Two Score and Seven Dinners: Plan A

I would imagine that you are all a bit weary reading of natural disasters, but prepare yourselves for the greatest natural disaster of the year–my turning 40 in November.

Since everyone has received my letter, I thought I’d share with the rest of you the Grand 40th Birthday Scheme PLAN A, as most of you have had to listen to all of my many plans for the past year now, and are probably wondering what I finally decided to do. You DO remember that I’m turning 40 in November, don’t you? Remember the Rome apartment plan? Well, Peter and Luis bailed, and Big Chrissy’s out of a job, so my Roman Orgy is now PLAN B, and will take place next year, after my triumph or failure in New York. So on to PLAN A. Here is a copy of the letter that I sent out to my best buddies:

September 15, 2005

Dear Big Chrissy, D, Dean & Doug, Emily, Peter & Luis, Philip, and Su-Chen/Hong Xi,

I’ve spent much time planning grand ways to celebrate my 40th birthday in November. Each discarded plan has given way to even grander schemes. I’ve decided to abandon them all in favor of several more intimate vignettes.

The New Plan:

During birthday parties or dinners of yore, I found it frustrating trying to relate to everyone at once. In looking at my past few decades, the few things that haven’t changed are my hunger for intimacy, my love of food, and my indecisiveness. I propose to celebrate all three in a marathon orgy of caloric consumption with my dear friends, but stretched over a few weeks, and with one (person or couple) of you at a time.

So here’s what I would like to do: I would like to take you out to dinner, so we can celebrate my entrance into this decade together, just you and me, at a restaurant of your choice. I don’t want to decide, or even make the reservations. But it’s my treat. Anywhere you’d like to go. Dollar signs aren’t an issue, although I’m just as drawn to dives as I am to Michelin stars. The main thing is that it is an experience that you’d like to share with me, either a restaurant that you’ve been curious about, or your all-time favorite, or one that you save for special occasions, or maybe just because it makes you happy to go there, or you think I’d like it.

Just give me a call so that we can set up a date for sometime in the first two weeks of November, or whenever it’s convenient for you–but I don’t want to know anything else. Just tell me what to wear and when you’re going to pick me up. (That is, if you could pick me up, too, that’d be great!) And remember, it’s my treat.

Thanks for making my 30’s so special, and for listening to all my woes, grand schemes, and for tolerating the challenges of my decision-making process. I can’t wait to celebrate with you the onset of the new wisdom, body aches, and distractions, that surely await in the next exciting chapter of The Book of Coco.

Chris

Of course, I will report on all dinners in November. Stay tuned!