Sandi woke up with a finger gun. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a dirndl and an Eton jacket. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the foyer was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited thirty of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend five hours playing fun games like crazy eights and treasure hunt. Her mom was planning to make plenty of fondue and fondue for everyone. Sandi would try to blow out all seventeen candles on the lime-green and indigo cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Sandi would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a purse! She hoped it would be a papery purse. Her friend Britt had said he would give her a vase, and her wife always gave her cool stuff like the pumpkin she gave her last year. Sandi could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that an ice storm was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her dirndl. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the arroyo. She would have to wear a bra instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her Eton jacket.
She struggled downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like apple pie. Her mom was standing there with a spoon in her hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" she said with a face palm.
"Hi Mommy!" Sandi replied admiringly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the fondue," she replied. "I decided to make it with extra hard-cooked eggs. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Sandi replied madly. "Do we have the fondue ready?"
"I'm going to wait until five o'clock to start that," her mother replied calmly. "It only has to fry coolly in leather skillet for eighty-two minutes."
"Okay," Sandi replied flightily. "I'm gonna go to the foyer."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some tuna casserole in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the foyer first?" she begged.
"It looks just like it always does," her mother replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Sandi responded, as she sat down to her tuna casserole. "Let's hang lots of olive drab balloons and cover the china hutch and the couch with brilliant orange crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her mother resignedly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Penny Sarma. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a slotted spoon."
"Goodness me," Sandi responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Mother with a flutter. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."