SuperSucker2000
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Mozart’s birthday – Collette recalled the good old days when every Friday they would meet with the Englishs. And one Friday in particular, when Mozart’s birthday had landed on a Friday, there was a fancy chocolate cake made in his honor, for celebration. Of course, the little ones cared little whose birthday it was, as long as there was a nice soft slice of chocolate cake, apiece.
Wednesday had come and gone rather uneventfully. Although OLeif was signed to the new job and would begin February 7th. Collette was quite proud of him and his work, and knew that he would enjoy the time with fellow computer nerds, such as himself. Plus, Shepherd would be there daily as well, and they would have time to discuss life, philosophy, and the world.
Wednesday at work had gone pleasantly enough. There were only ever little things she remembered when working alone, such as how the labels she placed on the post-cards for mailings had a French look if set further to the right and down… how a certain pen with a heavy end had a more executive feel if held slightly up from the base… a Pepsi truck thundered past on the road far down the hill under the wonderfully sea gray skies.
At the house there were mozzarella bites to fry for a snack while Collette prepared bacon for dinner sandwiches.
At dinner, Dad suddenly announced that he had a special 2-3 minute video for them all to see once they were finished. They all began to guess what it was. The more they guessed, the more Dad’s smile lines grew into laughing lines, and the more red his face became from laughing. Finally, Collette and Carrie-Bri guessed it at the same time, out of the blue.
“It’s an instructional video for the SuperSucker2000!” Carrie-Bri blurted out as the entire room erupted in laughter.
Dad nodded, overcome with laughter, and Francis could no longer hold it in, and splurted ice tea over to the other side of the table, those of which immediately jumped up enough to mostly miss the shower.
The SuperSucker2000 merited this outburst, for it was the most high-powered toilet in the world and continually scared visitors out of their minds. They were installed four and a half years before, and managed to be an amusing conversation piece from time to time.
Meanwhile, as Collette taught math, Joe cartooned on the counter-top with his pencil. By the time he had left for choir with Rose, the counter had a funny face with stars pouring out his mouth.
And then Carrie-Bri discussed her madrigal dinner plans and her ideas for whom to cast as king and queen, changes she hoped to make. For herself – she would again be a gypsy in regal purple-gold skirt, beads, bangles, and silk scarves. She would follow “Shakespeare” about (Magnus) during the dinner, and would act a prima donna with a masquerade for the fun. And out the top of her mask, or hat, would sail an obnoxiously (or ostentatious, as she put it) long thin feather, with which she would turn suddenly and hit him in the face from time to time. Then she might sing random high notes from table to table as Shakespeare would recite original poetry.
OLeif came later from work to snap Carrie’s senior pictures which all turned out very nicely. For the first set she put on a striped coral top with dark red coral earrings she had fashioned herself from clay, of stacked geometric shapes, and held Pumpkin over her shoulder – a midnight lump of fur next to her face.
Collette would stand behind her holding the skirt of a black prom gown as backdrop. Then Carrie-Bri would put on black lace and intricately carved silver earrings and a brooch on a chain of the same kind with large chunk-cut crystals embedded inside.
Then, for a last shot, OLeif would photograph her full reflection in the mirror and she would be wearing the black lace with the full purple-gold skirt.
As they discussed this, Carrie picked up the kitten and stroked it.
“This is the wealthy Carrie – after she retires from the Secret Service and marries a billionaire,” Collette told her
“It’s her evil genius look,” OLeif nodded jokingly.
Carrie laughed at the funny face in her arms and announced to the rest of the living room:
“Nobody touch this cat. We’re prepping it for tonight.”
And she put her back with Snuggles on top of the boys’ bunk bed to catch some more winks. A limp sleepy cat would be much more easy to work with then the usual feisty eyes she had.
In the end, everything turned out good, and OLeif was convinced it was his favorite photo shoot to date. But it was soon time to leave, and on the way back, there was a frozen lemonade for Collette, as OLeif had kept some change in his pocket.