Today was the big day. This day was the day that was selected to celebrate my aunt Elly’s birthday despite her real birthday being in September. Elly had been quite specific about directing the revelers to omit bringing birthday presents because she alleged she had nowhere to put them although I noted ample space in the Lakeshore Drive property. Some apparently hard-of-hearing or possibly illiterate types did bring gifts, damn them. Elly’s husband, my uncle Walt, was an affluent guy and it would seem there is little Elly might need for her birthday but she was nice enough to have us all up to New Hampshire for a rollicking five-day party anyway. I am not used to sustained, high quality partying but I am pretty sure I could get used to it. Peggy seems to be having a great time as well.
For today’s version of the party, we (all 60 or 70 of us) were all invited to the Lake Sunapee Country Club for dinner and drinks. As usual, I was the proud winner of the most poorly dressed award and I am quite proud of that. Most folks had on what they call “country club casual” which means about $450 worth of clothes per person but some were really gussied up with pretty near formal attire, none of which I wear or own. The food selection was pretty nice with chicken breasts stuffed with some green and red stuff unidentifiable to me along with some great beef tenderloin. I was puzzled about which meat selection I should make so I selected both. They had an open bar and wine was served to all participants except those obviously below drinking age, which in this group seems to be about 13 years old.
The whole thing ended up about 10:30 PM, which I have found is pretty early for these confirmed, hard-core partiers. I understand some were headed back to the lakefront house for more fun but we chickened out and returned to Contoocook where Julie and I stayed up way too late drinking until it was useless anymore.
Elly may not be quite 90 yet but she holds her ground better than most. I am glad I got to come to her party because even if it was only her at this event, I would have considered it a good trip. She is very sharp, absolutely unoffensive and very welcoming, even to wayward relatives from afar. I hope I get to do life as well as she is.