water $’s float away on baptisms and birthday
“… the fiasco caused when you tried to speed away before …”
“… before they gave me a parking ticket, Nazy. The idea was good..”
“Right. You just should have left before she could see your license plate number.”
Anyway, while I nursed my wounds from parking pitfalls, I picked up the mail. There was an ..
“Ominous warning, Nazy!” I exclaimed. “The city says that this month’s water use was abnormally high.”
“Abnormally..”
“We usually use 4 or 5 and this time we used 17.”
“17 what?”
“I’m not sure about that. But I do know that if it cost $ last month it will cost $$$$ this month.”
“How could that be?” Nazy replied.
“I have no idea.” I said. “I hope that she doesn’t remember the running toilet.” I thought.
“Wait a minute!” Nazy exclaimed. “Didn’t you leave your toilet running for an entire weekend?”
“My toilet, Nazy? This is our house.”
“I’m talking about our house, Dan. Specifically the toilet in our house that I never use.”
“It’s a perfectly good toilet, my dear. Feel free to..”
“You also left the hose running…”
“Finger pointing, my dear, is so unhelpful,” I concluded. “Especially when the finger is being simultaneously pointed and raised toward me.”
This week was also momentous on the grandchildren front. Darius and Christiane are, of course, in Lebanon with Leandra and Auriane. The Lebanese government is going to formally acknowledge their bravery…
“Bravery, Dan?” Nazy asked.
“They flew from Seattle to Paris to Beirut with a two year old and a four month old baby. That’s more than 10,000 kilometers. And they flew economy class.”
“That’s either brave …”
“ … or overwhelmingly bold.” I concluded.
Initial reports indicate that the children did not suffer from jet lag and that they instantly adapted to the new time zone.
“You might think this was good news,” I explained to Nazy. “But Darius and Christiane, jet-lagged, were unable to sleep when their children slept. Conversely, the parents, Darius and Christiane were unable to sleep when their children were awake. It was a conundrum.”
“It sounds like a recipe for exhaustion.”
“That too.”
In addition to visiting relatives, Darius and Christiane scheduled Auriane’s Christening service. The event took place in the same small 250 year old stone church, with the same Priest and on the same day as Leandra’s service the year before. The church is named after St. Abda, the patron saint of children. Auriane was calm and silent during most of the service, but took offense when they poured some water on her forehead.
Leandra wandered around the church during the whole service and when the priest put the cross in front of Auriane..
“What’s that?” Leandra, pointing, asked Darius (loudly).
Now, whenever she sees a cross, she points at it and says “A cross, Daddy.”
Leandra claims that she remembers her Christening, which took place a year ago when she was just a few months older than one.
“Yes!,” She replied. “I cried Mommy, Mommy.”
Darius confirms that this is true.
After the ceremony, they spent the afternoon at a restaurant named Mounir in the mountain resort town of Boumanna. The resort was packed because there was also a Muslim holiday (Eid Al Adha). They had a great Sunday afternoon with all of Auriane’s cousins on Christiane’s side of the family.
Christiane and her siblings
Elie, Christiane (and Auriane), Carla and Aline 
While all this was underway in Lebanon, Azelle and family were getting ready for The Unicorn (First) Birthday Party. And..
“… Melika wants us to wear something ‘rainbow-ey’, Dan.” Nazy explained.
“Of course,” I replied. “There are not that many occasions where my harlequin shirt is appropriate,” I thought.
“Not that shirt, Dan.” Nazy replied, presciently.
“Hi Mom,” Melika said, joining the conversation.
“Nazy!” I interjected. “If Melika has pink hair, then I can wear my ..”
In preparation for the party, Melika sent me to Vons to …
“… pick up a few things for Azelle’s birthday, Dad.”
Mitra (up in Santa Barbara for the celebration) and Tiger joined me with The List:
6 bottles of Whispering Angel Rose’
3 bottles of Rombauer Chardonnay
3 bottle of Brander Sauvignon Blanc
24 Pack of Coors
1 Large bottle of Gray Goose Vodka
24 assorted Donuts
4 dozen small cupcakes
…
…and a partridge in a Pear Tree.
At the checkout the bemused clerk was able to surmise that …
“… a party is in your future,” she observed.
“Yep,” I replied. “It’s a birthday party for my one year old granddaughter.”
“You forgot to get a bottle for her,” the clerk replied.
“That’s true, but we have unicorns, a bouncy house, face painters and pony rides.”
Azelle liked the swing.
“And you liked the donuts, Dan.” Nazy noticed.
“Moi?: I asked. “You didn’t see my cupcake stash,” I thought.
“And the cupcakes,” Nazy cpncluded.
The party was fun for all ages.
For last week's letter, please click here
Two photos from Azelle's Birthday
