On Jun 21, 7:40*am, Godzilla > wrote:
> How does one celebrate the birthday of someone whose mental condition has
> degenerated to a point that they do not even comprehend the day of the
> week?
>
> One gets up early, sets the table with the best place-mats and china,
> blows up multi-colored birthday balloons, places the crudely wrapped
> presents on the table, along with a card addressed and signed in Japanese..
>
> Then, one fires up the four cylinder vehicle, and makes the rounds of
> four local establishments to gather ingredients long before the triple
> digit temperatures descend.
>
> Normally, a Chiffonade of lettuce is my choice to line the dish under a
> Crab cocktail. But, when the lettuce in the markets looks like it has
> been sitting on a loading dock getting a suntan, one looks for
> alternatives. Voila! The Cilantro looks fresh and beckons to be placed in
> my basket. Unconventional, but rules are only created to be broken.
>
> The final stop is at the excellent Panaderia which graces our little town..
> A half dozen different Pan Dulces are carefully picked up with tongs and
> placed on the tray. Home again just in time to help her put on her
> clothing, arrange the sliced peaches in the bowls, and grind the last of
> my Caracoles del Sur beans from Columbia to accompany the pastries.
>
> Throughout the day, one does the prep work for the evening, so that
> everything will be "Mise en Place" for the timed assembly.
>
> The bottle of Chakana 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from the foothills of the
> Andes is opened for an hour and a half of breathing. Following the
> carefully scheduled presentation, the crab cocktails are assembled and
> consumed with Aqua while the UDSA Prime fillets are coming to room
> temperature and the cast iron skillet is heating in the 500 degree oven.
>
> The surface dried and Olive oiled fillets are browned for 2 minutes on
> each side in the pan which has left the oven and has been placed on a
> high heat top of stove burner. Back to the oven for 4 minutes to cook the
> interior. Then, the pan is removed, the fillets placed on a tray and
> loosely covered with foil. The whirling dervish goes into action while
> the fillets repose and regress their juices. Petit Pois are boiled,
> drained and seasoned on the top of the stove and at the proper moment the
> precooked Crinkle Pommes Frites go into the microwave for 4 minutes.
>
> At the same time, a glass of the Chakana goes into the skillet to deglaze
> the pan. When it has thickened, some butter is swirled in.
>
> Now, the black plates are removed from the warmer, and everything is
> plated with pre-sliced Piquillo Peppers arranged around the perimeter.
>
> The Chakana has developed magnificently since the last tasting.
> with Black Currant, Pepper and Mint complementing the almost syrupy body.
>
> After helping her to brush her teeth and showing her which sides of the
> nightgown is top and bottom, the chef reverts to status of dishwasher.
> When this is completed, the chef removes apron and sits once more at
> table to sip the remainder of the wine with a slice of Stilton.
>
> Was she aware of anything? Probably not, but it costs nothing to wish.
> Maybe everything was a fantasy, and like Brigadoon will appear again in a
> hundred years.
>
> Godzilla

Nice story Godzilla and obviously a good son.