
Hot Dog Rolls	2	Leven Stokes
Brownies
Cheesecake	1	Bridget & Clay
Koolaid Pie	2	Tim & Clair
Macaroni & Cheese
Green Beans	1	Marion
12 Pk of Sodas (mixed)	3	Bill Stovall
12 Pk of Sodas (mixed)	3
12 Pk of Sodas (mixed)	3
Paper Plates/Cups/Silverware		Brenda Outlaw
Condiments

 

Who Else Is Coming?

 

Personally. I hope a LOT of friends and family will come. I'm going to start a list on here, only because it helps me and Marcus plan better if we can look on here and know who's coming, who's bringing what, and how many we have to plan for. IF I FORGET YOUR NAME ON THE PRELIMINARY LIST, IT'S NOT ON PURPOSE. I JUST CAN'T POSSIBLY REMEMBER EVERYONE AT THE MOMENT. It took me almost a month just to remember all the people to invite last year and I still forgot some! So, if you want to be added to the list and I haven't gotten to you yet, PLEASE comment on the board or email me and let me know and I'll most certainly add you ASAP!

 

Tentative Guest List

#	Name	Wants a Hotel/Place to stay overnight?
	BOLD RED = Confirmed
	Plain Black = Listed but not contacted/responded/etc.
	Green = Can't Make It
2	Mom & Janet	(with Tommy)
2	Tommy & April
1	Leven Stokes
	Ivy Jo Daniels
2	Doc & Bridget
2	Marcus & Mary
1	Chris Comeau
	Tom Hadry
1	Wess Ellingson
	Mike Clark
1	Brandy
3	Tim & Clair, Mom
	Kris & Danielle
1	Wess Ellingson
2	Faye & Jean
2	Frank & Cathy
2	Dorothy & Berlie
2	Gerald & Priscilla Holliday
	Melissa Holliday
	Jody Griffin
2	Marion & Mark
1	Joe Torrence
	Mitchell Briley
1	Jodie Cobb
	Jamie & Kristie
	Jenn Harrell & Family
2	Marisa, Chris
2	Ini & Tremaine
1	Katie Evans
	Ed & Justin
	Carleen & ???
	Harry Frank
	Nicole & Lee
1	Bill & Scarlette
	Sheryl Evans
	Christy & Shawn McLawhorn
1	Tom Robbins
2	Shane & Tracy

 

Hey.. we really need to narrow down the volunteers to bring stuff. I’ve kind of let time slip past me and it’s snuck up on me faster than I thought. You can add a comment to the post with what you want to bring, or email it to me, or call me…. however is fine. Just let me know what you want to bring from the list OR bring a donation to help those who helped provide all the stuff! Thanks! 

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Questions, Comments? Hit the "unique thoughts" link below to leave a comment or to read what others have written.

 

ATTENTION WWW.CAROLINAREGION.COM READERS: This blog is co-published on two blogs. I can only update one of them without lots of extra work, so please be sure you visit http://carolinaregion.blogspot.com for the latest information about the party. I won't be adding updates to the Me-TOM-orphasis blog after this initial post.

 

Last Updated: July 8th, 2008