A Milestone - KC is 21! / March 2011

We celebrated KC's 21st birthday the first weekend in March. Everyone was making a big deal out of this. I guess my new family doesn't realize that we gnomes don't even start growing facial hair until we are 90 years old. At 21 we can barely walk and haven't been weened yet. 

We started the day with breakfast where KC works. She was our waitress, so Norm & Jules could over tip her. I'm not sure who the clown was but he showed up with balloons.

Since I had never been to this restaurant I got a cup of coffee and began studying. I think it's important to know what a place has to offer before ordering. It's embarrassing to ask for an eel sandwich only to be escorted out and accused of being a troublemaker. Sometimes they just don't understand a true delicacy.

  

Jules took the time to explain some of the many goodies on the menu while Joni & Jason were getting Brock's order. Jules also didn't want me ordering anything "strange". I think eel sandwiches are great, especially with jalapenos!

Brock decided a photo op was at hand although he wouldn't stop sucking on his lemon. 

Brock offered me some of his lemon. When I told him I didn't like lemons, he told me that anyone who will eat an eel sandwich HAS to like lemons. What could I do? I ate lemons.

Later, after KC got off work, she decided to return to the scene of the crime for her big birthday dinner now that she can legally drink "tasty beverages". The family always gets together at a restaurant for birthdays. The birthday person gets to pick any restaurant that they want. KC has always liked Applebee's. This is KC & her boyfriend, Kyle. You already know the good looking guy behind them...

Anyhow, like I said, KC has always liked it so we went there for dinner. That was when I found out another thing about these crazy people and why it is the scene of the crime. As the family legend goes KC chose it for her 9th birthday too. She liked the virgin strawberry daiquiris.

That day the bartender must have been in a rush and served KC a loaded, non-virgin strawberry daiquiri! Since nobody noticed KC was just drinking it. After drinking about a third of it she told Norm that it tasted funny and she was also feeling funny. Norm tasted it and about fell out of his chair. Seeing the look of sheer panic on the bartender and manager's faces when they found out they had served a 9 year old kid was priceless! The whole restaurant staff was in a tizzy. The family still laughs about the reaction of the bartender and manager from that day.

Ok, back to the dinner party.
And there was Brock. That guy is SOOO cool! I had to ask him where he got those shades! He told me not to worry about it that he would "hook me up".

I got real worried that I had somehow offended him and he was going to skewer me on some sharp object and leave me dangling in a warehouse.

Norm III explained to me what a hook up was. When the rest of the family saw me blushing they explained that Norm III's definitions sometimes don't mean the same as the rest of the world.

Anyhow, the hook-up Brock meant was he was going to get a pair of shades and GIVE them to me, for free! What a guy!

KC opened her gifts.

One of the gifts you don't see here are the airline tickets. Norm & Jules are taking KC to Las Vegas! Of course they said I can go too. KC's boyfriend and his Mom and Norm III are going too. I know that is going to be one fantastic trip. I just can't figure why they all kept telling me "what happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas" though. Clearly they aren't aware of my blog! Stay tuned for the Vegas low down!

All in all it was a pretty tame affair. Mostly eating and chatting and a few times ducking flying crumbs when someone chatted while eating.

We ended the day with a toast of homemade cordial at home. Cordial is a family recipe passed down from Norm's grandmother. I HAVE to get that recipe! Norm said it can be made with any fruit and after a short nine weeks is ready to go, but is better after it has aged a few years. Like the batch Norm's mom made in 1982 that wasn't opened until Norm III's 21st birthday, 19 years later!! This batch was blueberry that Joni made for KC for her birthday. Norm showed me he has "Monster Punch" from Brock's first birthday and he is currently brewing a batch of black raspberry. I can't wait to taste all of them...