Easter Weekend

Marc’s surprise 50th birthday party guests (including the dogs)

For this post I am going to avoid talking about tests, doctors and appointments. Instead I am going to talk about the great weekend I had.

It started on Good Friday where the family and I drove to Toronto. We had just come off of a nasty winter storm the day before that included the works: starting with snow, ice pellets, freezing rain then rain. Luckily,  by the time we were on the road, there was just a bit of rain that did not last long. It was a relatively smooth drive and we arrived by about 3:15 at my brother’s place. We were planning to go to see my uncle Richard that afternoon to have dinner and play some cards, or so my brother thought. In reality, the family had been secretly planning his 50th birthday party. We were to arrive around 4:00 but, since the kids had not seen their cousins since forever, it took them a long time to get out. We did not get to Groncle Richard’s until after 5.

Though it was a surprise party, Marc had pretty much figured it out prior to us arriving. It was still good as he did not expect the number of people that were there (see the picture). It was a great night and we had so much Chinese food, I think there was enough for everyone to eat again as a midnight buffet. I chose not to drink much since I have not had it in me lately to drink. Besides, I think that Marc was covering for me anyway. There was a lot of people there and it was great to catch up with them. The best part for me is that I finally got to play pitro. I had not played this card game in a few years so I really took advantage of it. I think I only sat out one game the entire night. I was also very happy that Geneviève took some time to learn the game.

There were two amazing things that surprised me that night: 1) I was able to stay up until past midnight, 2) I had Goldschlager and it stayed down. This first was done because I ensured to rest on the trip up. The second goes back to another time when I stayed at Marc’s place and we polished off a bottle. I had a bad case of the hiccups and I could not get rid of them.

The next day was even better. My mom stayed at Richard’s place so no need to get up early. The first person to get up was not before 11:00. I, personally slept until 12:00. It was much needed and was very nice. Mom and Richard showed up early afternoon. Luckily, everyone was up (but not showered yet). We were able to sneak in another 2 games of pitro before Richard left. It gave a chance for Geneviève to play on her own to learn with someone watching and teaching her the strategies of the game.

For dinner, Marc made tourquere, a traditional French Canadian meal our family loves. It was yummy but there were no leftovers. The downside of the evening was the fact the Senators lost in OT after having a 3-0 lead.

The next day, we packed up and headed home. Along the way, we stopped off at my brother-in-law’s place for a quick visit. Two of my nieces and nephew were also there. Though it was a short visit, it was still good to see all those people we got to see. The drive home was uneventful and we all went to bed when we got home, especially since I was working the next day.

Thanks to everyone this weekend who offered their love, well wishes and support. Hope to see you all again very soon.