Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Beer Pong Party!

Were you a nerd, headbanger, jock, sorority girl or slacker at College? Or something less definable? There was much discussion of this on Saturday night at our Beer Pong party, a peculiarly American university game steeped in tradition.

Beer Pong Party in our backyard

Beer Pong, also known as Beirut, is a drinking game where players throw a ping pong ball across the table with the intent of landing it in the beer-filled cup on the other side. The loser has to drink. Our rules were much more sophisticated, natch, whereby mixed doubles play ping pong and try to land their ball in the cups on the either side. Because this was a fundraiser, we did not make people drink, decorum is always maintained at our parties.

The winners!

This was a fundraiser party for our kids' school and 25 couples bid $400 to attend. Six hosts, including us, pay for all the food, drink and entertainment. Your head is probably spinning with all our school fundraisers  - the reality of an Oakland public school where parents have to make up for the financial shortfall. (Other themed fundraisers:  New OrleansJames Bond, Mad Men, Vikings, Saturday Night Live and Peace, Love and Green.)


The day begins: loading off five table tennis tables


Me baking 200 cookies for the party

Grog: Our two barmen from Paschal's Events invented the "Peanut Butter and Jelly" and the "Dad I need more money for books" cocktails. The keg of beer was suprisingly popular too.

Aaron makes the "Peanut Butter and Jelly"

Tucker: One of Oakland's most popular taco trucks was parked out the front of our house serving a selection of filled soft tacos. Celeste's family has been in the same spot for 25 years, long before food trucks became part of the roadscape in California. Followed by late night pizza, ice cream bars and cookies.

Celeste serves from her taco truck


Prize: Our co-hosts were MacGyver blokes who can fashion anything from a 2X4 and a No 8 wire, as we Kiwis say. They strung up lights so we could play to midnight and fashioned this trophy.

Handmade trophy

Hosts wear: Party, Sleep, Repeat t-shirts. I had a confused style at Uni which I tried to re-capture.

Your hosts

Random memory...I cleaned a lot of houses to support myself at law school.  I was a brilliant cleaner but a poor to indifferent law student -  if the lecturers knew me at all it was because I had repeated their class or I was always in their office begging for extensions on my assignments.

One day I was called into the Dean Of Law's office. I assumed I'd been found out...was it wrong to "collaborate" with a brainy friend on the "How to Use a Law Library" assignment? Everyone averted their eyes as I walked the aisle of shame to the Dean's office.
Once in his office I recognised the Dean -  I cleaned his house.

Dean Of Law: Would you like to be one of my research assistants for the summer?
I was astounded  - this position was only offered to the brightest and keenest in the class and was immensely prestigous.
Me: I think you've made mistake - have your seen my marks?(grades).
Dean of Law: Yeees...I wouldn't normally offer you the position. But....you're such a good cleaner!
I couldn't even use the library, how could I do this job? I had visions of hiding in the law library loos all day.
Me: I'm so sorry....That's very flattering, but I've already accepted another job.

Friends, that's how I came to be cleaning the toilets in a campground all summer long.


63 comments:

  1. Wow, I definitely am impressed at all your creative fundraisers. We have a few here, but they are nothing like as exciting.
    Not sure I ticked any of those boxes exactly at Uni: I was fairly hard working by comparison to my fellow English students (who did the bare minimum) but lazy compared to my medic boyfriend. The whole thing is a bit of a blur, which suggests I spent too much time in the pub.

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    1. Time well spent, I say. My friend used to call her parents from "The Library"

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  2. Yes--- you have a lot of school fundraisers, but they all seem pretty fantastic! I wouldn't mind attending and partaking in any of them!!!

    This one looks like a lot of fun!

    As for who I was in college...... hmmmmmmm..... I plead the 5th!

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  3. It looks like you all had a lot of fun.

    Probably a much better fundraiser than our dreary sausage sizzle. I'd never come across pre-cooked "meat-flavoured sausages" until we came to NZ.

    You were probably better off doing the cleaning...you might have ended up getting lost in the library

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    1. Meat-flavoured snozzies in the land of the snozzie? What on earth has the quarter-acre Pavlova Paradise come to?

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    2. All of the quarter acre sections have been subdivided. *sigh*

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  4. wow, 200 cookies?! wow! ;)

    <3, Mimi
    http://whatmimiwrites.blogspot.com/
    $100 Shopbop Gift Card Giveaway -- Open internationally!

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    1. We had a soccer party the next day at our house...Oh my life is so glamorous!

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  5. Wow! When you throw a party, you throw a party! The next one better than the last!

    But I'm not sure if you could handle a Bear at one of your parties.

    I'd show up in my fur coat, with a red ribbon (or something similar) around my neck. And I'd give you a handful of acorns and a couple of dead squirrels instead of $400.00.

    You get my point, surely.

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  6. Looked like such a fun party! What a great fundraiser idea!

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  7. What a great fun raiser. How cool! Love the Tee-shirts..I'm afraid..mine is much more nerdy...

    Read. Sleep. Repeat.

    Thanks for the inspiration. Like the name of the drinks.

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  8. oh wow..our fund raisers are BBQ chicken, BBQ chicken, BBQ chicken...you have WAY WAY better way to raise money!!

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  9. We used to play beer pong in University! Fun. I'd totally attend your next fundraiser. Esp. if there is still PBJ drinks being served.

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  10. That is such an awesome idea, I've never heard of beer pong. Now I want to get a little table tennis table! Love your uni story, I don't think I'll ever be called a good cleaner. New Zealand needs food trucks, not just the trucks that go into work at lunch time, I want a truck to pull up outside our house that sells tacos!

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  11. Couldn't you photoshop in stacks of $100 bills and skip all the work?

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  12. Goodness, I'm glad life is less fund-raisery here. Sounds almost like a full-time job!

    Loved the chat with the Dean! You would have been mince-meat if you'd taken up his offer and it got out to the more worthy. What a lucky escape. :)

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  13. Hilarious story about the cleaning - your Dean showed a keen grasp on really important life skills. Good for him!

    Beer pong sounds excellent fun - is it in the Olympics? I might make it my life's mission to bring it to Britain! xxx

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  14. This sounds like a lot of fun, I never seen it before! I enjoy fundraisers and they are a great idea to raise money for great things :) xx

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  15. What an interesting fundraiser. You are all getting clever. I had assumed that these were fundraisers for private schools. I didn't know all of this were for the public schools. It it done through your PTA (Parent Teacher Association)?

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  17. This looks so fun! My sister in law LOVES beer pong!

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  18. I always visit a taco truck when I am in the Central Valley visiting my brother. So delicious!

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  19. Jody,

    What a great idea for a fund raiser.. and that's a lot of cookies!!

    Law school?! Cleaning homes while in school? Wow! You are a very driven and hard working women Jody :) That's not easy!

    leslie

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    1. Maybe should have done less cleaning and more studying - all worked out though...

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  20. Wow this looks like an amazing par-tay! That peanut butter and jelly looks phenomenal!

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  21. Your crowd have such great imagination for these fund-raisers; you really ought to be running the country.

    I was a bit of a swot in sixth form (last couple of years of high school) but once I settled myself into University I became a slacker, I think I felt I'd worked hard enough to get there.

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  22. I was a slacker first-time round and I left Uni without a diploma to travel around the world. I went back in my thirties once I had seen that I couldn't get the job I wanted if I didn't study hard first ! Took me a long time to understand that my parents had been right all along !x

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  23. You look very cute as a style confused student. Been there with the rolled up jeans, too. Didn't look half as good as you though. I was kind of shy and quiet as a kid. The more surprising it was to find out that I had been voted Most Popular Girl of our year - almost 20 years post our a-levels. I promise you, I have NOT been popular at all during my time at school. No boyfriend, no invites to the cool parties, no hanging out with the cool crowd. Maybe sometimes it just pays off to shy up and say nothing? ;-)
    Btw, thanks for your comment - completely agree, it's all about choice!

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  24. Well, if you have to supplement the California education system you might as well have fun!

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  25. I love the beer pong party idea!! What a blast and way more fun than our stinky fundraiser (which includes the kids of all things)!!!

    Didn't know you were a law geek too. : )

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  26. i bet he was shocked when you turned him down! too funny! this fund raiser looks spectacular! i will have to remember this for our kids' school auction next year!

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  27. What a fun party, and great fundraiser! Your backyard ROCKS!!!

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  28. A much more fun time than a coffee morning fundraiser

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  29. Your school sounds like a blast. We have a ton of fundraisers for our public school. too. Thank goodness there are people that can contribute. It helps a lot. Beer pong we haven't done yet!

    Love that story about law school. Girl, you have moxie. Prob wouldn't have been worth being an intern anyway. Very few women who went to law school here are still practicing with a family. One of my friends who got her law degree from Harvard is a housewife now and so much happier!

    xo
    Kim

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  30. A fun party, such a great idea for a fundraiser, Jody! Your backyard looks beautiful all lit up. :)
    Ada

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  31. Wow, you are such a go getter and get involved in so many things, we could not be more different. My big regret in life is that I didn't go to university or college. Erm I think that puts me firmly in the slacker camp.

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  32. Jody you have way too much energy .... cycling, partying, scooting about here and there...what is your secret??!! ps you are so good to do so much to raise funds for the school, what on earth would happen without people like you?

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  33. Haha amazing that you had this party! I never played beer pong in college. Went to FIT in NYC so we didn't really have campus life. No frat parties. But we did have clubs which was pretty cool for an 18 year old :)

    I did however play beer pong a number of times in my early-mid 30s. That's when I finally became "cool"??? :)

    Have a great weekend!

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  34. Ahhhh, how fun! I see a weekend party in our future! :)

    http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
    Twitter: @GlamKitten88

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  35. I want to come to your parties!
    How do you know so many fun people?

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  36. lol the trophy looks awesome, I've tried beer pong but I suck at getting the ball into the cup!!

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  37. Wow, you are quite the party planner/fund raiser. This looks like such a good time! I would be proud to win that trophy:)

    *Erin

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  38. Hope you managed to find that Student video!

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    Replies
    1. We did, thank you - I could identify with a lot of it!

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  39. Wow, I want to come to the next beer-pong party, mainly because it's such a fantastic name for a party....and there are homemade cookies!!

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  40. Sounds like an absolute hoot of a party!

    Melissah

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  41. Great fundraiser ideas!! The party looked like so much fun. I love your Law school story, although I think I would have excepted the Dean's offer! Love Di ♥

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  42. that is like so damn cool event,i wish i can attend such fundraiser.its a good idea where people enjoying rather than just more like come and go

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  43. Wow what an awesome fundraiser and looks like everyone had a blast!

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  44. Wow! What an amazing looking event...

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  45. This was my second time reading this...just because it's a riot. Having two college kids, I've learned the fine art of the ping pong ball toss from some pros. I want to come to one of your fundraisers. I promise to be really fun! Yum, taco truck! AND P, B & J cocktails. Oh, Please!

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  46. I have tears running down my face. Man, you're a hoot!!! Were you at Auckland Uni? I used to clean houses too but spent most of my summer thinning apple trees (don't ask).

    You have the most creative and funniest parties. The drinks menu was enough to make me crack up again.

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    1. I was at Wellington. Thinning apples trees sounds romantic but must have in fact been back breaking - can you still eat apples after that?

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  47. What a FUN idea for a party! This is so cool and it looks like everyone had a great time. Love how you accessorized your team uniform. :)

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  48. no way...!!! how much fun is that!?!? I wish I could have been there :)

    XOXO

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  49. How nice of you to organize a fundraising event!! Not only that you have helped the school but I am sure the party was so much fun!!! Love the pictures!

    xoxoxo

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  50. $400?? that have better been some really {REALLY} good beer!! ;)

    party. rinse. repeat. (love it)

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  51. Did you ever read the Mrs Mills agony aunt in The Times colour mag? so so funny.......and thanks for reminding me about the jerky dance!

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  52. I’ve always wanted to join fundraising events! A Beer Pong party sounds good –where no one gets drunk and there’s only friendly competition. I can only imagine how successful this event was. Good job!

    -Rob Feckler

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  53. I was a nerd, actually! LOL! However, I'm stronger than my homeboys when it comes to holding down their alcohol. :P Judging by the pictures, it seems that everyone had a great party, especially the ones who played beer pong!

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