July 25: Post-party #6

Alright, this is my last party-related post and I’ll never talk about the party again unless I feel like talking about the party.

One thing cool about celebrating your birthday two months early is that people give you gifts at the party and then hopefully forget and give you a gift again on your birthday. Yay for poor memory!

For a party on which the invitation specifically requested NO gifts, April and I were showered with many. There are a few of those I want to mention that are exceptionally... um... mention-worthy.

The first gift I received was when my mom and Kathy arrived Friday afternoon. Since we pulled the rail on our front porch down (intentionally), the front of the house looked so different. Something was missing. This bistro set filled in that space perfectly.



I love bistro sets, but not the fakey ornate ones. The one Mom chose is exactly what I wanted. Exactly. It’s very simple and has nice little details, like the pattern on the edge of the table and that pitcher of mimosas.

The next thing I was given was a Harvey seat belt bag. It’s black and a doctor bag style. My seester knows me so well.



I can’t stop touching it (heh heh, that’s what she said). It’s made of real seat belt material, so it’s smooth and simply fabulous. Someone told me it looks like it’s made of grosgrain ribbon, but of course, it’s much sturdier than that. A nice extra touch? It has four metal feet on the bottom—important on any handbag, but especially one made of fabric. Thank you, Kath! I love, love, love it.

April gave me a wristlet from Laura Bee Designs. You can have items custom-made in the store, and April chose the materials and little add-ons for this just for me. This is so cute. Does April have the best taste, or what?



One of Lori’s gifts—a Troy Bolton pillow—has already been stolen from me. I saw it in Katie’s room last night. Not to worry, I will steal it back. If Katie puts up a fight she’ll be given a warning (“I’m bigger than you, kid!”) and that’s it; after that I’ll sit on her. Sometimes you have to show your kids who’s boss. (Lori, if you ever get your very own Link Larkin pillow you’ll do the same thing.) And I know what you’re thinking, but it is untrue: I AM NOT A PERVERT FOR LOVING THIS GIFT. “Immature,” I’ll give you. But not “pervert.”

July 23: Post-party #5

I created a newsletter-type thing of 1968 events for the party, just in case everyone got bored and felt like reading. Here’s the stuff that was in it.

---

1968: The Year in Review

In honor of 40 fabulous years

Future bright, said prognosticators—they were right!

Jan. 2–Cuba Gooding Jr., actor
Jan. 10–Sherrice Neil Croft, a most lovely person indeed
Jan. 14–LL Cool J, actor
Jan. 24–Mary Lou Retton, gymnast
Jan. 28–Sarah McLachlan, singer

Feb. 1–Lisa Marie Presley, singer
Feb. 3–Vlade Divac, ball player
Feb. 5–Roberto Alomar, ball player
Feb. 8–Gary Coleman, actor
Feb. 18–Molly Ringwald, actress

Mar. 2–Daniel Craig, actor
Mar. 26–Kenny Chesney, musician
Mar. 29–Lucy Lawless, actress
Mar. 30–Céline Dion, singer

Apr. 4–Deanna Peterson Gutierrez, silly Boise girl
Apr. 14–Anthony Michael Hall, actor

May 2–Lisa Ross Nicholson, party pooper
May 12–Tony Hawk, skateboarder
May 27–Frank Thomas, ball player
May 28–Kylie Minogue, singer
May 29–Karen Byrd Heinrich, winner of high school belching contest

Jun. 13–Kimberly Gibson Quishenberry, housemate extraordinaire
Jul. 16–Barry Sanders, ball player
Jul. 24–Trudy Whittaker, Jen’s cool neighbor
Jul. 24–Kristin Chenoweth, actress
Jul. 27–Julian McMahon, actor

Aug. 15–Debra Messing, actress
Aug. 25–Rachael Ray, TV personality
Aug. 31–Hideo Nomo, ball player

Sep. 4–Mike Piazza, ball player
Sep. 18–Jennifer Saltmarsh Manullang, gossipy blogger (so be nice!)
Sep. 25–Will Smith, actor
Sep. 26–April Knudson Jordan, most perfect and delightful traveling companion
Sep. 26–James Caviezel, actor
Sep. 28–Naomi Watts, actress

Oct. 1–Ted Manullang, middlest brother
Oct. 11–Jane Krakowski, actress
Oct. 12–Hugh Jackman, actor
Oct. 17–Ziggy Marley, musician
Oct. 29–Sherilee Goerlitz Coffey, ten-fingered caterer
Oct. 31–Vanilla Ice, rapper/punch line

Nov. 8–Parker Posey, actress
Nov. 12–Sammy Sosa, ball player
Nov. 18–Owen Wilson, actor

Dec. 2–Lucy Liu, actress
Dec. 5–Margaret Cho, comedian
Dec. 8–Mike Mussina, ball player

Average Prices in 1968

New house: $24,950
Annual income: $7,850
Minimum wage: $1.15
New car: $2,822
Gas per gallon: 34¢
First-class stamp: 6¢
Movie ticket: $1.50

Major political events of 1968

March 31–U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson announces he will not seek re-election
April 11–President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968
April 20–Pierre Elliott Trudeau becomes Canada's 15th Prime Minister
June 5–Democratic presidential candidate Robert Kennedy is shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in San Francisco. The 42-year-old Kennedy dies in the early morning of June 6.
June 21–Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren announces he will resign
August 5-8–The Republican National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida nominates Richard Nixon for U.S. President and Spiro Agnew for Vice President
August 22-30–Police clash with anti-war protesters in Chicago, Illinois, outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention, which nominates Hubert Humphrey for U.S. President, and Edmund Muskie for Vice President
October 14–Vietnam War: The United States Department of Defense announces that the United States Army and United States Marines will send about 24,000 troops back to Vietnam for involuntary second tours
November 1–President Johnson orders an end to bombing in Vietnam
November 5–Republican challenger Richard M. Nixon defeats Vice President Hubert Humphrey and American Independent Party candidate George C. Wallace

Making history

January 1–Federal guidelines state that all passenger vehicles must be equipped with shoulder harnesses
January 6–America’s first heart transplant was performed at Stanford University
February 16–The nation's first 911 emergency telephone system was inaugurated, in Haleyville, Ala.
March 1–Singers Johnny Cash (36) and June Carter (38) wed
March 13–Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) and Humble Oil and Refining Company (now Exxon Company, U.S.A.) announced the discovery of oil on Alaska’s North Slope (Prudhoe Bay). The oil companies soon began efforts to construct a pipeline, but work was suspended due to environmental concerns.
April 4–Martin Luther King, Jr. is shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Riots erupt in major American cities for several days afterward.
April 18–London Bridge was sold to a US oil company. It was later erected in Arizona.
May 25–The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is dedicated
May 27–Memorial Day, which began in 1868 as Decoration Day, was set aside to remember those who have died in the service of their country. Celebrated on May 30 for the first 100 years, Memorial Day was officially changed to the last Monday in May in 1968.
June 16–The first automated teller machine in the U.S. is installed in Dallas, Texas
July 15–Commercial air travel began between US & USSR
July 15–The Intel Corporation was founded
September 30–the first Boeing 747 is rolled out
October 14–First live network transmission of video from inside a manned US space capsule in orbit (Apollo 7)
October 20–Aristotle Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy marry on the Greek island of Skorpios
October–Redwood National Park is established in northern California
November 14–Yale University announces it is going co-educational
December 22–President Eisenhower’s grandson David Eisenhower marries Julie Nixon, the daughter of U.S. President-elect Richard Nixon
December 24–U.S. spacecraft Apollo 8 enters orbit around the Moon. Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William A. Anders become the first humans to see the far side of the Moon and planet Earth as a whole.
The Pathmark supermarket chain is established
Roy Jacuzzi invented the first whirlpool bath

Pop Culture

Events

January 8–Jacques Cousteau's first undersea special airs on US network TV
February 16–The Beatles travel to the Maharishi's ashram in northern India to meditate and bring Eastern worship back to the West. Now, four decades later, meditation is widely accepted within the scientific community as a beneficial practice.
February 19–The first episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood airs nationally
April 29–The musical Hair officially opens on Broadway
September 29–Spanish tenor Placido Domingo makes his debut
October 18–Circus Circus Las Vegas opens
November 1–The Motion Picture Association of America adopts its film-rating system (G, M, R, X)
November 22–William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols share the first interracial kiss on US television in the Star Trek episode “Plato's Stepchildren”

• Hot Wheels die cast toy cars are introduced by American toymaker Mattel
  
• The original Lava Lamp is patented in the U.K.
  
• Nearly 200 million households now own television sets, (78 million of which are in the US)
  
• Knott’s Berry Farm fences in the property and begins charging admission
  
• McDonalds introduces its Big Mac
  
• The fourth Betty Crocker (General Mills advertising icon) makes her appearance
  
• The J.M. Smucker Co. introduces Goober Grape, a single container with peanut butter and grape jelly swirled together

Musical groups established

Bread
Rush
Yes
Judas Priest
Led Zeppelin

Pop singles

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, by Iron Butterfly
Build Me Up, Buttercup, by The Foundations
Born to Be Wild, by Steppenwolf
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, by Dick Van Dyke & Sally Ann Howes
I Heard It Through the Grapevine, by Marvin Gaye
I Say a Little Prayer, by Dionne Warwick
(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay, by Otis Redding
Stand By Your Man, by Tammy Wynette
Do You Know the Way to San José, by Dionne Warwick
MacArthur Park, by Richard Harris
Mrs. Robinson, by Simon & Garfunkel
What a Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong
Yummy Yummy Yummy, by The Ohio Express
Put Your Head on My Shoulder, by Paul Anka
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, by The Beatles
For Once in My Life, by Stevie Wonder
Hey Jude, by The Beatles
Revolution, by The Beatles
Classical Gas, by Mason Williams

Films

2001: A Space Odyssey
The Lion in Winter
The Love Bug
Barbarella
Blackbeard’s Ghost
Funny Girl
Finian’s Rainbow
The Green Berets
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Bullitt
Coogan’s Bluff
Heidi
Night of the Living Dead
The Odd Couple
Oliver!
Planet of the Apes
Romeo & Juliet
Rosemary’s Baby
Yours, Mine and Ours
Charly
Hang ‘Em High
The Producers
The Thomas Crown Affair
Yellow Submarine

Television series debuts

60 Minutes
Adam-12
The Mod Squad
Hawaii Five-O
The Dick Cavett Show
Banana Splits
Here’s Lucy
The Doris Day Show
One Life to Live
Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

Television series endings

Batman
I Spy
Lost in Space
The Monkees
George of the Jungle
The Lucy Show
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Andy Griffith Show
The Danny Thomas Hour
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Best-selling books

Fiction
Airport, Arthur Hailey
Couples, John Updike
The Salzburg Connection, Helen MacInnes
A Small Town in Germany, John Le Carre
Testimony of Two Men, Taylor Caldwell
Preserve and Protect, Allen Drury
Myra Breckinridge, Gore Vidal
Vanished, Fletcher Knebel
Christy, Catherine Marshall
The Tower of Babel, Morris L. West

Nonfiction
Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
The Random House Dictionary of the English Language: College Edition, Laurence Urdang
Listen to the Warm, Rod McKuen
Between Parent and Child, Haim G. Ginott
Lonesome Cities, Rod McKuen
The Doctor's Quick Weight Loss Diet
The Money Game, Adam Smith
Stanyan Street & Other Sorrows, Rod McKuen
The Weight Watcher's Cook Book
Better Homes and Gardens Eat and Stay Slim

The Wide World of Sports

January 14–Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl II
January 20–Game of the Century in college basketball between the University of Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins played at the Houston Astrodome. It was the first prime-time national broadcast of a college basketball game and paved the way for the CBS March Madness television coverage.
February 6-February 18–The 1968 Winter Olympics were held in Grenoble, France
May 2–NBA Finals: Boston Celtics won 4 games to 2 over the Los Angeles Lakers
May 8–Catfish Hunter of the Oakland Athletics pitched the first perfect game in the American League in 47 years before a crowd of 5,000 at the Oakland Coliseum
June 16–Lee Trevino wins the US Open golf championship
September 9–Arthur Ashe became the first African-American to win US Open tennis tournament
October 10–World Series: Detroit Tigers won 4 games to 3 over the St. Louis Cardinals
October 12-27–The Games of the XIX Olympiad are held in Mexico City, Mexico
November 17–The Heidi game: NBC cuts off the final 1:05 of an Oakland Raiders-New York Jets football game to broadcast the pre-scheduled Heidi. Fans are unable to see Oakland (which had been trailing 32–29) score two late touchdowns to win 43–32; as a result, thousands of outraged football fans flood the NBC switchboards to protest.
December 5–Heisman Trophy Winner: O.J. Simpson
Teams established: Atlanta Hawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Nets, Oakland Athletics, Phoenix Suns, Denver Spurs

In the Northwest

February 13–Voters approve $40 million of “Forward Thrust” bonds to build the Kingdome, the Aquarium, youth centers and highways
May 3–Opening ceremonies are held for Portland’s Civic Auditorium (now Keller)
May 28–Senator Eugene McCarthy wins the Democratic primary in Oregon
July 31–Westfield Southcenter Mall opens in Tukwila, Washington
September 30–the Boeing 747 is rolled out
November 30–Aaron Frank, primary founder of the Meier & Frank store chain, dies at the age of 77
December 3–The Central Association unveils its plan for Westlake Park in downtown Seattle
North Cascades National Park is established in Washington State
Eddie Bauer retires and sells his company
Seattle’s Best Coffee is founded in Coupeville, Washington under the name “Wet Whisker,” an ice cream and coffee shop
Bob Packwood is elected to represent Oregon in the U.S. Senate
The Rogue River in southern Oregon is named one the country's first national wild and scenic rivers
Sunriver Resort in central Oregon is created
Ted Bundy manages the Seattle office of Nelson Rockefeller’s presidential campaign
The Black Panther Party for Self Defense established its Seattle chapter, one of the first outside California
The John Day Dam project is completed 76 miles downstream to form Lake Umatilla
Scientists cross the Pacific oyster with the Kumamoto oyster to produce the Gigomoto oyster. They had hoped for a cross that would have the best traits of both oysters but instead produced a cross with the worst traits of both oysters.

Goodbyes

Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. 1929); Helen Keller, American spokeswoman for deaf and blind (b. 1880); Robert F. Kennedy (b. 1925); Rose Wilder Lane (b. 1886), American author and reporter, and the first child of Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder; Upton Sinclair, U.S. novelist and social reformer (b. 1878); Tallulah Bankhead, American actress (b. 1902); John Steinbeck, American writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)

You’re over 40 if...

• People who call at 9 p.m. ask, “Did I wake you?”
  
• There is nothing left to learn the hard way
  
• Things you buy now won’t wear out
  
• You enjoy hearing about other people’s operations
  
• You get into heated arguments about pension plans
  
• You have a party and the neighbors don’t even realize it
  
• You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge
  
• Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off
  
• You sing along with elevator music
  
• Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either

“Life begins at 40 - but so do fallen arches, rheumatism, faulty eyesight, and the tendency to tell a story to the same person three or four times.”

Did you know that turning 40 means you are now older than 58% of America, and that you’ve lost 10% of your muscle mass in the last decade? And that almost 90% of 40-year-olds are in debt? But don’t despair—at 40, Lucille Ball’s television career was just beginning, Gandhi’s plan for civil disobedience was just an outline, and John Glenn’s career was about to go into orbit. Chances are you own a home (71%), you feel you’re in good or excellent health (87%), and you are happy (51%). About 91% of women and 88% of men have been married, 82% have children, and, best of all, you’re still gettin’ it on—1.8 times a week. —“The Big 40”

The “I just woke up” face of your 30’s is the “all day long” face of your 40’s. —Libby Reid

July 22: Post-party #4

I’ve uploaded the first batch of party photos to my Flickr page. If you have any pics, please e-mail them to me at jennifer-at-manullang-dot-com. Thanks!

July 22: Post-party #3

Yummy, yummy, yummy, I got party food in my tummy.

If you’ve been to gatherings at our house before, you know that food is always the component with which I spend the majority of my time planning. This party was no exception. Mary (my mom), Pat (April’s mom), and Darlene (Vic’s mom), April and I provided a lot of the prepared food and beverages. While those things were delicious, it’s the homemade foods that people have been e-mailing me about. Here are the details.

Camille (April’s sister) and Roger were responsible for that huge and beautiful and very tasty fruit salad that was the centerpiece of the table. They also made the hummus and flatbread, as well as the curry chicken salad. Camille, if you’re willing to share your recipes, e-mail them to me. I should also mention that these two very helpful guests tended to the food throughout the party. They made sure all dishes were restocked and none of you starved. Aren’t you glad they came?

Dawn, my caterer neighbor and new favorite person in the world, made the to-die-for macaroni and cheese. She was generous enough to send me the recipe, which many of you have requested, so here it is. Dawn also made that amazing sundried tomato and pesto torte and the I-just-can’t-get-enough onion puffs. I was tempted to sneeze on any one (or all three) of these dishes so I could have them all to myself. Lucky for you, I didn’t.

I made the orzo pasta salad and tapenade pinwheels.

Here’s a tip: if you get invited to a party at our house, change whatever other plans you might have so you can be here. Especially when other foodie-types are involved, it’s worth coming just for the grub. Your gut will be forever grateful, even if your waistline will hate you.

July 21: Post-party #2

Our fridge is still full of delicious leftover party food and cake, and I keep finding “40” confetti around the house, but otherwise you’d hardly know there were 75-85 guests here for the big 40th birthday bash on Saturday night. Let me tell you, if you want a good party, invite these same 75-85 people and you’re guaranteed an evening of belly laughs. I love our friends.

Toby (April’s uncle) and Jean brought their grandson, who made friends quickly and soon had a large group of kids following him into the neighbor’s yard. They gave me and April names of hymns for people over 40:
Precious Lord, Take My Hand (And Help Me Get Up)
It Is Well With My Soul (But My Back Hurts)
Nobody Knows The Trouble I Have Seeing
Amazing Grace (Considering My Age)—this clearly does not apply to me
Just A Slower Walk With Thee
Count Your Many Birthdays, Name Them One By One
Go Tell It On The Mountain (And Speak Up!)
Give Me That Old Timers’ Religion
Blessed Insurance
Guide Me Oh Thou Great Jehovah (I’ve Forgotten Where I Parked)

Lafe, Rebecca, Cooper and Rowan came from Walla Walla for the party. I hadn’t met the boys in person and it had been years since I’d seen Rebecca. Although I didn’t get to spend much time talking with them, it made me feel very special that they were here. The thought of them making the effort to be here still puts a smile on my face. I’m also enjoying the beautiful bouquet of roses they brought.

David, Cristina, Sally, Mack and Phoebe, some of our delightful-er neighbors, left their pug Eddie at home. That greatly decreased the chances of my mom getting peed on during the party, for which she was thankful. Personally, I think it would’ve been a hoot.

Deanna, my favorite cousin, stayed up with me and Kathy until 3 a.m. after all other party guests had left or gone to bed. We gossiped about family and Kathy told the same stories at least three times.

Dominic “Honey Bunny,” Janet and Danell hit it off with our neighbors and now have a standing invitation to all our barbecues, beer busts, beer blasts, keggers, steinhoists, AA meetings, and beer nights.

Kendall, Karen, Anna, Andrew and Abi were guests of honor, as Karen is an oldster like me and April. Abi slept through most the party. Karen pretended to try to hide her voluptuousness but failed miserably (photographic proof to be posted later this week). April and I have known Karen since high school, and have all been roommates at different times; for us, this celebration would have been incomplete if any one of us had not been there.

Julia (April’s sister) and Ralph played social butterflies to critical acclaim. We were honored that they were able to make it here to help us celebrate.

Mary (my fabulous mom) played nametag creator/enforcer. She also helped tremendously with party preparations, while my sister spent the afternoon at the mall, not helping at all. Mom gave me a bistro set for my birthday, which kind of completed the new front porch décor.

All the festive balloon bouquets were the work of Jim, April, Emma and Trevor. April, as one of the five guests of honor, spent most of the party welcoming all the family and friends that came to help us celebrate our 40th birthdays. I think she was better at this than I was, but it could be because she was less drunk.

Shawn, Heather (April’s sister), Kaitlynn, Mitchel, and Wyatt were instrumental in getting our guests fat and happy.

Michael (April’s brother) and his daughter Miah were surprise guests—we weren’t sure they would make it, and were thrilled to see them show up.

Pat (April’s delightful mom) arrived early to help with party preparations and I don’t think she stopped working the whole party long.

Dave and Cindy brought me a beautiful sunflower bouquet and their glowing smiles. The party wouldn’t have been the same without them here.

John, Lori, Taylor, Trevor and Theo—my BFF-in-laws—were the guests that were hard to let go of, and we made them stay much later than they wanted to. Of course, since Lori and Kathy disappeared for a good portion of the party, they sorta owed us that extra hour.

Jerel, Sabrina, Jordyn, Jessie and Josh managed an evening outside of the E.R. to join us for the celebration. Their summer has been Jen-like in its misfortune so I felt quite honored that they all made it here!

Jim (without Tina, Kailey and Sammi, who are currently vacationing on the equator) let us borrow his driveway and ignored noise ordinances, for which we are especially grateful.

Vic, Jen, Katie and Jack—that’s us—got most of the house projects done in time for the party, though we question whether our efforts were worthwhile; when the house is crammed so full of people I don’t think anyone is noticing crown moulding and new paint colors and alphabetized bookcases. But we all had a wonderful time at the party and are truly honored by the many family members and friends that joined our celebration.

Wellington and Darlene, Vic’s parents, had a mini-fit just before the party when they stopped at Costco to pick up our birthday cakes and found the store had just closed. If not for the very kind employee who took sympathy on her and snuck her through a back door, we wouldn’t have had cakes.

Kevin and Erin arrived with an armful of lavender from their garden, which is still making my whole house smell like my sleep mask (this is a good thing). I have already forgiven Kevin for thinking I was 50 and not suggesting that I look way too young to be that old.

Kim had RSVP’d but she has the kind of schedule/life that doesn’t always let her carry out plans so I was thrilled beyond belief when she showed up! I love that girl; we don’t see each other nearly often enough but when we finally get together it’s like no time has passed. Next year is HER year for the big milestone party.

Lisa and her daughter Sage arrived late, but because I didn’t think they’d show up at all, it was a lovely surprise to see them. Another classmate and friend since high school, Lisa was a guest of honor and made me publicly announce that I was wrong about her. And now I’ll announce it to the Internet: Lisa is not a party pooper. She was hot and grimy from camping but came to the party anyway because she is a good person and cake is yummy.

Ed, I am very sorry about my sister. She told me she took your shoes. I am also very sorry that I didn’t notice how fabulous your shoes were or I might have tried to steal them myself.

I hardly got any time to speak with Dick and Dotti because it seemed like every time I saw them I was rushing off to take care of something important/party-related.

Roger and Camille (April’s sister) were of huge help before and during the party with making sure the food was prepared and frequently re-stocked. They’ve got that Ralph Knudson hosting thing perfected. Thank you!

Darby, Dawn and Lauren are responsible for much of the delectable food items on our table. If you didn’t eat at the party then you are very, very unfortunate. Many guests asked for Dawn’s macaroni and cheese recipe, as well as the sundried tomato/pesto torte, and I’ll be posting that stuff tomorrow. Dawn is not only one of my favorite people, she is an amazing cook and incredibly generous. Darby’s a good guy because he was not offended when my sister started calling him names for no reason at all.

Part of the reason we had this party in July instead of closer to our birthdays in September is so Kathy (that oft-mentioned sister of mine) could be here. Most parties are more fun when Kathy is at them. But this time she and Lori came up with some reason to leave just as the party started, which I think had something to do with an emergency spray-on tan situation. I don’t know. I do know that when Kathy came back, she proceeded to get her drink on. And on and on and on. And then she pulled down her pants. (Yes, there’s more to the story but it still doesn’t really explain WHY she stripped in my dining room so I’m not gonna bother.)

Share (April’s aunt) and Ed were surprise guests, too, because Ed was in the news recently and we weren’t sure he would be up to partying. We felt honored that he was able to make it to the celebration, and wish him the best in his ongoing recuperation.

Rob, Trudy, Travis, Tyler and Taylor were especially kind about our yard overflowing into theirs with partying children and passed-out guests. Trudy celebrates her big day Thursday but she was honored at our party a little early. Congratulations, Trudy!

And that’s how it went, guest-wise. Hopefully I got everyone. I’ll share other party-related items over the next few days, but I’m still recovering from all our preparation efforts, as well as that poorly-proportioned Tickle-Me Erin. Sunday was the first day in weeks that I haven’t awakened with a to-do list being written in my head. And last night was my first full night’s rest in a couple weeks. I’m glad the party’s over, but I have memories that will last me a long, long time. Thank you to all of you who contributed to that. You may have come to the party for Dawn’s unbelievable food and free booze and to see my sister drop trou, but I choose to believe you were there for me, April, Karen, Trudy and Lisa.

July 21: Post-party #1

Much to report about the party, but so little time. I’ll write later and probably continue to write as the week goes on. So here’s just a brief summary of the evening’s events: it seems a party ain’t a party at my house until Kathy loses her inhibitions and pants.

If you left early, too bad for you.

July 14: Right on schedule (-ish)

As I rushed around today I recalled preparing for Victor and Kathy’s 40th birthday party four years ago. The week before the big event my back started to hurt, and within a couple days I couldn’t stand up straight. I went to the doctor, who immediately hit me in the lower back and made me wonder what I pay her for. From my reaction, which was somewhere in the XXX-rated realm of profanities, she determined I had a kidney infection. I went home with antibiotics. I knew I’d be moving a little slower but was determined not to let it interfere with my party hosting.

The next day the doctor’s office called to say they’d done further pee tests and determined I had E.Coli poisoning. I needed a much stronger type of antibiotic, and the new one completely zapped me. I slept for three days. I’d nap for a few hours until Vic would wake me to change my sheets, which were drenched in sweat, then go back to bed until he’d wake me again to change my sheets. It was a foggy time for me. I don’t think he has the fondest memories either.

Meanwhile, my saint of a mother and her best friend drove from Walla Walla and Medford to meet at my house and get it party-ready. For two days they worked their hineys off. They cleaned the whole house top-to-bottom, prepared and set out food, and threw the party in my stead. I lay in bed upstairs during the party—weak and still foggy—listened to the festivities going on without me, and cried. I’d been planning this thing for roughly two years and suddenly couldn’t attend. It was very, very sad to me.

It’s sort of became a joke how well I timed my E.Coli poisoning and got people to do all this stuff for me. If the current party preparations were following the same schedule, it’s just about time for the doctor to punch me in the kidneys. I have no lower back pain, so I’m not letting her get near me.

And yet, I should have known better than to mentally pat myself on the back for avoiding injury and illness this 40th birthday party go-round. It’s only Monday. Tonight as I was bringing some groceries in from the car, the toe of my slipper caught on the porch step and I fell. And remember, when I fall, I don’t fall a little bit. I do it big. When I fall, bones break. Arteries spurt. Passers-by point and laugh and call 9-1-1.

I left a large section of my right knee on the exposed aggregate outside my front door. The ants are probably carrying it away as I type (which is good, I guess, because it’s less for me to sweep up tomorrow). A lot of skin from my left palm is missing, too. And my chin. Yes, my chin. BECAUSE I LANDED PARTIALLY ON MY FACE.

I came in and showed my owies to Vic, who just shook his head sympathetically and humorously (you’d think that combination would be impossible, but he’s perfected it). After getting myself cleaned up, I now see that the bandage on my palm and wrist kinda looks like I’m recovering from a botched suicide attempt. Believe me, while this party is stressing me out a little, it certainly isn’t that bad. Yet.

The best news is that even though my knee is suddenly swollen to the size of Cleveland, I did not break my foot, which I tend to do frequently. And there was no loss of consciousness.

But the most painful injuries? They’re on the inside.

July 9: Lemon Drop fixin’s

Alright, so The Lovely Lori wants Lemon Drops at the bash and I always do what Lori wants. Problem is, the only Lemon Drops I’ve had—at a two-drink minimum impersonator show in Vegas—weren’t very good. They were alcohol-y, though, so my brother-in-law grabbed them as soon as I made the “Yuck, sour!” face. While I remember the show we were seeing, I think Ron had the better evening.

So where do I find a good recipe? There’s Webtender, which gives me six very different versions of Lemon Drops. Joe Bartender’s got a pretty good variety. DrinkNation has an extensive recipe collection too. How am I supposed to choose?

Here’s the tastiest sounding one I’ve found so far (I likes me the sugary cocktails):

• 1 oz. citrus-flavored vodka
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar

Shake with ice and strain into a shot glass rimmed with sugar

And here’s what I think is a bumpkin version, ‘specially if you replace “vodka” with “moonshine”:

• 1 oz. vodka
• 2 Tbsp lemonade (Country Time)
• Mountain Dew

Mix lemonade mix with vodka in a cocktail glass. Fill with Mountain Dew. Stir well and add ice.

Maybe Lemon Drop Jell-o shots?

Lori and Kath, I know you’ve had the good ones. I know you’ve had them because you call me every year from San Francisco asking me to Google for the booziest drinks that will get you boob-grazed by Jackie Mason, and once those were Lemon Drops. So give suggestions, please.

One consideration: I don’t have all the fancy glasses and I can’t bear the thought of serving something in a plastic cup that belongs in a martini glass. But I can serve Jell-o shots in Dixie cups, right? (Yeah, who wants to come to this hillbilly party now???)

I think I need Debi. She’s, like, the best booze wench ever. Or maybe the real experts Erin and Kevin should play bartender?

BTW, there will be lots of other things to drink at the party, so our teetotaler guests won’t go thirsty.

The type of help I need is debatable, but I think we can all agree that I do need help.

July 7: Party guidelines

Invitations to the big 40th birthday bash have been sent out. If you have not received one yet, it was either an oversight or we don’t like you. Feel free to send a gift or four anyway.

Here’s a copy of the invitation, just in case.



If you need directions to our house, please e-mail me (jennifer-at-manullang-dot-com) or Vic (victor-at-manullang-dot-com).

RSVPs are beginning to come in, and I’d like to address some of the questions that have accompanied them because I am concerned. Why do people think April and I throw naughty parties? We are not naughty girls. We are good girls. Oh fine, we’re not good girls, but we’re not the naked party kind of girls either. Anymore.

1. Are kids allowed?
   Yes. We are parents of young children and while we would all love an evening off, this is a time that our kids can get together and cause trouble that we can then blame on other parents. Also, we’ve scared off all babysitters in the area so we don’t really have a choice.
   
2. Is this clothing-optional or what?
   Clothing is not optional at this party for most people. We can tell you at the door if you’ll be asked to perform a slow, seductive strip tease. Most of you can count on arriving dressed, though, and not because we don’t want to see you naked but mostly because we don’t want to see you naked.
   
3. This isn't one of those parties where you have to drop your keys in a goldfish bowl is it?
   I do not know if I should be offended at this question because I’m not sure what it even means. That’s how clueless I am about naughty parties. But either way, the answer is no. I will not be taking anyone’s keys, nor will anyone be allowed to kill our goldfish.

Other assurances:

• We will not be playing “Two Minutes in the Closet.” That got old real fast at our 20th reunion a couple years ago.
  
• We will not be playing “Spin the Bottle.” If any of us tries to sit on the floor, we’re so old we’ll never be able to get up again.
  
• There will be some single people at the party. You might meet someone, you might not.
  
• You will be able to gorge yourself on much delicious food. There will be some adult beverages. There will be kid-friendly grub as well. Birthday cake as far as the eye can see. All guests will be fed and watered sufficiently.
  
• Gifts for me and April, as well as other guests turning 40 this year, are actually not necessary. The party hosts, however—April’s and my husbands—would like to encourage all guests to bring gifts for them and, in fact, have suggested that you must bring them gifts or you will not be fed or watered or entertained in the least. Ignore that advice at your own risk.

I hope that settles all the nudity mysteries for you weirdies. If you have any other questions, please let one of us know and we’ll do our best to provide you a satisfactory answer.

You people scare me a little.