All I Want for Tim Oldham's Birthday

Tim Oldham had a birthday this week.

An important one, although every birthday is important.

His birthdays are all connected to a birth year of 1976.

So happy birthday on that account, Tim.

He asked for the event to be held at the Thursday SAIT buffet, something Wyona seemed to be able to book.

And he asked for his friends to be there – and for sure, those who attended are his real friends.

There we were, six of us: Marcia, Wyona and Greg, Tim and Lurene, and me.

This is my third time at the SAIT buffet this fall – or would that be my third time since Nov 23rd, which means I have been going there just about weekly.

There has been a slight change in the way that the food has been laid out.

... snowmen ...

There is a tasters table at the end of the salad buffet, if one can get that far without having an already full plate of food.

For Tim’s birthday the salads were exquisite: a German potato salad to begin with, or at least it came after the greens.

I often ask the server’s which of the salads they like best

Their suggestions have never lead me astray.

This was true of what might seem like a salad one might pass up on a salad bar.

...pina colada cake pops,  tropical something, and carrot cake...

At our table all of us were in love with the sole – small fillets with an interesting green parsley sauce.

Greg had the presence of mind to ask for a bit more of the sauce, since he could see that there was going to be a lot left over in the serving tray.

I wanted to ask, but for some reason didn’t.

Drink had already been ordered when I got there.

Mine was a cranberry drink with a sprig of rosemary in the drink and a clear Christmas ornament bobbing in the centre of the martini glass.

centre right: a raspberry on top of a slip of white choclate
with the most delicious filling underneath

Tim watched me drink it and then said, “I didn’t know you were supposed to take the spring of rosemary and put it on a plate.”

“You probably aren’t supposed to, but when I went to take a sip of my drink, that rosemary slipped down my throat and I was just trying to rescue it, before it choked me.”

Luckily for me Marcia had already taken the clear round Christmas tree ornament out of the drink.

... who makes these chocolate swirls on top of eau claires? ...

The desserts have so much beauty.

We talked about every course, sometimes passing around a small class as a taster, so that the six of us at the table don’t have to try all of every dessert.

right centre: carrot cake -- not filling and the icing not sweet

Wyona brought a large felt birthday hat for Tim, one that looked like a cake with many candles on the top of it.

Tim was good enough to wear it for a photo.

As well, we sang Happy Birthday, softly and in tune, breaking into harmony during the final notes of the song.

We had not rehearsed but we did just fine.

Greg and I had listened to a CBC interview this week, one with a scientist who now has a few minutes of fame because of what has been written about making a Resume of Failures., a CV of failures.

Some of those at the birthday table were brave enough to talk about gaffes in their careers that could be put on such a resume.

Tim asked for no gifts and only homemade cards from his children.  That is all he wanted for his birthday.

I can't imagine a happier birthday than that!

Perhaps next year Lurene could arrange to have the Sonnebelles gently caroling through the room as we eat, but this year they are fully booked until the holidays are over.

And so Tim begins one more trip around the sun ….

Arta