John had another birthday

Yesterday was John's 81st birthday. Again this year, he didn't want to mark it.

"Don't get me anything," said he when I broached the topic several weeks ago. "And no, I don't want to do anything.  We'll just go for a pizza."

I know better than to plan anything for him, however small, without his complete agreement.  He simply would not be a happy camper.

So I planned nothing.  We would go for a pizza after the ball game.  (And yes my boys won, just for him!)

Then, about a week before the event, he decides he'd like to have "KFC with Marcus."  Well, that'll be a challenge given that there are no KFC outlets in this immediate area.  "Do you really want to drive into Ottawa late on the afternoon of your own birthday so you can have KFC with Marcus?"  I queried.

Eventually, my darling little chickadee suggested that they would come out to our place (a second weekend in a row, having just been here on the Saturday of Easter weekend).  And they would pick up KFC en route.

By Tuesday (or was it Wednesday?), John had contacted his two sons to see if they could join us.

This was quickly becoming that party he didn't want.

Obviously there were now other members of the family who had to be included.

We were quickly creating a monster.

Now, we all know that some people have lives and they just might have commitments.  His daughter was  unable to join us on such short notice.

His sister and her husband had been planning to stop over anyway.  It was, after all, his birthday.

By Friday, he was "really looking forward to tomorrow."  (Next year, I start two months prior to his birthday, and remind him of this last minute gala.)

All of a sudden, my little chickadee was picking up chicken for ten people, and would she please also pick up ice cream which I completely forgot to get on Friday when I was running around getting decorations and goodies to put together a party.  John Jr was commissioned to pick up the cake on his way through town. (I had ordered it earlier in the week.)

The cake (again, from our local Baker Bob's --  he makes the best cakes!) was quite the hit.

It all turned out quite well in spite of its being such an impromptu event.  A good time was had and everyone was very well fed.