BPMDS Potluck In the Park
Iron Chef Bubb: Cheese
10/6/2011

As the first captions below hinted, we just barely pulled this one off. By this, the 6th of October, we had already had the full month's share of rain. Downpours pelted the Bay Area, and even several Special Marine Warnings were issued for (gasp) thunderstorms over the ocean this morning. Holy Batmobile, it looked like we'd get rained out.

Rick did his usual morning look at a cycle of weather web pages and wasn't quite ready to call it quits. Sandy, practical gal that she is, STRONGLY recommended that the Potluck be cancelled. "Stubborn," I think she said, as Rick delayed until noon time. Radar seemed to show a clean back edge to the rain working it's way down the peninsula. So out went the call - "We're taking a chance - it's on."

Jenny Patteson called Rick at 4:00 PM, "Hey Rick, it's raining!" "Hang in there, the last cell is over us now and it's clear upwind." Boy did I sweat! At 4:20 the sky cleared - not just the rain stopped, but there was not a cloud left in the sky. At 5:35 the first picture below was taken. Wet ground, but sunshine & clear sky. It was Party Time!

We had 21 families represented by about 58 people and 5 dogs. Yes, there were sweaters & jackets. (Sorry I didn't get a picture of Peter Stahl with sweater, jacket & hat - impeccable!) But (as we said to each other,) "The GOOD people showed up." No need repeating that line form Henry V, "And Gentlemen of England now Abed will consider themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whilst any speaks who fought with us upon St. Crispins day..."

But the spirit of BPMDS carried on with great cheese dishes ranging from figs with cheese and almonds, to cheese soup, to twice-baked potatoes, tortellini stuffed with cheese, (of course Mac & Cheese, and Pizza with cheese), green salad with bacon, peas and shredded cheese, and puff pastries stuffed with cheese. Oh yes, Orville Reddenbacker's cheese popcorn made an appearance. All worthy of an Iron Chef Bubb evening. We do have to report that Kris Peterson brought one of the pizzas, which she placed on the end of the first table. Then she went back to the front of the table to get a plate, and by the time she had moved 6 feet down to the end of the table, there was ONE piece left. Teenagers!

Even the customary 48-piece Costco sheet cake disappeared at lightning speed. There was not a piece left to be foisted off on the last departing family. And departing early it was, because darkness wrapped Bubb Park into its clutches with astonishing speed. By 7:24 no sounds and only the lights from the restroom building washed away the echoes of another great Bubb Park Mothers & Dogs evening.

If you would like an original of any picture, please note the caption and picture number and email Rick Van Mell.

LST_NAME	FST_NAME	SPOUSE	CHILD1	CHILD2	CHILD3	Dog
Casey	Shannon		Sydney	Ayden
Christopherson/Gorgen	Dianne	David	Wil			Benny
Cooper	Kathy
Escober	Becky	Gil	Mason	Julia
Galli	Diantha	Jerome	Samuel	Joseph
Hilberg	Gabriele		Sophia Sears	Mira Sears		Hershey
Hunt	Jason	Anna	Katie	Nolan
Ighanian	Fariba	Safdar
Kahan/Safran	Michael	Gabriella	Eva	Frieda
Kundrat	Debbie		Lizzy
Martin	Susanne	Erroin				Amika
Michaels	Carol		Melisa	Michael		Elliot
Patterson		Jenny	Ryan	Julia
Penafiel		Hugo
Peters		Eileen	Christine	Faith
Peterson	Kris		Ben	Owen
Price	Karen		Lauren	Emma
Sloan/Stahl	Janet	Peter	Michael	Allegra
Stevens/Patenaude	Amanda	Brian	Sebastian
Van Mell	Rick	Sandy
Yee	Wendy					Sable

What if ...	we gave a party ...	but ...	no one came?
Diantha did ...	Price & Patterson's did ...	plus Gabriele, Susanne & Erroin	with Amika!
Mira & Eva	Happy eaters ...	you don't say ...	Lots of good ...
food with cheese ...	salads too!	"O" so good...	try this ...
Amika meets Elliot	Hi Hershey ...	nice tongue.	Benny snoops
Sable begs	Hugo came prepared!	Birthday girl Allegra	Michael's hungry.
Girl talk	Good eats	More goodies.