Ben's Family Gets Involved...

Ben Sr. and his wife, Amy, made an impromptu visit yesterday. When they arrived, the Bens had the following exchange.

Ben Sr.: So how about we take you to lunch?

Ben: How about brunch?

Ben Sr.: Sure, how about sushi?

Ben: That’s not brunch.

Ben Sr.: Why not?

Ben: There are no eggs on the menu.

Ben Sr.: Amy and I had breakfast before we left.

Ben: That’s the beauty of brunch, Dad. Everyone gets to choose if they want breakfast or lunch.

Ben Sr. was clearly confused by the concept of brunch, which Amy (and I, though I kept my poker face on) thought was hilarious. When we arrived, I ordered a mimosa and Ben ordered a Bloody Mary.

“Drinking with breakfast?” Ben Sr. asked.

“Dad,” Ben said, rolling his eyes. “It’s brunch.”

After we all ordered (Salad for Ben Sr., burger for Amy, Eggs Florentine for Ben and an omelet for me), Ben Sr. explained why they’d come.

“If you two are amenable to it, we’d love to throw you an engagement party in Philly.”

The idea of having an engagement party hadn’t even occurred to me. Apparently, it hadn’t occurred to Ben, either.

“I don’t know, Dad. I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t get what the point of an engagement party is.”

“To tell everyone you’re engaged, and celebrate it,” Ben Sr. said.

“That’s what Facebook is for,” Ben said. Amy and I laughed. “But seriously, who gets invited? Everyone who’s going to the wedding? I don’t want people to feel like they’re obligated to trek to Philly and buy us another gift.”

“What do you think, K.?” Amy asked.

“I think it’s a lovely gesture,” I said. “And I appreciate the thought, as does Ben, even though he’s not showing it.” I gave Ben a pointed look. “But it seems like a lot of money and fuss for you guys, and we don’t want you to have to do all that.”

“But we really want to,” Amy insisted.

Ben and I consulted with eyebrows, and made our decision.

“Then we would love to have an engagement party, hosted by you.”

We compared schedules, and decided on Saturday, October 22. After brunch, I called my parents to give them a heads up in case they wanted to buy plane tickets.

“We wanted to have something for you down here,” my mother lamented.

“I don’t think that will be convenient for people, Mom,” I said. “Plus, two engagement parties is too much.”

“Fine,” she said, though it was clearly anything but. “But I’ll be throwing your bridal shower. I suppose I should call Ben’s parents now before they start planning one.”

I feel like an engagement party, a bridal shower and a wedding is too much. It’s basically asking people for three gifts. Ben proposed making the engagement party a no-gift affair, but Ben’s father nixed the idea. I didn’t even propose it with my mother, as I knew it wouldn’t fly.

While I’m not excited about three separate events, I am excited about setting up a wedding registry. I’ve been drooling over housewares online all day.

Posted at 12:46 PM

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Ben's Family Gets Involved...

Ben Sr. and his wife, Amy, made an impromptu visit yesterday. When they arrived, the Bens had the following exchange.

Ben Sr.: So how about we take you to lunch?

Ben: How about brunch?

Ben Sr.: Sure, how about sushi?

Ben: That’s not brunch.

Ben Sr.: Why not?

Ben: There are no eggs on the menu.

Ben Sr.: Amy and I had breakfast before we left.

Ben: That’s the beauty of brunch, Dad. Everyone gets to choose if they want breakfast or lunch.

Ben Sr. was clearly confused by the concept of brunch, which Amy (and I, though I kept my poker face on) thought was hilarious. When we arrived, I ordered a mimosa and Ben ordered a Bloody Mary.

“Drinking with breakfast?” Ben Sr. asked.

“Dad,” Ben said, rolling his eyes. “It’s brunch.”

After we all ordered (Salad for Ben Sr., burger for Amy, Eggs Florentine for Ben and an omelet for me), Ben Sr. explained why they’d come.

“If you two are amenable to it, we’d love to throw you an engagement party in Philly.”

The idea of having an engagement party hadn’t even occurred to me. Apparently, it hadn’t occurred to Ben, either.

“I don’t know, Dad. I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t get what the point of an engagement party is.”

“To tell everyone you’re engaged, and celebrate it,” Ben Sr. said.

“That’s what Facebook is for,” Ben said. Amy and I laughed. “But seriously, who gets invited? Everyone who’s going to the wedding? I don’t want people to feel like they’re obligated to trek to Philly and buy us another gift.”

“What do you think, K.?” Amy asked.

“I think it’s a lovely gesture,” I said. “And I appreciate the thought, as does Ben, even though he’s not showing it.” I gave Ben a pointed look. “But it seems like a lot of money and fuss for you guys, and we don’t want you to have to do all that.”

“But we really want to,” Amy insisted.

Ben and I consulted with eyebrows, and made our decision.

“Then we would love to have an engagement party, hosted by you.”

We compared schedules, and decided on Saturday, October 22. After brunch, I called my parents to give them a heads up in case they wanted to buy plane tickets.

“We wanted to have something for you down here,” my mother lamented.

“I don’t think that will be convenient for people, Mom,” I said. “Plus, two engagement parties is too much.”

“Fine,” she said, though it was clearly anything but. “But I’ll be throwing your bridal shower. I suppose I should call Ben’s parents now before they start planning one.”

I feel like an engagement party, a bridal shower and a wedding is too much. It’s basically asking people for three gifts. Ben proposed making the engagement party a no-gift affair, but Ben’s father nixed the idea. I didn’t even propose it with my mother, as I knew it wouldn’t fly.

While I’m not excited about three separate events, I am excited about setting up a wedding registry. I’ve been drooling over housewares online all day.

Posted at 12:46 PM

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The Work Family

Late in the afternoon today, we had a graduation/”Welcome aboard” party for Rina and Molly. Tex brought in his “famous” seven-layer dip and chips, I picked up fancy cupcakes in a variety of flavors, and Nate got a case of Champagne, which I thought was excessive since our full-time staff consists of five people (six when our formerly freelance editor, Dave, officially comes on board next week). Nate explained that it was good to have booze around the office “just in case.” For those Champagne emergencies, I guess.

And since there are only five of us, everyone felt the need to give a toast.

Nate: “To Molly and Rina, who have brought fresh ideas, youthful energy, and made themselves indispensable to Mammoth Object.”

Tex: “To Molly and Rina, who have helped dispel the myth that all recent college graduates are entitled and lazy.” (That one got a good laugh from everyone.)

Me: “To Molly, who has worked tirelessly to make sure all of our deadlines are met, even though it’s my job to worry about it. And to Rina, who has done an amazing job of not only getting us all organized, but also helped to improve our visibility and connections within the industry.”

Rina: “Thanks to K. for hiring me, Tex for teaching me that laid-back doesn’t mean lazy, and Nate for giving me the chance to wear a lot of different hats.”

Molly: “Thanks to Nate for giving me a better post-college job than I ever could have dreamed of. Thanks to Tex for teaching me how to not freak out over things I have no control over. And last but not least, thanks to K. for being a mentor, inspiration and big sister all rolled into one.” (That last line made me a wee bit misty.)

Nate said we could take off early for the holiday weekend, but no one did. Instead, we hung out, finished the food and drank more bubbly than was appropriate for an office setting. I know that taking this job at the beginning was a risky, perhaps even ill-advised, move. It could have been a disaster, and almost was, at times. But now, it feels like I’m working at a real company, albeit a small one. And I know it sounds corny, but the people I’m surrounded by every day feel like family. The work itself is interesting and challenging, and I never wake up in the morning dreading the day. I guess this is what having a real career that you love feels like.

Ben should be here any minute, and I have to go get ready. He had after-work drinks with his former boss, to discuss potential job opportunities with her. Fingers crossed for him – between Ursula and Mitchell’s breakup and work stress, he’s had a terrible week. He could use some good news, and something to be hopeful about.

Posted at 8:05 PM

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Gettin' the Family Gossip

On the one hand, I didn't want to gossip about Ben's sister. On the other hand, I was dying to know what had happened when Amy called Lori. So I asked, over brunch.

"I think I rendered her speechless, actually. I said I was taking the train into the city to meet you, and asked her if she'd like to join us for brunch and dress shopping. She didn't say anything at first, and then when she did answer she just seemed shocked."

"What did she say?"

"She thanked me for the invite, but said she had a lot of cooking to do for Super Bowl, so she wouldn't be able to make it. And then I said Ben and I would love to have her over for dinner some night with the kids, and she said to give her a call next week to compare schedules."

"Nice!"

"I know," she said, looking pleased.

"That's it," she said as soon as we walked in, stopping dead in her tracks. She pointed at an ivory, knee-length, strapless gown on a mannequin in the middle of the store. "That's my dress."

The saleswoman wanted to pull several dresses for Amy to try on, but she was adamant about wanting this one. I went into the dressing room with her and helped her with the buttons. When we got it on, I couldn't believe how perfect it was on her. She wasn't even going to need alterations. It was like the dress had been created specifically for her.

"Can you take a picture with my phone?" she asked. "I want to send it to my mom."

I did as she asked, and then helped her out of the dress. She paid for it, and made arrangements to have it shipped to Philly. When we left the store, she called to cancel her remaining two appointments for that day.

"Thank you so much for coming with me, K.," she said. "I really appreciate it."

She decided to see if she could take an earlier train back, and headed off to the station. I called Ben.

"What are you doing right now?" I asked.

"Making chili. Want to come over and be my taster?"

I headed over to Ben's. He answered the door looking adorable in an apron that said "I Turn Grills On."

"Nice apron," I said, smiling as I kissed him hello.

"Thanks. Come taste my chili." I followed him into the kitchen, and he gave it a stir, and then held the spoon up to my mouth.

"Oh my god," I said. "This is amazing."

"I won a chili cook-off once," he said proudly.

"Can we eat this all the time?" I asked.

"Probably not. It's pretty time-consuming, and no one should eat pork belly all the time."

I spent the rest of the evening helping Ben get ready for his Super Bowl party. Aside from the chili, there wasn't much actual cooking to be done, but we prepped the wings and nachos. When we were done, we ordered sushi and snuggled up on the couch with a movie. This morning, I headed home to shower and change. Brad wasn't there so I texted him to find out how his date went. He wrote back immediately.

"Gr8"

I followed up, asking him if he'd told her the truth. He didn't respond, so I'm guessing the answer is no. And now, I'm heading back to Ben's to watch the Super Bowl. Go Packers! Or Steelers. Really, I'm just in it for the chili.

Posted at 3:23 PM

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