Birthday Express

I slept until 10:30 this morning. When I finally got up, I put on Brunch With the Beatles while making Banana Honey Pancakes for breakfast. "The Beatles In 1966" was in the spotlight this morning. By 1966, the four were devoting more and more time to experimenting in the studio, and the result was their most ambitious album yet, Revolver. The album's success, coupled with the stress of touring and troubled tours in the Far East and the US, lead the quartet to drop live performing. We heard songs from their last concerts like "Roll Over Beethoven," along with numbers from Revolver and singles from the era, like "Paperback Writer."

Called Mom after I finished breakfast. She seemed to be in a pretty good mood. I told her about my walk yesterday and my quiet week. She said she was starting to get ready for Thanksgiving after finally getting Dad out from underfoot. She also gave me some suggestions for my Secret Santa recipient. I'm glad; I like the person I got but don't know them that well.

Dad was holding a surprise birthday party for his girlfriend Jodie at his house. Rose picked me up around 1; Craig and Khai were already there when I arrived. We ended up having a nice little crowd. Craig and Rose brought lunch meat, cheese, and olive platters from Anthony's, the restaurant where they work in Haddon Heights. There were plates of brie, cheese rolls, and crackers, bowls of hummus and pita wedges, and plates of tortilla chips and salsa and guacamole. Dad was already behind the bar in the den, dispensing sodas and drinks. Jodie's aunt Colleen bought a beautiful marble sheet cake from Sam's Club with decadent fall-colored chocolate buttercream icing.

Jodie went out to get her nails done. She didn't get home until almost 2:30. The party was in full swing by then. Some people were watching the Eagles-Redskins game. Others were eating, or chatting on the porch. Most of the people there were Jodie's family members or friends of her sons TJ and Jesse. Jesse's girlfriend Dana kept an eye on her baked ziti. Karen, Jim, and their 7-year-old son CJ arrived shortly before Jodie.

I spent a while after halftime with Rose, CJ, and Khai. Khai adored CJ. CJ brought his bike to ride while he was here, and he sped up and down the block as Khai tried to follow him on his ride-on plastic firetruck that can make siren noises when you push a button. He's really outgrown that firetruck, but they don't have anything else for him at Dad's house. Rose and I followed the boys as they rode around until Karen announced it was time to go home.

I spent the rest of the afternoon talking to Jodie's relatives, Rose, and the boys. I ate a lot. I had three slices of cake, a bowl of baked ziti, and I don't know how much of everything else. I lay in front of the warm, flickering fire in the office area, enjoying the snuggly, cozy feeling and the wonderful woodsy scent. I watched Polar Express with Khai. I watched the Eagles lose badly to the Redskins, 31-6. 

By 5PM, the game and Polar Express were over, and I was getting bored. As he did last Christmas Day, Jesse was nice enough to drive me home. I spent the rest of the night writing a piece on memories of family dinners for Helium and working on the crocheted scarf.