Update

Almost all of the Boys are here. We have one more coming in tomorrow and one who won't be with us; after all, we can't have ALL of them in the same year. That would be a sign of the end times. Eric has been cooking like crazy and I've not complained one little bit. Yesterday he made homemade alfredo--most yummy! The Boys have met and approved the Boyfriend and the Girlfriend, at least as far as I can tell. We've been playing role-playing games (Ninjas & Superspies and Paladium) since yesterday afternoon. The house has been packed with people, filled with good noise, and Tessie is the only one who doesn't approve. The noise is freaking her out a little but she'll get used to it. She does every year.

Right now, it's quiet for a little while. Eric, the Boys, and the kids (including the extras hanging around to worship the Boys) have all gone off to the local gaming store. I opted to stay home and no one objected. They understand that I need a little time away from all the testosterone. I was going to relax and watch a little TV uninterrupted, but I decided I needed to have it quiet. After all, I have no idea how long this will last.

One thing that has changed with the visits over the years is the amount of technology everyone brings. In the early days, the guys brought CD's to share. Then someone brought a laptop. Last year, I think everyone brought a laptop. This year, Chadwick brought his "little" desktop:

That's a 24" flat screen monitor (Chadwick is sitting, Danny is standing, and of course that's Vicky giving the thumbs up). The CPU is not shown in this picture, and I was a little afraid to ask about the particulars, but I was told that it's water cooled. I had no idea they made a water cooling system for home computers, but I'm not a tech nut. You can see, too, that in addition to the desktop, there are two laptops on the table. The number of computers in the house this week is bordering on ridiculous. I've worked in offices that had fewer computers!

So, yeah, everyone seems to be having fun so far.