The Party Continues
Sunday, September 4, 2011
In which Joe is visited for his belated-birthday and promptly falls asleep…
A world of dark blue and rain…
Beautiful change.
And while Laurel Peach was enjoying Sunday brunch on her balcony overlooking Sydney Harbor, because professional Australian women with private pilot husbands could do just about anything they wanted… joke…
Collette pulled the boys out of bed just in time to hit the road for OLeif’s eight o’clock worship rehearsal at church and a fruit cup for Puck at QT.
When they arrived…
Collette took out a bag of spinach from the car to bring to Carrie later. It would refrigerate in church until they left. She tossed it to OLeif across the roof of the car where OLeif’s QT coffee sat…
Smash.
Coffee everywhere.
And so the day had started…
Inside, Linnea was in the foyer, looking cute as usual. She had never quite lost that factor… She helped Puck guess the number of peanut M’nMs in the jar on a table (for the kids choir resuming the following week).
“Did Joe have a good birthday?” Collette asked her.
“I guess… I made him pancakes at least… And then everyone blamed me for them falling apart. But it wasn’t my fault. They just cut them wrong.”
They then proceeded to discuss the ‘secret rooms’ in the church attics.
“Where the gremlins meet…”
“Who even goes up there?”
“I don’t know. The deacons?”
“That’s creepy. They’re up there braiding candles or something…”
“Can I go up to the secret rooms, Mama?” Puck asked.
“No, bud.”
“It’s OK though. Because I have secret eyes.”
With the start of the service: new worship order, new music guy, new guest preacher… goodbye to Judah (leaving the church staff) and Mollie. And the one-service format again. Different…
Over to the house where…
Joe, who had partied it up at Steak ‘n Shake with some buddies, where their waitress profusely flirted with him, and then to a wannabe Irish pub… was sitting on a chair in the living room, rather ill. Food poisoning. Dehydration… This had happened before.
“That burger was raw.”
He shortly later transferred himself to the couch for a nap while the girls caught up on life and Francis relaxed in the rocking chair, asking for food. Some razzing of Francis for being just like Dad…
“You should write a book: Dad and His Ways.”
“Hey, Francis,” said Joe in randomness, “Up high.”
Francis slapped his hand.
“Down low.”
Francis slapped his hand again.
“Too slow.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Laugh,” Carrie commanded. “It’s his birthday.”
Joe then proceeded to explain how he and Starr’s husband were going to dress up in mini skirts and tank tops and visit Chester where he worked at Culver’s, to embarrass him.
And Linnea was attending a birthday party for a church friend.
Lunch.
Francis and Collette ran to Dierberg’s for: Digiorno’s pizza, Tyson’s chicken nuggets, and Ore-Ida crispy fries.
And in the perfect cool breeze of the afternoon…
Half of the clan watched Ratatouille.
Joe napped for several hours.
Rose continued refurbishing the 1800’s dresser.
And Carrie prepared to leave for Forest Park with Lucia.
Piggy-back with the Silverspoon’s.
The boys on the deck with cigars and coffee for hours.
Grass-fed beef burgers with cheddar, mayo, and guacamole chips.
Puck was to spend the night once more.
Izzy out for Xbox-ing, from what Collette could tell of the situation.
Come night, Joe and Magnus arrived for Bottle Shock, some laughs, and chocolate brownies until nearly eleven before Joe returned to check in on the Pepper’s dogs.
And the highs were in the 70’s for the entire week. As the Irish would say…
“Gahr-geous.”