My Birthday Dinner
Thursday passed at work and as it turned out Rick and Kathy didn’t want to come on Friday for my actual birthday. The birthday dinner I had planned was for Saturday night. Kathy had to pack for a trip on Saturday to Orlando and so she was going to miss my birthday party. Rick wanted to clean house because after my birthday dinner we were all going over there to watch the Wisconsin Badgers play Michigan State in the competition for the Rose Bowl. Carol and Dave didn’t want to come because Dave had to work on Saturday morning and it’s a far drive for them to Tosa from Hartland.
As it turned out Jim came through and made my birthday really special! I met him and his new girlfriend Bridgett at Café Hollander. It was so nice. Jim got me a beautiful sweater and Bridgett brought a wonderful cheesecake from this special place. It was absolutely delicious. Plus we got to have a Wisconsin fish fry. It was a really nice evening and Bridgett was so funny. I was laughing so hard I could fall off my chair. She told stories about her parents. They owned the smalltown newspapers in the Hartland area, all the weekly papers. Well her Dad got into that when it was just farms there and the area is now very upscale suburban. The Milwaukee Journal bought him out some years ago and they got a retirement place in Florida where they go part of the year. He still writes a column though. Actually he writes several columns. One is Dan the Answer Man, where he asks a question and then comes up with the answer. Another one is something like, “things that annoy me. “ Bridgett says her siblings are always telling him, “Dad, you can’t write about cocktails all the time.” Apparently one of the things that annoys him is going to a restaurant where they don’t make his cocktail strong enough. Bridgett is the 5th of 8 siblings and they had some fun times as kids growing up and helping with the newspaper, handing it out at the grocery store and stuffing it with the advertisements and doing all the things to keep it going and build it up. Her dad calls the computer, the confuser. He doesn’t have a laptop, he ships his hard drive and monitor to Florida where he and his wife spend the winter months and then ships it back when he returns. Forget about email, it is all he can do to FAX his stories and columns to the newspaper for publication.
Bridgett, Jim and I and the cake!
My cousin Mary had offered to help me with the attic on Saturday and she came by the hotel about 9:30 and we set out for Grandma’s house. We hoped to find treasures but turned up yet more dishes and revere ware. We gave away the pots and pans with matching lids and put the rest into the trash pile. Two large and growing piles in the garage, one for Goodwill and one for trash. We wrapped it up and had submarine sandwiches with Jim and Rick, then got ready to go. There was a brand new grill still in the box, a little Weber and I said Mary could have that for her daughters Sarah and Libby for their new apartment in Minneapolis. She decided to give it to them for Christmas.
Then Mary and I stopped to visit with Mom. I took more bags of stuff, clothes and some odds and ends. There’s a small platform outside each door where each person can display something festive in front of their room. So now Mom has some choices of things to display. Mary helped her adjust the heat in her room. We both tried again to persuade her to come to my birthday party. One of us could bring her back. But she doesn't like to be out in a car driving at night in the cold. She really didn't want to go. Finally we accepted that.
Then it was time to leave to get ready for the big dinner. When I got back to the hotel, I decided to go and work out for awhile. I didn’t leave much time to get ready and was rushing then. But I got over to Rick’s and went with him to Jake’s. The restaurant sits on a hill and it’s so cozy inside. We gathered together, the 7 of us in the bar first. I opened some gifts and cards.
I had worked with a fellow by the name of Dan on the setup. We got the table by the big stone fireplace, and it was a real fire. The table was laid out for us with a beautifully printed menu by each place. The choices were duck, salmon or steak all served with potatoes and asparagus. Dan was wonderful and when we arrived I also selected some wine for the table, a bottle of red and a bottle of white.
Mary, Dave and Carol
I was right next to the fire and someone came and tended it periodically Jim said who was on my right, but I never noticed because I was so enjoying seeing all seven of us there together, Carol and Dave, Rick and we missed Kathy, Mary and Larry and Jim and I. We had toasts to me for my 60th birthday. I had the duck and Jim had duck too and so did Dave. It was just ever so crispy on the outside and tender and moist inside.
Carol and Jim
Carol brought cake that Dan put in a refrigerator when she got there and they brought it out and all sang happy birthday. It was a dream birthday party and I enjoyed treating everyone, it was a big thank you from me for all the times I’ve been to their homes for holidays and all the times they’ve put me up and done the entertaining. It felt good to do.
Then we went to Rick’s and the Badgers were winning by halftime when each of us petered out and went on home. I turned on the game after I got ready in my PJs and tucked into bed and the minute it was over and the Badgers won to go to the Rose Bowl, I turned it off and was asleep in seconds.
As it turned out Jim came through and made my birthday really special! I met him and his new girlfriend Bridgett at Café Hollander. It was so nice. Jim got me a beautiful sweater and Bridgett brought a wonderful cheesecake from this special place. It was absolutely delicious. Plus we got to have a Wisconsin fish fry. It was a really nice evening and Bridgett was so funny. I was laughing so hard I could fall off my chair. She told stories about her parents. They owned the smalltown newspapers in the Hartland area, all the weekly papers. Well her Dad got into that when it was just farms there and the area is now very upscale suburban. The Milwaukee Journal bought him out some years ago and they got a retirement place in Florida where they go part of the year. He still writes a column though. Actually he writes several columns. One is Dan the Answer Man, where he asks a question and then comes up with the answer. Another one is something like, “things that annoy me. “ Bridgett says her siblings are always telling him, “Dad, you can’t write about cocktails all the time.” Apparently one of the things that annoys him is going to a restaurant where they don’t make his cocktail strong enough. Bridgett is the 5th of 8 siblings and they had some fun times as kids growing up and helping with the newspaper, handing it out at the grocery store and stuffing it with the advertisements and doing all the things to keep it going and build it up. Her dad calls the computer, the confuser. He doesn’t have a laptop, he ships his hard drive and monitor to Florida where he and his wife spend the winter months and then ships it back when he returns. Forget about email, it is all he can do to FAX his stories and columns to the newspaper for publication.
Bridgett, Jim and I and the cake!
My cousin Mary had offered to help me with the attic on Saturday and she came by the hotel about 9:30 and we set out for Grandma’s house. We hoped to find treasures but turned up yet more dishes and revere ware. We gave away the pots and pans with matching lids and put the rest into the trash pile. Two large and growing piles in the garage, one for Goodwill and one for trash. We wrapped it up and had submarine sandwiches with Jim and Rick, then got ready to go. There was a brand new grill still in the box, a little Weber and I said Mary could have that for her daughters Sarah and Libby for their new apartment in Minneapolis. She decided to give it to them for Christmas.
Then Mary and I stopped to visit with Mom. I took more bags of stuff, clothes and some odds and ends. There’s a small platform outside each door where each person can display something festive in front of their room. So now Mom has some choices of things to display. Mary helped her adjust the heat in her room. We both tried again to persuade her to come to my birthday party. One of us could bring her back. But she doesn't like to be out in a car driving at night in the cold. She really didn't want to go. Finally we accepted that.
Then it was time to leave to get ready for the big dinner. When I got back to the hotel, I decided to go and work out for awhile. I didn’t leave much time to get ready and was rushing then. But I got over to Rick’s and went with him to Jake’s. The restaurant sits on a hill and it’s so cozy inside. We gathered together, the 7 of us in the bar first. I opened some gifts and cards.
I had worked with a fellow by the name of Dan on the setup. We got the table by the big stone fireplace, and it was a real fire. The table was laid out for us with a beautifully printed menu by each place. The choices were duck, salmon or steak all served with potatoes and asparagus. Dan was wonderful and when we arrived I also selected some wine for the table, a bottle of red and a bottle of white.
Mary, Dave and Carol
I was right next to the fire and someone came and tended it periodically Jim said who was on my right, but I never noticed because I was so enjoying seeing all seven of us there together, Carol and Dave, Rick and we missed Kathy, Mary and Larry and Jim and I. We had toasts to me for my 60th birthday. I had the duck and Jim had duck too and so did Dave. It was just ever so crispy on the outside and tender and moist inside.
Carol and Jim
Carol brought cake that Dan put in a refrigerator when she got there and they brought it out and all sang happy birthday. It was a dream birthday party and I enjoyed treating everyone, it was a big thank you from me for all the times I’ve been to their homes for holidays and all the times they’ve put me up and done the entertaining. It felt good to do.
Then we went to Rick’s and the Badgers were winning by halftime when each of us petered out and went on home. I turned on the game after I got ready in my PJs and tucked into bed and the minute it was over and the Badgers won to go to the Rose Bowl, I turned it off and was asleep in seconds.
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