Friday, July 8th 1977-Of Day-Mares, Dunce Caps, and Anniversary Dinners

Sylvia called this morning to see if we could go camping this weekend.  They wanted to leave tonight, but I told them my Dad was having a party tonight for his and Mom's anniversary.  First she thought they'd go tonight and Dave would come back for us tomorrow, but they finally decided to go at 12:30pm tomorrow.  I phoned Betty to see if we could borrow sleeping bags and she said we could.  Pete and I were a little slow getting of the ground so I asked Marilyn to bring Nicole at 10:15am-then gave Pete his bath.  He dressed; Nicole came (and brought some cherries as a present); they played the organ, built with Loc Blocs, went outside in back to ride fire engine (Pete with his helmet and badge-real ones courtesy of Ontario Fire Department...sadly I can't find either these days-PL) and tricycle, and danced.  I tried to get a picture of them dancing together but got one of them hugging instead.  Todd Marilyn I'd give her one if they turned out.  She picked Nicole up at 12:00pm and Pete and I had bacon, green beans, and eggs for lunch.  Then we napped.  I had a very complicated "day-mare" which ended with me being "extinguished"-completely covered up by a great yellow dunce cap.  I was glad to wake up.  Pete and I started to gather up all the things we need for our trip: blankets, heavy coats, warm clothes and winter pajamas, extra pairs of socks e(you'd think we were camping in the arctic), then light clothes in case it's warm after all.  I read The house on 9th Street by John Stephens Strange (who is really Dorothy Stockbridge Tillett) today-not too good, depending on a lot of coincidences.  Pete watched "Sesame Street", "Mr. Rogers", "Electric Company", cried because "Emergency" has been replaced by "Gunsmoke", and then watched
"The Brady Bunch".  Then it was time to put on our good clothes.  Pete wore his baptismal suit (even insisted on wearing the jacket till it got just too hot) and I, in anticipation of the restaurant being air-conditioned, wore the pants suit I got for Christmas from Mom and Dad.  It was nearly 8:00pm when Dad picked us up, wearing his leisure suit.  Betty had fixed Mom's hair with a soft wave that was very pretty, and Dad had given Mom a big green orchid so they were both very festive/  I had a vodka collins and upset it all over the tablecloth as if I'd had several.  Like Alice in Wonderland, I had to move to a new place and had a second drink which I consumed safely.  Pete had a "Roy Rogers" (Coke and grenadine I think) and felt very grown up tho he didn't like it much.  I had a rib eye and Pete got his dinner from the Chalois buffet.  He ate 3 pieces of chicken (I hadn't let him snack all afternoon), ham, macaroni salad, more green beans, and a minute portion of potatoes and gravy.  He had dessert, orange sherbet, but just took a bite and I finished it-I drank his "Roy Rogers" too.  Dad let him help pay the check.  He was quite excited because he got to go to the party and his older cousins didn't (Take THAT Bernie, Bryan and Richie!-PL).  We stopped at Safeway and bought food for camping.  Pete pushed the cart and it ran way with him outside but he caught it.