Greetings from Mission Viejo, California, USA!
Photo taken on Sunday, March 30, 2008.
First I need to mention a few things from the previous week. I sent a bonus email about the last-minute party of six for one roommate’s 40th birthday on St. Patrick’s Day. On the following Friday, the spring equinox no less, I attended a friend’s wine tasting party. Then my other roommate had a gathering of eight for Easter. That occasion coincided with some Asian holiday, which we acknowledged by flicking water at one another as a blessing but it became a water fight. We dried off, had a meal of ham and turkey, and then walked to, along and from the beach. The evening ended with a round of the board game Scene It. My team eked out a win against the other two.
Photo taken on Sunday, March 30, 2008.
First I need to mention a few things from the previous week. I sent a bonus email about the last-minute party of six for one roommate’s 40th birthday on St. Patrick’s Day. On the following Friday, the spring equinox no less, I attended a friend’s wine tasting party. Then my other roommate had a gathering of eight for Easter. That occasion coincided with some Asian holiday, which we acknowledged by flicking water at one another as a blessing but it became a water fight. We dried off, had a meal of ham and turkey, and then walked to, along and from the beach. The evening ended with a round of the board game Scene It. My team eked out a win against the other two.
Post-Easter it was back to work at the Villa Park house. We finished the storage closet job on Thursday. Friday morning I woke up, realized that I didn’t need to be anywhere and went back to bed. I slept and slept and slept. I vaguely remember someone knocking on my bedroom door and saying something about a party here in the evening. When I finally got out of bed and out of my room, no one else was home.
I was about to call a roommate to confirm if there really was a party but was stopped by more knocking, this time from the front door. John, the first party guest and birthday boy, was here. He was also instrumental in putting together the last-minute party on St. Patrick’s Day. Eventually both roommates returned and more guests arrived. We had nine people for a dinner of grilled salmon and chicken followed by pie and ice cream cake. On a side note the refrigerator is packed with leftovers from the three parties we had in less than two weeks.
I visited my parents on Saturday. Then on Sunday I volunteered at a Carnival for Children with Cancer organized by the Elks Club of Mission Viejo. The weekly photo shows the clowns making balloon animals, flowers and hats. We had an assortment of games and one rule: Everyone was a winner. For a few hours kids forgot their cancer and just had fun. As the crowd thinned out, some of the volunteers - including me - started to play the games ourselves. Then we played with the leftover toys in the prize boxes. I even played in the bounce house.
Afterward I stopped to see some friends. Their son was playing in the pool with the two family dogs and two neighbor kids. I was invited to jump in and even stay for dinner. I did both. Despite working practically non-stop for nearly a month, I managed to be at six social occasions and visit my parents in the last two weeks. Don’t ask me how I did it. I’m still figuring that out myself.
Angelo
