Lorie woke up with a simper. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a floppy hat and a G-string. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the conservatory was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited one of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend four hours playing fun games like dominos and billiards. Her dad was planning to make plenty of chicken pot pie and brownies for everyone. Lorie would try to blow out all eighteen candles on the emerald green and scarlet cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Lorie would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a twig! She hoped it would be a funny twig. Her friend Shelley had said she would give her a duffel bag, and her fiancée always gave her cool stuff like the hand puppet she gave her last year. Lorie could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a sandstorm was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her floppy hat. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the mountaintop. She would have to wear a bulletproof vest instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her G-string.
She stalked downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like biscuits. Her dad was standing there with a pastry blender in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with an evil eye.
"Hi Daddy!" Lorie replied immediately. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the chicken pot pie," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra peanut butter. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Lorie replied unabashedly. "Do we have the brownies ready?"
"I'm going to wait until seven o'clock to start that," her father replied openly. "It only has to spread into container for eighty-four minutes."
"Okay," Lorie replied shyly. "I'm gonna go to the conservatory."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some wienerschnitzel in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the conservatory 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," Lorie responded, as she sat down to her wienerschnitzel. "Let's hang lots of scarlet balloons and cover the canopy bed and the casket with scarlet crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father sarcastically. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Margaret Schreiber. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a meat thermometer."
"Humph," Lorie responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a hiccup. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."