OLeif Turns 26
Sunday, June 13, 2010
OLeif was 26.
To begin the celebration, there was breakfast picked up on the way to church. Puck participated with his own set of hashed browns, hurrying over to the picnic tables at church.
“I’m coming, Mr. ‘Da(g)dee’!” he called out. “I’m coming Mr. Mama!”
At lunch… everyone returned for breakfast casserole, biscuits with butter and cherry jam, cantaloupe, strawberries, and sausage. And a cake covered in caramel and chocolate for dessert.
And there was conversation, of course.
Carrie was sampling a bottle of sparkling water.
“Blech,” said Rose.
“Interesting, I’m drinking water that comes from Mexico…” Carrie mumbled. “The place you’re not supposed to drink water…”
“It’s ok, because it’s sparkly,” Rose replied.
And then Francis discussed his project in the garage involving exploding coffee creamer. He had been out there for hours the previous evening.
“Francis, Henri is counting on you to take care of the fires at Klondike tomorrow,” Mom told him. “Because you’re the Boy Scout.”
“Yeah, maybe I can bring my coffee creamer to help start it,” said Francis.
There were immediate protests around the table.
“I don’t think so, Francis,” Mom told him. “Nothing involving explosions or your rocket launcher.”
“Oh, no, Mom,” Francis replied. “It’s not a rocket launcher. It’s just a bomb.”
As if that made everything perfectly alright…
Then the topic shifted.
“You know someone decided to do a play off that clothing brand, North Face,” Carrie was saying. “So they made a South Butt. And it did well until they got sued.”
Dad immediately got smile lines at this statement while Mom expressed shock. And then the rest of the crowd commenced thinking of alternatives.
“How about South Foot?” Mom suggested, who would inevitably believe the word ‘butt’ to be vulgar.
“Or South Head,” said Dad. “North Face,” he put a hand on his face. “South Head,” a hand to the back of his head.
This was followed with Carrie giving her latest narration of the homeless fellow in The Loop who had sung Michael Jackson songs to her, and had changed all of the lyrics. It was a sort of Snicketts’ trait to be followed by such characters…
Somewhere after the nap hour, Puck was given Charlie Chaplin eyebrows and mustache by Carrie, who was preparing her small picnic to bring to Shakespeare that night: cream horns, celery sticks, strawberries, and sparkling water and sparkling red grape juice.
Meanwhile, OLeif wanted a date. So off it was to The Cheesecake Factory with them, where OLeif ordered a burger with goat cheese and a Fat Tire, and Collette, The Navajo, of which she could only eat half, with crispy fries and a root beer. There was room, each, for a few bites of an exceptionally delicious Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake, served to them by their kind waiter (who Collette thought was likely South American), Daniel.
Out towards the city, cracks of lightening, reaching high, high into the sky, to earth.
And under such spectacular dark blue rolls of storm, OLeif and Collette visited The Great Escape for Prince of Persia, which Collette did not realize was a film based off a video game. And they both tried not to laugh during the entirety of the two hours and ten minutes.
Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!
~ Hamlet, Act V, Scene II