Fired Up Birthday Celebration

The ABFA and Daughter at Breakfast Being Counseled by my Wife in Her Swami Getup

Every now and then, if you’re lucky enough, a day like yesterday rolls around.  I knew a certain level of serious contentment permeated the household because for the first time in years I slept until 9am.  I usually wake up and am out of bed by 7am at the latest.  I blame Uncle Sam and 27 years in the infantry for that failure to enjoy a morning bed.  Both of our “kids” as well as their significant others – Wing Man and the ABFA were under our roof so the sense of contentment was understanding and palatable.

Buddy Leading a Planning Session

By late morning we had all descended to the kitchen where a breakfast that could be more accurately described as brunch was undertaken. The big event for the day was a late celebration of my daughter’s September birthday.  This required the attendant grocery and liquor store runs which the guys handled, more to get out from under foot of the taskmaster than anything else.  Before the party kicked off though, we had an obligatory trip to Ronnie’s for the ABFA.  It would be criminal if a world class level ice cream devotee had to pass an entire season without a Ronnie’s fix.  Ronnie’s is closing for the season today.  Balance was restored to the universe with a healthy serving of the cold stuff before the party.

ABFA, Wife and Son at Ronnie's

My brother in law couldn’t attend the party but did stop in for an entire six minutes before he sped off to attend the Bruins game (we definitely got a better deal than he did).  We were all touched that he came all the extra way just to pop in and say hi – my kids have that effect on people.  His wife, my sister, showed up fashionably late and was spending the night as well – score!

Party Time

In short order both the ABFA’s parents and Keene Friend showed up and the retinue was complete.  We immediately gathered around the kitchen island and laughter ensued.  I’ve said it before but it bears repeating – being around these people is medicinal in terms of spiritual health.  I then attempted to burn down the deck by igniting a huge conflagration in the grill.  Kind of a sick feeling when you look out the window and see massive flames leaping from the location of your dinner.  Luckily it was noticed in time to quell the flames and rescue the steaks, thanks to my son for that.  It didn’t happen in time to quell the rather sharp observations of a certain spousal unit about my lack of attention.

Such Great People

Dinner continued the fun and laughter with Buddy circling ominously around the table trying to pick off stray bits of food that left the safety of the surface.  He spent most of his time near my sister, having quickly identified the weak link.  Fantasy football was the subject of choice since we had all eight teams of the league represented.  The ABFA parents learned they were in first place and the ABFA mother immediately started talking smack – so funny.

Daughter With her Cake

The obligatory ice cream birthday cake followed (ABFA approved I might add) which involved my daughter once again wielding the family sword of power.  She sundered the cake apart we all dove in despite already full stomachs.  The ABFA’s parents had to depart after cake in order to return home and plot their next fantasy football ploys.

Wielding the Sword of Power
The Guys Seem Nervously Calm 

Since I did not want to fall captive to the couch I proclaimed that a bon fire and marshmallows were called for and endeavored to make this so.  We moved the chimena off the back deck out onto the lawn which reduced the chance of immolating the residence.  It was a great fall night with the stars bearing witness to the continued laughter.  A thick mist descended over the course of the evening and our fire created a center of warmth inside a cocoon of cold, wet fog.  Adult beverages were involved of course and as the both the wood and beverage supply dwindled the laughter increased. 

Group Picture 

At one point I avenged many of the childhood indignities inflicted upon me by Miss Oh So Perfect – older sister by “accidently” dowsing her over the head with a full glass of wine.  The official story is that I was handing her a glass of wine and incorrectly thought she had it.  The ABFA looked on horrified as the wine inundated my unfortunate sister.  My sister wore her wine well though and this will just add to the legendary status of the day.  The Keene Friend spent the entire time goading confrontations and then sitting back to watch the carnage he had wrought.  The decibel level of the laughter increased to the point I was starting to expect the police to show up asking us to quiet down (bringing back other childhood memories).  Our neighbors are much cooler than that though and allowed us full throat until the wood was gone and we’d made a serious dent in the world’s supply of chardonnay.

The Fire, Sister on the Left Before her Wine Shampoo

We ended the night in the family room with various members drifting off to sleep and then deciding to go to bed.  It was a heroic day which is fitting because we were celebrating the birth of a truly epic person.