Paul Turns 2^5

Beccy: "So what have you been up to for your birthday?"
Paul: "Um... work..."

After his largest over-the-phone-group-Happy Birthday-serenade*, Paul had to admit his birthday wasn't full of fun yet. 

(The longer version: He made me breakfast after a minimal lie-in and then retreated to the hobbit hole to work.  I went for groceries. He worked.  I came back and started cleaning.  He worked.  We had lunch.  He cleaned and finally had a chance to call his family -- while baked.) 




















(Above: The beginnings of a rhubarb and mixed berry crumble - showing approximately the poportions I used in the recipe.) 

Andrew, Beccy, and Matthew were up north visiting Uncle Paul, Catherine, Tom, and Alice.  The seven* were eating, using a snooker / pool table as a dinner table. Catherine updated with her exciting news: She's back at editing, this time for a hobby shooting / hunting magazine!  Paul took them on another online tour of the house -- this time sans fridge and my "office".

"And on the left is Lana's office.  Notice the name plate."
"No!  Don't go in there!" I shouted from the kitchen.  I missed the next bit but think I caught the phrase "dead bodies"... 

They lingered in our utility room, spellbound by the strange way we heat our home (forced air) and the large, separate hot water tanks... well, the adults were. 

Uncle Paul: "I can see you have a Porsche."
Paul: "Actually, it's a Toyota." 
Lana: "I think he meant our porch."

Oh, technology.  So close, but so far away.

I used the call and practising time, to put the finishing touches on Paul's birthday gift.  Coconut and House Hippo helped me deliver it. 

The birthday evening was to be like last year with a bunch of friends meeting up at Haweli's for dinner.  I still wanted it to be a surprise for Paul, so I didn't tell him the details.  All the downtown construction detours I helped me to put him off the trail (as well as me getting a bit lost). 

"This is authentic."  ~ Scott, regarding the nineties pop music playing on the sound system. 

The thirteen of us (including one Catherine and two Kathys) were seated right in the middle of the restaurant.  Rem took charge and took notes on what to order. 

Kathy: "Oh, you didn't even chortle, chuckle, or even twitter. 
Scott: "You've made him guffaw."

Our final choices: Tandoori chicken, lamb rogan josh, saag paneer, channa masala, rainbow korma, red chili chicken, bharta, aloo gobhi, mughlai beef korma, paneer makhani, butter chicken, and veggie samosas.

This proved to be a really good mix for a group with people who couldn't handle spices, had food allergies, were vegetarian, and those who just wanted deliciousness. 

Scott: "You didn't have to order us a band.

Me: "Oh, I wanted to make it extra special."

 

 

Live musicians set up on the stage next to us with sitar and tabla. Now this seemed truly authentic. The tabla made a "boing" sound I didn't associate with drums and it was all just beautiful. (Not my plan though, we were just lucky.)

 

(Above left: Rem's photo bomb./ Below: Chris, Kathy, Neil, Stephen, Na, Steph, and Cynthia)

 

We feasted on the food and managed to talk - but mostly just between close seat neighbours (the problem with long tables).  Cynthia (on my right) told us about her new Magic hobby.  Kathy (to Paul's right) mentioned Evelyn Berg as an interesting local photographer, after bringing up how having a phone camera has changed her photo taking habits.  Scott (to my left) made fun of other people in the restaurant as well as my magazine choices.

Scott: "VANITY FAIR?!"

Me: "What?  What's wrong?"

Scott, in a whisper: "Vanity Fair... isn't that like Cosmo?" 

Me: "No, Vanity Fair is respectable.  Um... sort of." 

We finished our meal, the live musicians accepted our clapping, the nineties pop music returned.  Paul and I invited people over for cake and dessert.  (Left: Heading for home instead.)

I brought out the cupcakes (not muffins!) from the afternoon, and Paul was serenaded in person (this time by nine: Kathy, Neil, Kathy, Scott, Catherine, Ken, Sophie, Cynthia and me).

After blowing-out-the-candles-before-I-could-catch-a-photo, and posing-as-if-he-was-just-blowing-them-out, Paul went through how we could have represented his age by using just one candle.  (Binary!) 

He also revealed another talent (which I'd forgotten / never known?) of echolocation.  But it wasn't quite up to the task of measuring the entry way for Scott and Kathy.  (Below: Scott makes an entrance, with the entry way making it "wow"!) 

And, there was another tour.  (So glad I cleaned!)

(Right: Scott and Kathy's card complete with mathematical joke.)

Though it was a slow start, I think (I hope), it was a happy birthday. 

Overcoming Iris and Rhubarb

Paul looked at me - muddy, wet, tired, and yet somehow triumphant - and probably thought I was crazy.  But I was driven by the plants!  Plants that I probably shouldn't even have accepted. 

Catherine, in all her goodness, took me to one of her tantes' (aunts') to divide some perennials.  We were equipped to dig (shovels, gloves, buckets and boxes).  We were mentally prepared to do some manual labour.  But, before even unpacking our tools, it rained again. 

We waited it out with Catherine's tante explaining what she wanted. Her large sunny lot had clusters of different plants that have become too large.  But only some were dividable now.  So, as I drooled over the tulips and peonies, I had to sate myself with Siberian iris.

The Siberians were tough - not at all like bearded iris (a ginger-like rhizome that pops out of the ground easily) I've dug before.  So tough, my shiny, pointy (new-ish) shovel broke trying to cut through and lift it!  Ack! 

With whatever tools left and Catherine's uncle stepping in to throw on some extra weight, we finally pried off a chunk approximately 50 cm in diameter. 

I was good and ready to leave then, but Catherine's tante wouldn't have that.  Another comparable chunk went into the car's trunk.  And then, she started yanking stalks off her 6-feet-tall rhubarb giants. 

All this bounty didn't quite fit into Catherine's trunk.  We made it fit.

After Catherine dropped me off, there was the next challenge: I needed to divide the large iris clumps into smaller clumps and plant them right away.

I used the broken shovel like an axe.  I wedged the pitch fork into the clump and pulled.  I clawed at and ripped away dead roots.  Rain fell and I got more wet and more muddy.  But then it was done.  They were back in the ground and I was exhausted.

Next up was the rhubarb.  There was definitely too much for me to use (and there wasn't enough room in our fridge).  I carried half like a beauty pageant bouquet over to Erica's.  In spite of my appearance, she seemed happy to see me. 

"Maybe I'll make muffins since the stalks are too tough for juicing... but maybe the leaves..." 
"NO!"

And then I explained how the leaves were poisonous. 

I'm so glad I stayed around to chat.  It would not do to poison one's favourite neighbour. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now drier and cleaner, I can reflect:

1. Trusty and old trumps shiny and new (even when the old is a blunt and rusty shovel). 

2. Must learn to say no to plants that are potentially stronger, more stubborn, and or more finnicky than me. 

3. Do not leave bits of poisonous things attached to edible things and assume people know which bits are which.

4. If totoro needed more rain protection (or if Esther really wanted to cosplay), rhubarb stalk and leaf would probably prove effective.