Hie-didly-dee!

So... what was there to say now? Ah yes: Tomorrow, there is the premiere of the other cast for the opera "Merry wives of Windsor." It is for this that I am wanting to bake a pie tonight (or tomorrow morning.) However, that's not the only reason: There is also that little thing known as "Sunnipaev" (Or, for those who know nothing of such funny Finno-Urgic languages, a "Birthday.") This is coming up on Monday (With the second possibility being Tuesday -Do you really want that explained? Well... this IS destined for my website, so here's the explanation:

I was born on the 14th of June. Indisputable fact. HOWEVER... I was born on the west coast, On Vancouver Island, (I will now pause a moment for you to make any wise-cracks you wish to about "Island Time", or how we're too laid back to look at a clock, or too stoned to know what day it is.) The fact of the mater is this: that in half of Canada, and in most of the rest of the world, it was the morning of the 15th, at the Moment I came into the world. That's time-zones for you.

Is all of that clear?

Now, I have always enjoyed my cultural heritage, where the Birthday child is treated with respect, and difference. King for a day kind of thing. One of the chief effects of this (Besides being presented with gifts, perhaps a free drink, and sometimes even a free meal,) is that you bloody well are not responsible for cooking that day. (The One exception to this, is the personage of a Mother. When She's the far superior cook in the couple, and the children are not old enough to make something good enough on their own, the task falls on herself. This is an unfortunate circumstance, and one that should be remedied, if viable solutions can be found. Anyhow... where was I?)

If it is your birthday, you Absolutely should Not be responsible for making your own cake. Yet here, and in Estonia as well, that is totally the standard procedure. The birthday child is responsible for everything, in fact, except for buying the gift! The Cake, the drinks, snacks, the organisation. It seems bloody well Odd to me.

So... as my birthday approaches, I have been thinking about this state of affairs. And I decided to do what I could about it. To this end, I have asked my French colleague to make something for me. I think she will. Or at least try to (Sometimes, her Oven is a spiteful little imp, and will turn out nothing at all cake-like.) Anyhow, in case things do not work out for/with her, I want to have a back-up cake sitting in my freezer. And THAT is the second reason for baking this weekend.

And I'm glad that I wrote about all of this, because it reminded me about the drinks: I hadn't thought a bit about that little detail. I suppose it is my social duty to get a bottle of Champaign, or wine or something. (Or should I just bring the remainder of the bottle of Brandy that I got today for the Hard-Sauce to go on the pie?)

Now... if I can still write, I should do my reviews for the webpage about the New Opera (which I've seen rehearsals of,) and of The Iliad, which I finally finished this morning (about 3 months after I started it.)

So, Peace, Pleasure, and Pie.
SlyM.