Grillers in the Mist 2011

The 2011 Grillers in the Mist Labor Day Party was even more fun than usual. Maybe it was because the sun was out all day, or because all the food was so good, or the music so outstanding or the jokes so horrible.

Nobody's got a cooler local cop than Officer Lorraine. She "responded to a noise complaint" again this year, just like last year and the year before that and the year before that. You can see she really hates hanging around and only eats that bbq because we make her. She made a cake once (with a file in it, of course).

Pamela Girard took most of these photos. Barbara Blake is tired of hearing about her husband Michael's crossword puzzles that he does for the Noe Valley Voice as well as the NY Times (have you heard of that paper? It's from New York.) Bill Leeman still has the Pirate Smile.

Nancy has a new guy: George, the guitar player. He's very cool, but Plotnik never did hear his last name. Maybe he's like Sting or Beyonce. Nancy still has the zillion dollar smile.

Natalie and Nick get bigger every year.

At last year's party Natalie met Carlo...

...who lives next door to Great Plotnik World Headquarters, and now Natalie is their Official Baby Sitter. Which means she can take Grillers in the Mist 2010 off her taxes.

Noe Valley Sal, above left, who publishes our fine local newspaper The Noe Valley Voice, bankrolls the party each year but no one ever remembers to take anything but random photos. So most people at the party didn't get their picture taken, or if they did haven't sent it to Plottie yet. Heidi got in the shot above but her two boys, who brought their guitars and jammed with everyone for half an hour, didn't.

It's a fun bunch of people. The Great Plotnik and Great Ducknik have been lucky to have been part of this crowd since they've lived up here and Plotnik won a prize in their late and long-lamented Literary Contest. Sal buys the beer and wine and hot dogs and everybody else brings something delicious. Pamela's squash blossoms and Bill's cardamom-sherry cake and Corrie's fried chicken wings (to say nothing of the Green Curry Chicken Sate) were all standouts.

And now Summer is, like, over in the rest of the country and starting here. Kids go back to school but here the flowers stick their heads up, shake off the fog, stare up at the sun and go "What the...! Where the...! Who the...! Really? Until November?"