Nastrovya!

Loki's mother is the only right-winger still left in the family. She's kind of an odd bird. Sheila's a twin, and she's always been submissive to her twin sister Sharon, who is, I've been told, completely and 100% evil. Loki's parents got divorced about 20 years ago, and Sheila ended up marrying another right-winger, a guy who we will kindly refer to as a controlling, snobby, arrogant jerk, and trust me, that's being generous.

Thankfully, Sheila and Jerk live 3000 wonderful, long miles away. But this has left a grandmother gap for our kids and for Loki's sister's kids. So Loki adopted Anna, a sweethearted tiny Polish woman he works with. Anna is a doer - she never sits down, she is productive every waking moment. She makes pierogies and galumpkes and won't take no for an answer, no matter how full you are.

Last night was Anna's 65th birthday, so we went to her house to celebrate. Her son and grandson had a basketball game, so we missed them, but her friend Maria was there with her hot son Tulik. (Tulik is so good looking he actually took my breath away. He was lovely, too - funny and charming.)

In the half hour we were able to stay, we toasted "Nastrovya" about 15 times, and I drank more than I have since last May, when my high school friend Therese got married. I had Hennessey, Southern Comfort, Stoli, some kind of Polish beer (and I don't like beer, but this stuff was pretty good) and some kind of liqueur.

So I was lightly toasted when I got to choir practice. It helped me out a bit, since I am singing a solo at the 335th birthday of the church, which is next Sunday, and I'm singing a gospel song which asks that I improvise over the choir. I found it easier to set aside my New England white girl ways and cut loose with a couple of shots of cognac in me.

Anyway, nastrovya, Anna, I'm so glad you are a part of our lives!