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Frantic Sunday
Apr. 19th, 2009 08:08 pmCouldn't say anything about this until it was over, because I don't know who is reading...
We had a surprise birthday celebration for Gary's mom today (80th) and succeeded in surprising her. It seemed to be touch and go, especially since she had emphatically declared that she didn't want a party, but Gary went ahead and set up a catered family style meal at The White Eagle, near her house in Chicago. He invited relatives and friends and got about 35 "yes" replies. Then he managed to convince her that he and I were just taking her and her friend Gloria out to lunch. I thought she was onto it when she asked where he was going as he made what appeared to be the wrong turn but it turned out she herself had expressed an interest in having lunch at The White Eagle a few weeks ago. When we arrived, two friends were standing in the lobby but luckily they live quite nearby so she believed that it was just an accident that we were running into them. Then we went into the dining room and the jig was up when she realized that so many friends and relatives were there.
It was a great success. The White Eagle serves fantastic food, the service is friendly, and they just keep bringing out more of anything anyone wants. There were three kinds of soup, salad, baked chicken, roast beef, Polish sausage and sauerkraut, two kinds of pierogi, noodles, mashed potatoes, veggies, and all kinds of pastries and cakes. A large birthday cake with strawberries inside, wine, and gallons of coffee. I think the restaurant staff was a bit surprised at the huge demand for coffee rather than alcohol, but they kept filling the pots with a smile. Remains to be seen whether Gary gets whopped with a broom or a rolling pin next time he goes to his mom's, but I think she had a really good time so he'll be forgiven.
Oh, and you heard it here first: One of Gary's high school classmates bet her she wouldn't dance on the tables at her 90th and she promised to do it if she lasts that long. ;p
No dishes to wash, no mess to clean up, and they even gave us huge doggie (and pony) boxes to take home. I think we won't have to cook much this week. Wasn't cheap, but how often can you celebrate someone's 80th birthday? It's a fixed per-person rate with everything included except bar drinks, and a few did avail themselves of the cash bar.
As Gary said afterward, it's nice to get their whole family together for an occasion that isn't a funeral. Even his two brothers, who have hardly spoken to one another since a quarrel they had 20 years ago, were on cordial and joking good terms.
Oh, and after yesterday's gardening event, it rained lightly overnight and heavily today. The strawberry plants are waking up rapidly. Many of them are already standing three inches above the ground with leaves spreading.
As predicted, I am stiff and sore, especially after spending so much time sitting in the car going to and from Chicago, but it was worth it. I need to go back to work to rest up from the weekend now.
We had a surprise birthday celebration for Gary's mom today (80th) and succeeded in surprising her. It seemed to be touch and go, especially since she had emphatically declared that she didn't want a party, but Gary went ahead and set up a catered family style meal at The White Eagle, near her house in Chicago. He invited relatives and friends and got about 35 "yes" replies. Then he managed to convince her that he and I were just taking her and her friend Gloria out to lunch. I thought she was onto it when she asked where he was going as he made what appeared to be the wrong turn but it turned out she herself had expressed an interest in having lunch at The White Eagle a few weeks ago. When we arrived, two friends were standing in the lobby but luckily they live quite nearby so she believed that it was just an accident that we were running into them. Then we went into the dining room and the jig was up when she realized that so many friends and relatives were there.
It was a great success. The White Eagle serves fantastic food, the service is friendly, and they just keep bringing out more of anything anyone wants. There were three kinds of soup, salad, baked chicken, roast beef, Polish sausage and sauerkraut, two kinds of pierogi, noodles, mashed potatoes, veggies, and all kinds of pastries and cakes. A large birthday cake with strawberries inside, wine, and gallons of coffee. I think the restaurant staff was a bit surprised at the huge demand for coffee rather than alcohol, but they kept filling the pots with a smile. Remains to be seen whether Gary gets whopped with a broom or a rolling pin next time he goes to his mom's, but I think she had a really good time so he'll be forgiven.
Oh, and you heard it here first: One of Gary's high school classmates bet her she wouldn't dance on the tables at her 90th and she promised to do it if she lasts that long. ;p
No dishes to wash, no mess to clean up, and they even gave us huge doggie (and pony) boxes to take home. I think we won't have to cook much this week. Wasn't cheap, but how often can you celebrate someone's 80th birthday? It's a fixed per-person rate with everything included except bar drinks, and a few did avail themselves of the cash bar.
As Gary said afterward, it's nice to get their whole family together for an occasion that isn't a funeral. Even his two brothers, who have hardly spoken to one another since a quarrel they had 20 years ago, were on cordial and joking good terms.
Oh, and after yesterday's gardening event, it rained lightly overnight and heavily today. The strawberry plants are waking up rapidly. Many of them are already standing three inches above the ground with leaves spreading.
As predicted, I am stiff and sore, especially after spending so much time sitting in the car going to and from Chicago, but it was worth it. I need to go back to work to rest up from the weekend now.
