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Saturday, July 13, 2013

Lulu's Birthday Odyssey

This is the 12th time Lulu has seen the play Billy Elliot. We saw it opening in Chicago with Elton John on stage in a tutu. We refused to pay the touts in NYC the sky high prices for tickets outside the theatre - but for me our 27 pounds tickets in the premier 8th row front and center seats - and having good friends along - made it the best ever. When you are senile - the last one is always the best one.

JP - Rysa - Wanda - Michael - enjoyed the play as a preamble of what was to come later. Rysa's prom dressed that she designed and made - won a national contest as number 1. I foresee her someday being one of those one name celebrities - like Sting - Versace - Picasso - and now Rysa. Gee I hope I have that spelled right. 

Lulu had a full birthday yesterday that would leave a teenager exhausted.


It started at 9 AM with her class of 16 at Regents Park. Then at 5 PM she had a one hour live video presentation to the North Dakota Library Association from a makeshift studio in our basement bedroom using an ironing board as her camera stand. 

While she was telling librarians of the new oil boom state how to evaluate libraries - Wanda and JP were busy preparing at party supper in the courtyard. Lulu could look out the window behind her camera to see guests arriving and having a good time without her. 

At 5:45 - Dennis and Barbara arrived to complete the group. We had chicken - potatoes - and brussels spouts cooked on 3 testy regular and microwave ovens. After a chocolate fudge cake with yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog's eye topping - we had to rush to the theatre.

It was 7 PM as the Mercedes Van cab picked the 6 of us up. We were moving swimmingly to the theatre as we hit a traffic jam along the Thames. The cab driver suggested we sprint the last 200 yards through bumper to bumper Friday night gridlock. 

The theatre was already dark - the opening music to Billy Elliot was playing. We were very happy to see that our 27 pound day of show seats were front row balcony - a different view for us. It was hard getting 6 seats together. At intermission - with a little prodding from the birthday girl - I went to the manager and explained that I was hard of hearing. With a timely displayed hearing aid - she marched our party of 6 to about the 8th row - front and center. Some fools must have decided not to use their 140 pound seats - so they were ours. I could count the pimples on Billy Elliot's face.

After the show we were all wound up - another Mercedes cab to handle 6 - and we were home in minutes. 

The afterglow of champagne in the courtyard was fantastic - but little did we know that it was just a preface to the climax. Just before midnight Keith did a facetime birthday wish to Lulu. But as she said he goodbyes to Keith - we heard screams from upstairs. 

Lovely little Rysa - JP and Wanda's daughter had a wonderful finish to her big evening in London. She is going to be a freshman at NCSU in fashion design. Her prom dress - that she both designed and made - had won a national award. It was picked the best out of 1000! Someone put it on Facebook - the ultimate achievement for this 18 year old designer. 

Even though Lulu was upstaged a little at the end - I could could breath a sigh of relief that I got through another holiday. It was 12:02 as Rysa was screaming - and my head crashed to the pillow. Yesterday was Lulu's day - today belongs to the young designer. Good thing in London - 18 year olds can have champagne.

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