8/14/04 Best Birthday Dinner EVER with the Family on Long Island:

Today worked out beautifully. It was planned weeks ago to be my family birthday party. But what worked out even better, was that we wanted it to be a surf and turf party, because we knew that my dad had a bunch of Omaha steaks he hasn't eaten yet from Father's Day. And I figured that some people could eat that, and others could have lobster! And THEN my mom and I found out that Peter had already secretly ordered lobster from Maine to be drop-shipped to the house on the very day of the party! And in the perfect amount! So it all just came together, courtesy of Peter Merelis.

Natalie and I played cards on the train ride out to "Port."

We arrived right around when the lobsters did, in a "perishable" box. They're ALIVE in there!

Peter and David were in attendance!

And so am I!

Opening the lobsters was an event. Why we did it on the floor of the foyer... I don't know. Frozen with fear.

It came with cooking instructions, by the pound.

Inside the cardboard box, was a styrofoam box.

It was packed with newspapers.

And ice packs.

And... lobsters. 5 in all. All alive.

Right after this photo was taken, this sleepy lobster suddenly snapped its tail shut with full force, scaring Peter into dropping it into the floor, and instinctively stepping back about 5 paces:

It's tail ended up snapped up onto the side of its container. We all reminisced about how Peter once held our hamster, "Boris," and it bit his hand, and Peter's reflex ended up chucking Boris to the wall, and it slid down a wall in Peter's room, never to be nice to humans again.

I found some time during the afternoon to keep working on the stained glass:

The fist panel ("A") is coming together!

Natalie was working right next to me, slowly becoming a stained glass pro.

Then Mom got the grill fired up for the steaks.

Then there was some discussion as to the placement of the colored tiles at the bottom of the project. It's one thing to imagine it. It's another thing to be able to make creative decisions while looking at the actual glass. And because these pieces are all the same size, we can still interchange them before soldiering. I believe we went with the second photo, with the dark square in the corner.

Putting the copper-foil in the cut, ground glass.

Natalie searches for a good spot from which to pull the next circular blue piece.

Daddy arrives with some home-grown tomatoes to add to the feast!

The steaks.

Daddy also brought with him a photograph taken of Natalie and I at the boston wedding last month.

Daddy is the expert Lobster chef, having hailed from Massachusetts.

The Merelis rule is to let them crawl around before you boil them alive!

Panel "A" is copper-foiled and ready for soldiering.

Panel "B" is cut, and needs to be ground down to proper sizes. But it will have to wait till next time. Now it's time to eat!

I have to admit, though I'm a fish person, and the lobster was supposed to be the main attraction for me... the steaks were fantastic. And I've been to Peter Lugars' in Brooklyn, and I wasn't all that impressed with the $99 steak. So I assumed I'm not a meat person. But this stuff is unbelievable!

Then I got a cake!

And Natalie got a pineapple housewarming gift from Nana and Papa.

Peter and Daddy... unimpressed?

Then I read my cards.

...and took a photo with Peter.

And daddy.

23!!!! How'm I doin' so far?