smacky and bucky

We had some relatively new friends down to the river over Memorial Day weekend. It was... interesting. (No tedious details in case they somehow find this. Let's just say they were a little high maintenance).

Now to the interesting part: Sunday afternoon our neighbor came over and said he was having a party and we were invited. This guy owns a construction company and throws big outdoor parties on the major outdoor holidays. You may recall that he also does the fireworks show for the county in his backyard on the 4th of July! He said, "The band starts at 6, and an Elvis impersonator is coming on at 7:30." Wait... what?

Well, our evening was planned! We got the kids fed early (the friends have a two-year-old daughter) and we walked over just before 7:30. We sat on the grass in front of the stage and waited. The familiar strains of Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 by Strauss began (Elvis began his show with this piece from the late '60s through his tours in the '70s). At the climax, colored smoke grenades (for lack of a proper term) shot into the sky and the guy ran out of the house and to the stage. 

 He sounded pretty darn close to the real deal! Laura said she didn't know some of the songs he played (she's not the fan of his music I am) and I explained that this guy included songs that were hits of the time period he was supposed to represent (between 1972 and 1974, I'd say)--songs that were part of Elvis's show then.

The Eagle on the Back

He performed for 1.5 hours (until it got dark) and even wandered into the audience and kissed women and handed out scarves! Laura forbade me from getting his attention and pointing at her. Oh well, no kiss for her!

"Elvis" sings to an adoring female fan.

After his last song he ran back into the house ("Elvis has left the backyard!") and fireworks began!

And Henry had a fantastic time. He danced and ran (once bolting down the hill toward the water at top speed, making me have to make a football player-type sprint to catch him!) and when three middle school girls laid towels down in the grass, he ran over to them and flirted. This kid! I held him and he rested his head on my shoulder during the fireworks, lifting it whenever one was especially bright or loud. But he wasn't afraid of them, like some children can be.

Other things happened over the weekend:

• A new canopy was purchased and put up [not by me] and blew over, snapping a rod because it wasn't properly secured [see, that's where the :"not by me" part is important]. I boxed it up and exchanged it at the big-box store in town, no questions asked.
• We went on a boat ride (and Henry slept the entire time!). I imagine the boat must be pretty close to being back in the womb: the muffled sound, the gentle rocking. With a towel covering him for sun protection and a hat pulled over his eyes, he napped away for almost two hours. 
• We had ribs and burgers and fajitas.