Greek Style ©

Before I put up my new post, I would like to thank all of you for all your comments on the previous post and all were great comments.
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OPA!!!!!!!!!!
Arms stretched out singing and stomping his feet, Archie’s voice bellowed across the yard causing people to jump out of their seats.
The lokaniko (Greek sausage) was barbecued along with five pounds of jumbo shrimp.
The tiropites and spanakopites were brought out to join the appetizers because you can’t drink Metaxa (Greek Brandy) without appetizers and Archie was waving his arms around singing Greek party songs and pointed out his throat was parched.
I brought out two bottles and a stack of disposable shooter glasses and if they wanted to or not EVERYONE got a shot of Metaxa.
Looking around making sure that everyone was armed he look at me and raised his glass to me and was followed by 37 others and I raised mine to my mother and they all followed.
The party was on.

People were eating, laughing and joking around with people they never met before but knew through my stories to them over the years.
I was wrong all these years keeping these people apart.
This was the first time I invited Archie and he was ecstatic to be invited in fact he was the hit of the bbq.
He said he didn’t eat for two days so he could pack it in.
If he misses one meal he faints so I didn’t believe that for a second.
There were people who had never been to one of my bbq’s before who acted like veterans because they were welcomed like the rest and felt comfortable.
Archie was pouring Metaxa like a broken dam and everyone was saying NO with outstretch glasses to be refilled yelling OPA.
The drinking just went on until there were two empty bottles on the table.

I was at the bbq like every year with all these retired cooks over my shoulder itching to get their hands on my tongs to take over.
HA!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t mess up.
Oops, a souvlaki rolls down the laneway.
Tongs are snatched out of my hands before I can look up.
Well come on, there were 80 of the fucken thing on the grill gezz.
I have chicken and pork souvlaki.
Pork is the traditional meat but chicken has become popular recently and I make equal amounts of both.
Now that I have been exiled to the sidelines and two more than capable 77 year olds doing the cooking I went in and started bringing out the rest of the food which consisted of meatballs taramosalata which is a caviar dip, musaka a casserole with eggplant and potatoes with a rich cream and baked until golden brown, pastichio a macaroni casserole with the same cream baked the same way as the musaka and various salads along with what was left of the appetizers.
When the souvlaki were done and still hot they were dumped into an oil, lemon garlic and oregano solution to soak for a bit and then I took them all to the banquet table with the other food.
When I was happy everything was out I called on everyone to help themselves.
Half were feeling no pain from the Metaxa and stumble to the table.
It was only 6 pm.
As they all filled their plates I told them I would be back and went inside to take a quick shower and put on my clean clothes.
As I walked in the bedroom I swear both cats were squatting side by side in front of it getting ready to go for a dump.
HMMM
They moved quickly sporting these guilty looks on their faces.
We are going to have a talk later.
I took my clothes and locked them in my bedroom again then went for my shower.
As I am in the shower there is a knock on the door.
“Yes” I called out.
“Can I come in, I won’t look”
It’s one of the female guests.
“Ha Ha Ha yeah right” twenty minutes ago she was telling me she hasn’t been laid in months and is due.
“You will have to wait”.
I wasn’t going to be locked in the bathroom naked with a horny 26 year old that’s drunk.

After my shower I went to my bedroom and the door was open.
Fuck the cats got out.
I go in and there are two women playing with my cats to Emme’s delight.
Frick was trying to get away from his captor with the door now open.
Now just five minutes ago I put the food up so I could get the chance to take a shower and all of a sudden I got three women upstairs.
What did they do deep throat their food.
“OK, everyone out except Frick and Emme”
Frick was pissed he was giving everyone a dirty look.
He missed his big break attempt.
Emme didn’t care she got petted.
Now fully dressed in black and cats locked again in the room I went outside to join the others.

They were all sitting around eating when I got a plate to put food on.
I didn’t know where to start and to be honest with you I wasn’t really hungry after all the cooking I have been doing all week.
Filling my plate I found a chair and put it down then I grabbed my first beer and loaded another 24 in the cooler and went to eat.
I sat next to G and Rick opposite Archie and we took shots at each other to the laughs from the others around us.
He was giving me a good go but I have had years of doing this and as soon as he put a souvlaki to his mouth I told him to wait and stood up and walked over a few feet.
He asked me why I moved and I told him it was in case the meat was tuff and he yanked to hard sending his dentures flying at my head.
He just froze trying not to laugh with his mouth open and before he could say anything I hit him with “close your mouth your giving me a hard on making his eyes bulge then he just let it go and everyone laughed with him.
He shook my hand and said I have been practicing.
What can I say, I learned from the best.
Most of the dinner went like that a lot of laughs and fun.
When dinner was over they all helped me clear away the tables.
Seeing as all the dishes were disposable as were the forks and knives it went quick and the platters went in to be washed and everything was cleared in minutes and the drinking started.
I was moving around and sitting with everyone like a good host and having a drink with everyone.
Everyone had spread out and was mixing it up and laughter poured out of the yard.
I went over to see my mother and sat with her for a bit.
She was tired, she put in a lot of work for someone 79 years old and she was going nonstop.
My mother spends most of her days either watching my niece or baking which pretty much explains my father’s waistline.
We sat there talking and she pointed out a guest and asked me who it was.
I looked at him and you know……I have no fucken idea who he was.
I figured he was someone else’s guest because I told everyone they could bring a guest and their kids.
I got up and walked to him.
“Hi, having a good time” I asked?
“Hey, yeah this is great”
“If you don’t mind me asking but who did you come with”?
“Oh, I was walking by and heard everyone having fun and I walked in and someone gave me a beer. If there is a problem I will leave”.
Now here is a guy off the street who is walking down the street and hears a party happening and decides to just stroll in and join.
What do you think I am going to do?
“Well this is private party and you just walk in off the street and helps yourself to my beer and you ask me if there is a problem”?
Now people you have to remember, I am two sheets to the wind and sporting a nice buzz.
“Well yes I have a problem”.
“You walk on my property without being invited and drink my beer”.
“I guess you want to fuck my wife next”?
“NO NO I don’t want to fuck your wife”!!!!!!
“ Why, what’s wrong with my wife”?
“Nothing, I don’t even know who your wife is”?
“You see….. What’s your name anyway”?
“Paul” he offers.
“Paul…..hmmmm…you don’t live in York do you by any chance”?
“ No just up the street”.
“Well Paul, here is the deal, you can’t drink my booze unless you eat my food, so take a plate and help yourself”.
“Oh, and if you want to fuck my wife, she is the one in the corner.
She will answer to Archie for short and don’t worry about the mustache she’s Greek”.
I walked away into another group of people leaving him to enjoy himself.

You see I have crashed a number of parties and even a wedding once where I had dinner and kissed the bride so what the fuck, he wasn’t bothering anybody.
This was the time the shooter girl came out with a tray of jelly shooter and started passing around.
There is always a bit of a fight to be shooter girl every year.
Not so much because they love me but they get to drink most of the jelly shooters  LOL!!!!
Everyone was grabbing 2-3 at a time and slurping them down.
You never saw that many tongues wiggling around all at once.
It took them about an hour before 100 shooters were but a memory.
They all loved the green ones like they do every year.
No one can figure out why.
It might have something to do with I almost only use vodka to make them.
We then got into the bottles of scotch and rum.
Deb’s husband was feeling no pain ad he got up with the rest of the parlamentarians that were there and said that they should name this Walker Day and make it a national holiday.
Well it is Saturday so it pretty much is.
My mother was surprised no one wanted coffee.
I tried to explain to her that no one drank coffee when they were out to get drunk.
It’s the next day they want coffee.
As the night the crowd dwindles to the last three at 3:am when they walked out the door and it was officially over.

The next day I was sitting in the TV room when Mike came by and dropped next to me still all messed up from the night before.
He told me he would never try and do what I did the night before.
Then he asked me why did I bother?
Over the years I have done this 20 times and countless New Years Eve and Super Bowl parties at my cost.
I don’t hold them because I have heaps of money because I don’t, in fact it took me three months to pay for this, I do it for the memories, for me and them.
When Mike had left I went upstairs to the end room and got out my photo albums.
I lay there on the bed and I leafed through page after page looking at the faces.
Many were here tonight twenty years later; older maybe wiser but the smiles on their faces were the same as was the fire that burned in their eyes.
Some of the faces are no longer here, gone to that bbq where we will all join them one day.
But in some way they were there in spirit because some of the campfire stories brought up their names again into the open, giving them life one more time even for that one night.
I sit here writing this right now pausing periodically wondering whose face will I not see next year.
It maybe mine.
Life is fragile, fate is swift, so enjoy life today and leave memories for others to bring you back to life when they need you to help them smile.

The BBQ was a hit
My friends are the best and you are my friends too.
So I say to you in Greek, “Steen Eeyeas Sas”
“To your health”

Cheers

The music if it’s playing, is basically Greek belly dancing music so if you’re inclined get up and shake those hips.
What do you say MrH?
OPA!!!!!!!!!!

Walker