Kids, Damned Kids...

Well, one day I'm crying for joy about my kids; next day I want to hang them from the nearest oak tree if I could find one big enough here in Texas the land of the dwarf oaks...
This morning, all was go for dinner. Marco, his girl, Italo, Sarah, Me, maybe DRay and even Renzo would be eating. So I went through the lump crab meat, couple of pounds I bought yesterday at the best store around here, then went out and got some organic parsley. I chopped and cooked the parsley down with olive oil, fresh roasted and skinned red pepper, scallions and celery. Put three eggs in a bowl, some mayo, seasoning and the things I'd cooked. Mixed it up. Added some bread crumbs--top quality--for binder, then mixed in the crab. Tossed in the juice from three very very juicy limes, some salt and pepper, a little mustard, a touch of Worstershire...and voila: Fantastic crabmeat for crab cakes.
Then made a home made cole slaw.
Then I made a sauce of vinegar, egg yolk, left over red pepper (skinned), horseradish, parsley and lime, plus seasoning (including cracked black pepper, salt, very fresh paprika and achote from Peru). Great sauce.
Now I also bought 2 pounds of shrimp for cocktail and made a cocktail sauce that's been in the fridge since 11 this morning. Then I cooked the shrimp and they're cooling.
Then I started the rice and vegetables--a medley of several.
And now Marco says he's going to Carly's because her parents are going to Mexico tomorrow. And Italo just called to say Sarah is staying with her folks tonight and he is staying at Cowboys' stadium, practicing with a British soccer club so he won't be home till midnight or so...and Renzo is taking Italo's times and photos, so he won't be coming either. And DRay ain't gonna come if his pals ain't here...
So I've got a $50-$60 buck meal of lump crab cakes and shrimp cocktail, done in a way your best restaurant wouldn't know (though I didn't make the asparagus with fresh corn in garlicked-Balsamic vinegar since that's the last thing that would have gotten done. Still. It's a pretty fancy feast for no one but me to eat).
So I want to wring my kids' necks. I asked them if they'd be here. I guess life intervened.
But know what? I'm going out to paint for an hour. I'm gonna finish the interior of the fence and then attack the exterior. And when I've gone through more than half a gallon I'm coming inside. I'm gonna shower then make a very very cold drink out of red wine and grapefruit juice and pour it over ice. Maybe a quart. And I'm gonna start drinking that while I cook up some of those cakes. AND THEN I'm gonna sit down and find a movie (somehow, since I'm never sure I know how) to watch and eat crab cakes and shrimp cocktail with spinach, coleslaw and a vegetable medley. I'll skip the rice.
And I'm gonna have myself a time.
The kids lose out here. I ain't crying. I might have three crab cakes. Ha! The heck with them.