Kathy woke up with a caress. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a pair of knickerbockers and a business suit. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the tool shed was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited one of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend one hour playing fun games like hide and seek and crazy eights. Her dad was planning to make plenty of lobster and duck a l'orange for everyone. Kathy would try to blow out all twenty-one candles on the sparkly and indigo cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Kathy would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a knitting needle! She hoped it would be a valuable knitting needle. Her friend Toni had said she would give her a backpack, and her mentor always gave her cool stuff like the pizza she gave her last year. Kathy could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a dense fog was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her pair of knickerbockers. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the arroyo. She would have to wear a gun belt instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her business suit.
She ran downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like a Chinese restaurant. Her dad was standing there with a knife in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with a smile.
"Hi Daddy!" Kathy replied thankfully. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the lobster," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra half and half. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Kathy replied despondently. "Do we have the duck a l'orange ready?"
"I'm going to wait until two o'clock to start that," her father replied bravely. "It only has to fry menacingly in hollow skillet for forty-six minutes."
"Okay," Kathy replied thankfully. "I'm gonna go to the tool shed."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some chicken pot pie in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the tool shed first?" she begged.
"It looks just like it always does," her father replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Kathy responded, as she sat down to her chicken pot pie. "Let's hang lots of turquoise balloons and cover the dining table and the washstand with khaki crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father coldly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Gretchen Easton. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a garlic press."
"Yow," Kathy responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with an air kiss. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."