All kinds of "Gotta go parties"

By Jack Elliott
Contributor

As the winter season winds down here at the Beach we have been enjoying a round of Gotta Go Parties. This has nothing to do with bodily functions but rather with cleaning out various refrigerators and cupboards. Rather than take all those bits and pieces home or throw them out, you gather them up and take them over to various friends that are not yet scheduled to head north and have a Gotta Go feast.

Tonight for example we are having a fish fry as the last packages of walleye are combined with other contributions, to help reduce the larder to zero. Other than walleye the menu may contain carrots, peas, corn, some wild rice as well as the white stuff, three kinds of bread, turkey stuffing, one yam, potato salad, fried onions, and mushroom. Oh yeah, and a pork chop thrown in for good measure.
On the libation front there is a six-pack of beer- one Bud Lite, two naturals, two Blue Ribbons, and a Miller High Life. We poured the dregs of five bottle of wine into one jug. We’ll call it Chi-don-riesl-noir, with a hint of Baby Duck. I guess we’ll serve it ice cold. After dinner we’ll spike the coffee with Scotch Mist Bourbon CC. Can you spell massive hangover.
Dessert will consist of Cool Whip with three kinds of ice cream, sherbert and yogurt, assorted cookies, muffins, and one piece of double chocolate fudge cake with a side of Tums washed down with Milk of Magnesia.

And coffee… that’s another whole subject.
One of these do’s every night for the next 10 days and we should have things about cleaned up and as well as finishing the shopping, nothing will remain but to pack the van and head north. Oh yeah, we’ll also spend a day sorting out receipts and adding up the totals so we are all prepared for the border crossing.
Since we are about the last one of our group to head north- the other foo…, I mean friends, apparently still want to experience snow. Ugh! We then inherit whatever they have not managed to consume.

So tell me, I’ve got five partial bottle of ketchup- various sizes, and equal number of mustard dispensers- dried out, a selection more salad dressings than I can face- the low fat kind, six half bottles of flat soda pop- diet and otherwise, plus an assortment of crackers, chips, jalapeno jellies, and snacks.
I’ve got it! I’ll stow it all in a tote and we’ll bring it along for a Gotta Go Homecoming Party. Perhaps you better meet us at Customs on the 31st in case they won’t let us bring open containers across the border.