The Big Day!

Howard is awash in birthday greetings! He has even received some cards from people he knows! He and I both extend our sincere thank-yous for everyone who took the time to send a card.

I met my brother, up from Florida, tan and (newly) buff at Starbucks for coffee. I told my father that in fact I wouldn't be going up to NYC to play softball tomorrow, but I'd be staying here with him, and he was actually grateful for that.

Now, all I have to do is get ready for the forty old people who will be showing up at 4 pm tomorrow. This means cleaning the house, and the yard, and making all the food.

For the food, I've decided to go with hors d'oeuvres that harken back to the early 70s, when these folks were young and spry and entertaining. I'm making pigs-in-the-blanket, rumaki (remember rumaki? It's chicken liver wrapped in bacon, doused with barbeque sauce, and cooked in a hot oven), shrimp cocktail, roasted vegetables en brochette, and a cheese board. In deference to my vegan sister-in-law, I'm also having humous. Since at least half the room will be Baptists (my father's senior citizens group meets at the local Baptist church; when I was little we used to go down and watch them do submersions in the Delaware River), I'm serving some iced tea along with the California Zinfandel I picked out.

Oh.

And I wanted some flowers. Lilacs! I love lilacs! They're my favorites. When I was working at the needle exchange, I would bring in a bunch this time of year and put them on the counter. The latin name for lilac is 'Syringa,' so I thought that was appropriate.

Anyways, I stopped at a florist, so-called, in Doylestown. Not only did the florist, so-called, not have any lilacs, but she told me that "they aren't in season yet; maybe we'll have them in a few weeks."

Uh huh.

I picked out some orange gerbera daisies and drove home with my booty, passing probably a dozen lilac bushes in full flower as I went the eight miles to the Humble Abode.

And now, at the late late hour of ten o'clock, I'm headed to bed. I have a verrrrry full day tomorrow. First I've got to clean this place, then I've got to make all that food. I'll be way too frazzled to do much in the way of socializing, so I'll busy myself passing around trays of rumaki and the like.

I think my father will be pleased. Especially when all the little old ladies present him with fudge and such.

And then it will be over. Praise be to God!

For the next decade, I should be able to make due with just baking a cake.

Hope for the best, folks!

And thanks again for the cards.

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