With prodding and prompting and occasionally downright pushing from Mr. W, I’ve decided to do an intimate (<20 people) birthday barbecue and cocktails event. We have an entertainment backyard, Mr. W recently purchased a nice fancy BBQ grill, and we ought to take advantage of our proximity to our private lake, only a mile away. I sent out the Evite over the weekend.

The plan is to have two legs of activities, lakeside fun (beach volleyball, kayaking, partyboating, pedalboating, sunning in the sand, fishing, swimming, etc, and did I mention you can drink on the partyboat?) from 1pm to 5pm, and back to our house for the barbecue and cocktails at 5pm. People can come to either/both. The Evite instructs people not to bring a gift but to bring a bottle of liquor instead (cuz gifts will make me feel old but alcohol makes everyone feel happy!). There’s a dropdown menu that lists all the liquors I need, and as people select one, it disappears from the menu. The idea is that with everyone’s participation, I’ll have a full bar up and running (Mr. W and I will take care of mixers, garnishes, supplies, food, beer, bartending, cooking) so I’ll get to combine some of my favorite things on my birthday: friends, outdoor recreational activities and mixology. I’m coming up with a drink menu, which I’ll attempt to make as personalized as possible. If this works out, maybe it can be an annual event.

I’m gonna be 1/3 of a century old. I’m gonna NEED a drink. Or ten.