Ride Plate Don
Donât Put Out the Onions Yet (Theyâll stink up the whole room)
You’re planning a party and you want it to go off without a hitch, right? The silverware is polished, the food prepared, the decorations put up, and the guests are about to arrive. What could possibly go wrong? But wait, what’s that stench? The onions are stinking up the whole room! Quick, get the air freshener! No, not the pine-scented kitchen cleaner, air freshener! Too late. Now, the room smells like onions and pine infused disinfectant!
No matter what type of party you are hosting, something can – and will – go wrong. Your job is to prevent party disasters and minimize the damage should something go awry. And plenty can go wrong. We’ve compiled a few do’s and don’ts of throwing parties to help you avoid party catastrophes (and stinky rooms).
Party Don’ts
- Don’t put out the onions just yet!
- Don’t let your dog have free run of the house.
- Don’t let your kids have free run of the house either.
- Don’t use your heirloom china or crystal no matter how beautiful they are. If you do, breakage WILL occur. Guaranteed.
- Don’t start drinking before your guests arrive. Once they do, do so in moderation only. You’ll need your senses about you as the night progresses. On second thought, maybe you SHOULD get drunk. (Not really).
- Don’t fret over the little details. So what if you haven’t lit all of the candles yet before your guests arrive. If you forgot something or haven’t had a chance to get to it yet, you’re probably the only one that will notice. On the other hand, if you freak out, everyone will notice.
- Don’t turn the music up so loud that no one can carry on conversations.
Party Do’s
- Do prepare food ahead of time so that you can enjoy the party instead of being stuck in the kitchen cooking, serving, and cleaning.
- Do be aware of food borne illnesses and how to prevent them.
- Do have an empty dishwasher ready for stashing dirty dishes.
- Do use disposable plates and forks (many elegant looking products have hit the market).
- Do hire servers and bartenders for larger parties .
- Do make sure that all bathrooms are well stocked with ample toilet paper and supplies.
- Do keep your pets offsite or safely locked in a bedroom.
- Do hire a babysitter for your kids.
- If children are invited to the party, do hire a babysitter or a team of sitters to watch the children and keep them entertained (in a separate area of the house).
- Do provide a few vegetarian (and even vegan) dishes as alternatives for your vegetarian friends.
- Do direct smokers to designated smoking areas outdoors.
- Do monitor alcohol consumption and have a cab company’s phone number handy should a party guest need a safe ride home.
- Do have absorbent towels handy for quick spill mitigation (and don’t freak out when a spill occurs. Do a quick cleanup and worry about more thorough cleaning later).
- Do place coasters strategically throughout your home, particularly on furniture that you want to enjoy, ring-free, for years to come.
- Do play non-offensive background music, preferably by either streaming music from your Internet playlist to your stereo or using a six-CD changer so that you aren’t constantly tending to the music.
- Do introduce guests properly to each other by providing a little information about common interests.
- Do maintain a healthy sense of humor (you may need it, especially if you don’t heed the advice above).
About the Author
By: Rhonda S. Decherd
Eventure7.com
800-705-9484
i got a ticket in new york city for no seat belt as a passenger in my girlfriends car?
i just arrived in Manhattan, a tourist from Florida, riding in my girlfriends car. i had just taken off my seat belt and removed my coat as we came out of the Lincoln tunnel and got pulled over within a block and given a 130$ ticket. i would have thought a warning would have been appropriate. the cop took down my license info and my girls plate. what happens if i don't pay it?
If you don't pay it, NYS will notify Florida. There are only about five states with which New York does not have a reciprocity agreement on traffic tickets, and Florida is one with which they do. According to the Florida DHSMV, they will suspend your license for unpaid tickets in another state. See the last question on this page:
http://www.flhsmv.gov/ddl/faqsuspend.html#11
It's a non-point violation, so while it will appear on your Florida record you won't be assessed any points for it.
Tickets in NYC are handled by the state DMV Traffic Violations Bureau. If you decide to pay, you should be able to do it online even if the ticket doesn't say so. Information is here:
http://www.nysdmv.com/pleadandpay/default.html
Bad timing, really. Ticketing passengers as a primary reason for making a car stop is pretty rare in NYC, but as it happens a new law is just taking effect today changing the age requirements for child safety restraints. To bring attention to that, most police agencies in NYS have been running "click it or ticket" campaigns.
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