Elena turns twenty-one

I could start this post off by saying it is hard to believe that that skinny little Russian girls who came over in 2009 has been here in America more then half her life and has grown up to become an incredably smart, beautiful and funny women, but that would be so corny. Or I could say it is hard to believe that so much time has passed and I don't feel any older than when we adopted the two of them in 09, but that would be a lie.Maybe I should just talk about the day we celebrated her birthday. Teri and I woke up as usual at 6 in the morning, so I woke Elena up and wished her a happy birthday. She wasn't her usual cranky self when woken up at a ridiculous hour like 6am. She smiled and said thank you, then went right back to sleep. The plan for dinner was to meet at the house sometime after 6 and leave before 7. We all, Nancy, Nastia, Elena, Matt and myself were driven by Teri to Gilligan's in Mt.Ivy. This seems to have become the favorite place to eat for Teri, Nastia and Elena. Only recently has this become a place Elena likes to eat at. A few years ago she would order chicke fingers and fries, fill up on bread and have her meal wrapped to take home, where it would usually not be eaten, well at least not the french fries.That has changed recently. About a week or so ago Elena texted asking if she bought home clams could we cook them up. I said yes and talked to a fellow employee, Laura at work who enthusiastically told me how to prepare them. She started with steamed and I told her that was good, then she started talking about clams and linguini using clam juice. I told her that sounded good and began to type a reply to Elena what to buy. Laura then went on to clams oreganata, when I stopped her telling her I was going with steamed clams.Elena finished the whole five pound bag of clams. She debated on where to have her birthday dinner. Last year we had a COVID dinner at an ok steak place in Stony Point, not knowing what COVID had in store for use that winter. This year she bounced back and forth between two places. Gilligan's was one, the other I've forgotten. Obviously she choose Gilligan's and only after she devoured the clams last week.

We arrive at Gilligans before 8, the parking lot is full and Gilligan's has set up some outside COVID seating. I didn't want to sit outside. Inside the restaurant is not as full as the parking lot and we are seated in a few minutes. It takes a little while to order the food. Nastia gets a bucket of musselsand a side of spaghetti, Nancy shrimp scampi, Matt the fisherman's bucket or something like that, Elena orders the clam's appetizer and a side of spaghetti ( I think that we will be taking home two sides of spaghetti tonight). I order fish and chips, Teri orders a variety plate that has scallops, flounder and some other items.

Elena orders her first legal drink.Vodka and pieapple juice. She takes a sip and makes a face. I just miss the picture, it would have been great. She asks for some pieapple juice to water it down. Itaste it and yes it is strong.

Everyone eats, I finish my dinner, Nastia finishes her mussels, Elena finishes her clams and Matt mostly finishes his fisherman's bucket, except for the crab legs. Nastia offers to show him how to eat the crab legs. When Matt gives them to her she is in heaven eating them. Dinner is over about 9. We debate where to go for dessert. I offer Dairy Queen, Teri says Hoyer's as we pull out of th eparking lot going east. We finally settle on 16 handles in New City because Dairy Queen is about a half hour away and that is too far.

16 Handles is a frozen yogurt place and frozen yogurt, I thought used to be cheap, this place was not. I put a little squirt of this flavor in and then that flavor and then another one, a sprinkle of this toppin, then that one and finally whip cream, how much can it weight? Well it most have weighed a ton because it was over $9.00. I look back and see my daughters with their cups filled to over flowing. Yeah, we spent a good buck there. At home, for Elena and Nastia the fun has just begun. They have decided to have some shots of 43, you know that legendary liquor that like revenge is best served after Mexican food or something like that. Anyway I go downstairs to shower and when I come back up two sticky glasses are on the dinning room table next to the dead soldier 43. I look close and see that one of the glasses is still full. I tell the girls not to waste it. Nastia makes like she is going to drink it, then says she can't Elena says she can't either. I go and sit down in the living room for a little while. Nasita comes in with the drink and says, drink this and motions to the shot of 43. I tell her I don't want it. Her reply, "Remember the other night when you said you'd do anything for me?" I reluctly go to take it and she pulls it back saying she was kidding. She puts it on the table and later when Elena and Matt sit down to watch some TV and I clean up the glasses and bottle (Teri was in bed, who else would do it??) I down the shot of 43. I feel it's thick golden warmth go down my throat and I wish I'd had Mexican food this night. I go to bed. The house is quiet, I fall asleep, Matt leaves and Elena comes upstairs surprizingly quietly. A nice day has ended. /