Trent woke up with a squint. Today was his birthday! He was going to have a lot of fun today. First, he would dress up in a fur coat and a pair of UGGs. Then, he would run downstairs to see if the ballroom was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty-two of his closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend four hours playing fun games like Clue and Cootie. His dad was planning to make plenty of biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs for everyone. Trent would try to blow out all two candles on the white and metallic red cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Trent would be opening his gifts. Maybe the first package would contain an umbrella! He hoped it would be a speckled umbrella. His friend Lindsey had said she would give him a ruler, and his mommy always gave him cool stuff like the cookie she gave him last year. Trent could hardly wait!
He glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a snowstorm was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. He looked in his closet for his fur coat. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from his day at the bog. He would have to wear a set of camo fatigues instead. He didn't really care, as long as he could still wear his pair of UGGs.
He bounced downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like kerosene. His dad was standing there with a potato masher in his hand. "Happy Birthday Son!" he said with a guffaw.
"Hi Daddy!" Trent replied briskly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the biscuits and gravy," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra sauerkraut. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Trent replied hastily. "Do we have the scrambled eggs ready?"
"I'm going to wait until two o'clock to start that," his father replied surreptitiously. "It only has to boil for twenty-five minutes."
"Okay," Trent replied grandly. "I'm gonna go to the ballroom."
"First, young man, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some dry toast in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the ballroom first?" he begged.
"It looks just like it always does," his father replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Trent responded, as he sat down to his dry toast. "Let's hang lots of pink balloons and cover the rug and the dishwasher with jet black crepe paper."
"That's fine," said his father despondently. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Alison Murray. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a food processor."
"Hold that thought," Trent responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a sigh. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."