No One Expects the Spanish Inquisition

Having eight college guys spend two nights in the House on the Corner led to scurrying as Husband and I adapted to our temporary role as hostel hosts. For future reference, here's what we learned:

1. We were "hostel" hosts, not "hostile" hosts, although when the schedule called for arrival at 1 a.m., the latter was a distinct possibility for my mood. Husband rescued the first impression by sending me off to bed while he waited up for the travelers.

2. The empty nest means we can assign beds to an astonishing number of guests. Boy#4 slept in his own bed and beds normally belonging to Boys#1, 2, and 3, plus two futons, plus an air mattress, plus a comfy couch, meant no one was actually on the floor. (Of course this would not have been a problem if we'd had girls, who are better at sharing, but I digress.)

3. It takes a heapin' pile of blankets to outfit that many beds.

4. Boy guests may be less willing to share beds than girls, but they are enthusiastically appreciative of any cooking efforts. You'd have thought Sunday lunch's pulled pork sandwiches were Top Chef-worthy. For the record, here's the recipe: Before you go to work Friday, put two pork shoulders into the roaster and cover with any seasonings you have. Cook all day at 250 degrees. Shred. Refrigerate. Sunday morning before church, put meat in Crock-Pot with a jar of Curly's barbecue sauce. Pile onto a bun and slather on extra barbecue sauce. Eat. Bask in culinary glory.

5. Two words: Chocolate Sheetcake.

6. Even though the guests will be in the house about 12 hours total, you will find you have completely adjusted to having them around when they wave good-bye. You will look at the stacks of dirty dishes and piles of wet towels and realize that you'll be running the dishwasher and washing machine for the rest of the day and possibly into the next day, and in spite of this you will smile, because you miss them already.