bounty from the boil

The Coastal Empire ACS hosted a low country boil last night and I made sure to RSVP!
Last year, only five people had responded, so the annual event was cancelled.
I kid you not.
I was one of those five who were told the event was not to be after all.
As I feared this may be one of the last times the seafood feast may be held here, I was sure to head out early.
Good thing I did!
The traffic was horrid, due to a fatal accident on I-95 and I-16.
It took over an hour to get from my house to the Lakeside Pavilion at the Bamboo Gardens.
Cathy MacGowan and Todd Hizer were the only ones there, doing the work, as always.
I had Cathy put me to work! Together, we cut sixteen packages of sausage links into three-inch chunks. Together, we peeled eight bags of onions. Together, we opened sixteen 8-ear packages of corn on the cob.
I helped Todd get the second pot of water onto the gas stove to get it heated.
The second pot was destined to be the shrimp-free pot, as some folks who were coming had that unfortunate food allergy.
Then we waited for the water to come to a boil and attendees to arrive.
The time was about 5:40 pm, and we were to eat at 6 pm...
and we three were the only ones there.
About five minutes later, two alumni arrived.
We turned down the heat so the boiling water wouldn't boil away.
By the time it was 6:15, Todd decided we should go ahead and start cooking.
Cathy and I helped open the eight 5-pound bags of yukon gold potatoes, emptying four bags into each pot.
Then four bags of peeled onions were added to each pot and the timer was started.
In twenty minutes, the food was going to be done and people should be there...
hopefully.
Thirty-five people had responded that they would be at the low country boil.
When the potatoes started cooking, we had less than ten present...including us.
Thankfully, by the time the food had finished cooking, about twenty folks were there. Fortunately, two of those were strong guys (Walter and Brandon Quillian) to help Todd pour the bounty onto the tables. Cathy and I held the sides of the tablecloths up, so no potatoes or shrimp could escape!
So, one table had the pot with shrimp, the other was without.
Each had the same amounts of corn on the cob, potatoes, sausage, and onions.
Got the picture?
That meant there was a surplus of sausage.
The sausage is usually the first thing to disappear!
Not so this time.
Almost all of those who had rsvp'ed showed up, except for three.
(Two of those three absent were the physicist and his 'Cole. Cathy mentioned their absence at least three times. I found it odd myself, as he had told me just last night at our dinner-and-a-movie that he would be here tonight.)
I did have a good talk with Yvonne, about the old days at Armstrong during our stint as students there in the mid-1980's.
Then we talked about how we came to be teaching there: Henry Harris had asked and we had accepted. Just that easy! No long applications, no long interview process, none of that nonsense of today. I think Lea and Cliff Padgett were a bit shocked! Hahahaha!
I assured all that I've been enjoying the flexibility of my forced retirement. I can travel any time, to anywhere, for however long I wish to be there... and not waste my weekends and evenings with the grading of lab papers! Hallelujah!
They all assured me that I had gotten out while the getting was good.
So many changes, none positive for them, all involving more travel to Statesboro and possibility of layoffs in the future.
Seriously.
Jim LoBue was uncharacteristicly quiet when he arrived with the GaSoU contingent.
That was sad.
I tried to brighten spirits of all, best I could.
Mostly, though, I made sure that * I * had a good time there.
After all, who knows when I might see any of these people again?
Plus, I regarded this as the retirement party they meant to give me for twenty-plus years of dedication to students.
(smile)
And when Yvonne and Delana started making to-go bags, I did the same. The time was heading toward 7:30 PM and we were to be gone at 8:00 PM... or pay more money.
Out we would definitely be!
The goodies on my sunroom table are what came home with me.
8 pieces of sausage, 2 onions, 12 pieces of corn on the cob, 24 potatoes, 10 shrimp.
I carried a bag with more than twice that (but no seafood) over to my youngest brother and his wife.
That'll be meals we won't have to buy or cook!
Happy birthday to me!
Happy retirement to me!
i thank You, God!