The verb "party" is relatively new. I think I heard the infinitive first walking between meetings in Center City Philadelphia in the mid-1970's. An attractive youngish woman stopped me on the street and asked: "Do you want to party." And while I had not heard that usage prior to that moment, I divined precisely what she had in mind. I explained to her that there were three problems.
First ... I had to get to a meeting.
"Do you really HAVE to go," she queried.
Second .... I'm married.
"Well so are most of my best customers."
Third .... My wife gives me a quarter in the morning, tells me to have a good time and that's all I got.
"Oh, well" she sighed and trotted off.
In the subsequent years, I became comfortable hearing my childrens' generation use the verb in its many forms ... "I'm gonna go party" ... "Philly is partying tonight" .... I even used it in a bit of doggerel in the mid-1990's. (I'll post that, later.)
But last night was a party. The men averaged a bit over 70 years in age and were all pretty much deaf. The young chickies closer to 65 and could hear even their spouse's mumblings pretty well. One of the couple's were newlyweds ... less than 20 years, together ... The other two married for a combined whopping total of 99 years. Three cats and a 24 year old grand-daughter who didn't look uncomfortable in this cursorily assembled Old Age Home completed the invitation list.
As it is not written OR sung:
Let most of the cocelebrants be wined and dined ...
For between them they have no rhyme ....
For they forgot the lyrics and even how to spell "Auld Lang Syne."
All but one of the celebrants were born in America ... he, in India. Then, there was Hungarian, Native American, English, Irish and Scottish, and Russian blood all flowing through the veins of the revelers at this American celebration of still another year. There were two retired university administrators, a retired Industrial Engineer, a retired Mathematical Statistician, another who was still working, an ex-Mathematician who retooled as a Healer (that would be me), and a Linguist Wannabe ot to-Be. 4/7ths of us admitted to needing to get to bed before 10:30 and the Industrial Engineer was just this side of pickled and very funny when she is.
I made the Soup but couldn't tell nosy people what was in it (cause my Brocca's area in my brain is broken and my Wernicke's don't work too well no more), though I could tell them the dozen or so things that weren't included due to animal rights preferences and allergies. The soup was a big hit which made me do a Happy Dance, inside, but without a recipe is not likely to be repeated. Then there were Vegan delights and some dead animal all dancing around the table. Half of us got high on Sparkling Apple Juice .... the other half on Foreign Fermented Sparkling Grape.
I do hope that you who follow along with the tragedo-comedy that is the Last Quarter of Life had at least half the fun I had plaing with people, most of whom I've known for over 40 years, with M who has shared my bed ... or have I shared hers? ... for over 48 years and two younger interlopers who I've only known for a quarter of a Century.
Let most of you celebrants be wiined and dined ...
Except those in Denver who are smoking Pot .... ....
Let most of the cocelebrants be wined and dined ...
And find gratitude for friends and parties we've got!
FELICE CAPO D'ANO
AND "PARTY-AND-PLAY-ON" WORLD
OF LAST QUARTER PLAYERS!
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