Weekend wrap up

I hoped for awesome spring weather this weekend, but alas, it was like March. Windy and chilly. However, we did have a nice weekend. The sky was clear blue, which was a nice change from the gray it’s been most days.

On Friday we decided to invite over the guys to play poker. David, Mike, Justin, E and myself made a great group. We began playing and joking first thing, and I was losing money quickly. David seemed to be the big winner. Soon Chelsea and Joe also joined us. We decided to play Red Dog, a fast paced game where there is little skill, other than the amount you want to bet. The pot soon got enormous, one of the largest poker pots ever (still under five dollars, but since we play with low amounts, even a dollar is a good pot). It was David's turn and he decided to bet the pot. He lost and had to match the pot. We were laughing like crazy. Next was Mike's turn and he got a 2 and an Ace high. The point of the game is that you have to guess if the next card played will be between those two cards. Well a 2 and an Ace high are the best odds a player can get, virtually everything is between. He played the pot again, which was already huge. Logan laid down a 2, which, technically is not between. The rules say he lost. He matched the post again, this time with dollar bills because the pot was so large, he couldn't match it with chips. We were roaring with laughter. Mike face was priceless. After a few lackluster turns Chelsea won the entire pot, the largest, to date, poker pot ever - $11. Nice job! I just wish I had snapped a few more photos.
Saturday was pretty uneventful. E and I were hosting a dinner party for my family on Sunday and so we spend Saturday prepping. We ran lots of errands (Costco, Home Depot, Supermarket) and began cooking. We made a homemade ragout that cooked all day Saturday, cooled overnight and then cooked for another hour on Sunday. The idea was that all the flavors marry and all the meat cooks down and begins to fall apart.

Sunday we made a big breakfast of hash (are you bored of this post yet? I hope not). E and I decided to finally get out of the house and drive out West, since we were ready for the party. Sometimes when we are bored, E and I like to explore our own backyard. We've found many interesting things that way, abandoned homes, interesting structures, and such. Well we headed West and ended up at the Great Salt Lake. The lake is a stinky, yucky, uninviting place. Not a place to spend a nice day. However, it is interesting, so E and I decided to take a few photos. The lake had receded more than a hundred years leaving a gross white sand behind. I snapped a few photos, because in a way, it is beautiful, before returning to the car.

Once at home we started our party. My grandma arrived, Chuck and my mom, all my siblings, and my aunt and uncle and cousins. We've rarely hosted a party this large in our house, and seating for 13 is a little tricky, but we made it work. The ragout was fantastic. Everyone loved it, and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time. Brandon was joking with my cousins and siblings, my Grandma and aunt were talking about gay rights (their new favorite topic), and Mike, E and Chuck were all sampling E's collection. Overall it was fantastic.
Sorry I don't have more photos of the party, I had more pressing responsibilities as the hostess, so I didn't take many photos.