IIDD, June 3rd

Hi Sarge!

Glad you are having a grand time without your friends/family here! Please pass along birthday wishes to Sylvia: Hip Hip Hooray! Will you pick up a malt on this trip? Let me know if so as I'll enter it in list, as people commit to bringing a particular malt. Wish I could join you. Think it'll be a great experience.

Started this missive last night and was just about to send it when power went out! Complete black out in our building, except for emergency lamps in hallways, etc., and didn't return until 2:00am! Coriandre was in the middle of dinner preparations while Chloë and Pierre were watching second game in NBA Finals between Miami and Dallas. Kids repaired to Brown's Social Club to watch rest of game and I joined Coriandre and Flamin' in living room to drown my sorrows, not being able to send any more messages or work on Diaries!

Evening was rather enjoyable, living by candlelight once daylight faded. Cora Lee put on her Girl Guide face and heated water for pasta on bbq, warming just about ready toppings, (wonderful turkey and chicken sausages, (Scored at Trader Joe's in Bellingham, on way home, after picking up Pierre in Everett, earlier. He had been taking care of his 4 year old, half-brother, Ryan, for a week while Melvin, his Dad, and Amy, his step-mother, were on a cruise to Alaska, out of Seattle. Seems all went well for all parties. Coincidentally, Toshi, former Japanese boarder who lived with us for three years in mid-''90's, was in town for a few days, having attended a friend's wedding in San Diego. She wanted to visit another close friend in Everett, before flying out of Seattle for home today, so we took her along with us. She was simply bowled over when she saw The Giant, as he was only four or five when she lived with us at Hotel Kits!), diced into and fried with other vegetables and an all vegetarian dish, from sustainably harvested,organic, pesticide free, non genetically modified, multi-vitamin rich root vegetables, for quasi, ersatz ovo-lactarian vegetarian freeloaders), and we dined like royalty. Kid Chelene and Beckster came up later and kids played Trivial Pursuit by flashlight/candlelight. Jane from across your hallway, came up earlier to see if we knew anything about power outage, and stayed to visit, although she didn't eat as she's already had her dinner before blackout. Since power was not back on by 11:30pm, I brushed my teeth by flashlight, flossed by feel and went to bed!

We are hosting a bbq this evening and a number of Chloë's friends are coming to see Pierre. Some of the other Usual Suspects as well so should be fun. Bon Voyage, Buona Fortuna and Cheers, Patrizio!