THE SEARCH FOR MR. ADEQUATE
Part 45

By Susan Silver

I had a glorious birthday which is stretching into a week … not a day.

The first three days were in Minneapolis where I got to spend really quality time with my cousin’s grandchildren, two of whom you know about … ad infinitum, probably ad nausea by now. (I used to yawn when friends went on and on about their grandchildren, but now I am much worse and they are not even my own! That’s the good part … I get to have all the pleasure and they don’t call me “Grammie.”)

Ben and Nate are the true loves of my life and I stayed at their house this trip so I was with them all day, got to read with and tuck Ben in and then …
At three a.m. the first night, there was a little knock at my bedroom door and a small pixie in pj’s stuck his head in and said:

“Soozie, will you please turn on the TV in mommy and daddy’s room for me?”
It was the “please” that still makes me smile. Since, they were in said room and sound asleep, I didn’t think that was a good idea. But did I get up and take Ben back to bed and tuck him in? Noooooo. I sleepily suggested he “wake mommy and ask her” and went back to sleep. He spent the night sleeping in their bed, as I guess he does occasionally.

The little guy Natie, who is starting to talk a blue streak, mimics everything that is said, especially by his big brother and it’s like having the cutest echo in the room in a tiny toylike voice, which make me laugh. “Yes” is “tes” and he is a bundle of energy with the most contagious grin I have ever seen.

Now there is a doggie and the three of them running around all day is adorable but tiring for old Soozie who loves playing with them, but can barely get up off the floor afterwards.

We went to see Disney on ice, we went to see Cinderella, even though Ben said it was “girly,” we went to the Mall of America. I was dragging by the third day. I don’t know how mommy does it and Grammie, who is older than I am, is a wonder.

I stored up enough kisses and hugs for the next few months and schlepped myself home, arriving at midnight Sunday. It was the most wonderful visit I’ve had with them as Ben doesn’t need coaxing to sit on my lap now and accepts that the back of his neck is my favorite place to kiss. Natie actually picked “Soozie” to put his socks on and has warmed up enough to come to me for hugs. I was in pig heaven. Ok ok … I won’t bore you anymore.

When I got home, the birthday activity continued. My good friend, codename: S1, came in from Boston and took me to see Chita Rivera’s new show. It was pretty good and let’s find out who did her plastic surgery, shall we?

No, LOML didn’t figure out that flowers the next week are still ok, though he called twice to say Happy Birthday, but that’s alright. We are trying to wean ourselves after all.

Then my girlfriend, Ms. Mensa, came in from Toronto. She is one of those really smart, overachievers but with the sense of humor of a 5-year-old and that is why we love her. (When we are together we laugh so hard one of us was known to have an “accident”, she said euphemistically). Otherwise known as Ms. Pee, she took me to dinner and I picked an expensive spot since she was paying.

We could barely hear each other at Nello’s but it was lively and a group of young attractive guys next to us were friendly, but didn’t buy us a drink. Hmmph! And I said it was my birthday.

At the next table an overweight and sloppy kind of guy was mauling his unattractive date, who couldn’t be bothered to dress or wear any make up.

He loudly ordered truffles to impress everyone and in between “sucking face,” they passed them around to another couple at another table because they were ”just too rich for us to finish.” The old saying “get a room” came to mind. As well as our agreeing that there were not enough truffles in the world to go out with that guy.

And now, to my date of last week. I know you were all waiting with bated breath. We went for dinner and had a lot to talk about. He is a really lovely man and he, too, called to say “HB,” which was very sweet. He indicated several things he had in mind that we would “do in the future.” I just don’t know yet how long that “future” will be. But let’s play it by ear, shall we Dear Readers? You can’t say I don’t keep you in the loop!!

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