Did I hear PARTY ???

Yeah, sitting in the rather lovely beer garden of the local pub yesterday evening Carolyn (Tom's lady) Molly (my friend) and I realised that there was only 3 weeks remaining of my time here and that we'd better get cracking and organise a party!
First option was there at the pub with access to a large reception room with an excellent new jukebox- quote was $12 a head for catering, plus everyone to buy their own drinks (which are expensive, like $6 for a small glass of chardonnay). When we tallied the numbers we gor to almost 60, and realised that @ $12 a head, that would be a lot of money down the drain.
So it looks like a back yard do, with platters of nibbles from the pub, a DJ system, and hopefully some reasonable weather. Two weeks from today. If it's as hot as today (38.1 and rising as we speak), then it will be horrible unless we can get some sort of sprinkler system set up.....
Funny comments and feedback I am getting regarding my announcement that I'm leaving. Two people have said "What?? I thought Pinny would always be here..."
Another just stared at me for what seemed like ages, then I said "Well, it's been 3 years.." and she replied.. vaguely.... "yeeeeeh", inspecting my face like she was expecting me to tell her that there was more to it, maybe a fatal disease, or I'd been sacked, actually, that was exactly what she was thinking, I'm sure of it !
Dear old Gail, the loyal bakery employee. Staunch and hardworking, rough as guts. If you are driving past the bakery and she's outside, you get the finger, and you know that you're IN. That's an affectionate gesture reserved for a select few. Tom is even more priveledged, he gets "Back to work you fuckin little wanker" AND the finger. She really adores him.
Wasting her precious years busting her guts in that little shop out of sheer unrequited love for the owner. Skull is lean and hungry looking, makes a great pie but I never want to see him do it thanks. Gail's affection for him goes unnoticed, but still she stays - even when he was caught by his (now ex) wife getting a head job from the cleaner, Gail remained loyal through it all. Don't even get me started on the cleaner. That's a whole other mental health case study. But I'd better not put too much shit on her, I'm hoping she'll be available to clean my house when I've finished packing. Wonder if she does just straight cleaning??