Gladys woke up with a death glare. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a sweater and a pair of khakis. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the pantry was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited two of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend three hours playing fun games like Parcheesi and crazy eights. Her dad was planning to make plenty of omelet and egg drop soup for everyone. Gladys would try to blow out all thirty-two candles on the fuchsia and camouflage cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Gladys would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a diamond! She hoped it would be an ornate diamond. Her friend Ling had said she would give her a teddy bear, and her aunt always gave her cool stuff like the balaclava she gave her last year. Gladys could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a humid day was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her sweater. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the steppe. She would have to wear a big smile instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her pair of khakis.
She barrelled downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like a bouquet. Her dad was standing there with an electric mixer in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with a hiccup.
"Hi Daddy!" Gladys replied hungrily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the omelet," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra vinegar. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Gladys replied crossly. "Do we have the egg drop soup ready?"
"I'm going to wait until one o'clock to start that," her father replied happily. "It only has to braise for eighty-nine minutes."
"Okay," Gladys replied suavely. "I'm gonna go to the pantry."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some mashed potatoes in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the pantry 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," Gladys responded, as she sat down to her mashed potatoes. "Let's hang lots of terra cotta balloons and cover the wardrobe and the settee with olive drab crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father gruffly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Antoinette Hill. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a blender."
"Lord be praised," Gladys responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a crow. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."