El Oso: 30

The big man was 30 years old, on an almost cold morning in middle June. To celebrate, he joined Chet Danger, Red Strike, Joe, and more work buddies for breakfast before another full day of work.

My full day of work started with the last day of counting pennies, shoes, and photo copies at Old Church. Found a 1927 penny in the process, and always a handful of Canadian versions.

Tables loaded with picnic feast: grilled hot dogs, fruit salads, and chips followed the closing VBS ceremony. Puck plowed through his plate to get to the water slide and other water-based activities on the other side of the picnickers.

Bounced back and forth several times between the Big House and Irish’s volleyball coach’s pool party. Drop-off, pick-up, because Mom and Carrie had the car out at the pulmonologist.

By the time we all reconvened: Mom, three sisters, and Puck, Irish and I were out the door again.

Forest Park: Shakespeare Glen.

With the week being as loud and long and fast as it was, Irish and I were happy to spread out a rectangle of plastic and enough blankets for eleven people to heat up in the afternoon sun five feet away from the stage, before hitting up the Art Museum.

This time we weren’t there to wander the halls, however. We sat down at the cafe for salami-pepperoni sandwiches, lemon Perrier and Fitz’s root beer.

Checked the gift shop. Ever since Hamlet of 2010 when Irish found a pair of silver cat earrings in the Art Museum gift shop – and then lost one of them – we’ve always checked to see if any more had gone up for sale. Finally, that night was the night. A whole new fresh set of real Egyptian-made Egyptian-silver Egyptian-cat earrings. Still ten dollars. Sold. Plus another brightly colored painted square of Egyptian-made papyrus for $2.75. I don’t know anything about imports these days, but even museum-sold products from Egypt always seem to cost practically nothing.

We wandered back to the blankets before six. Red Strike and his wife showed up, then Mom and Puck (Carrie dropped them off with two sacks of food and a case of sparkling apple Dasani), and El Oso with another sack of food. The sprawl of snacks made a runway down the blankets. Bing and little sister, followed by Rose and then Ricky, well after the performance had already started. These kids who work over-time.

So I got to see Jim Butz perform as Prince Hal. And El Oso seemed to have a decent sort of birthday. It was freezing cold by the end. But I’d say it was still worth it.