Dude, you need to take a pill. This is a casual thing. It’s not complicated. The plan has been in place for about a year, but no specific hours have been set for the one part that matters -- when we meet at the school.

Paul said he and Liz are taking care of the food. I just asked if there was a grill. And yes, ten days is plenty of time. As for the other questions, well, I’ve asked the same questions twice over the past several months and not gotten any response, so give me a break. I’m not running the show. No one is running the show. There is no show. It’s a casual get together, not a scheduled event with agenda items, bunting and a live band. Oh shit. I forgot about the slide show and the unnatural act, too.

Has someone tried to contact Gunnar? I recall that both Jerry and Paul said they would try to reach Patrice through the services network. Any luck on either of these? We won’t know unless you tell us.

So the schedule: Like you, I’m planning on being at the park sometime in the afternoon before the party with a beer in hand and a cigar in the other. From there I plan on going to Liz’s house. No driving around aimlessly. Liz said she was not interested in going to Brooklyn. Others? I think Jerry and Paul both said they wanted to meet at the park too. Perhaps now is the time to speak up. Or just show up.

How about Noon at the park (I’ll bring a frisbee), and then leave when we’re damned well good and ready? Drive from there to Liz’s. People who don’t want to meet at the park go straight to Liz’s, don’t pass go.

Rat, I’m sure we all appreciate the effort you and Chris are making for this. It’s great that you diverted your leave to NY instead of home. Personally, I’m driving 4 hours, and skipping a friend’s wedding and one of my two-days-a-week days with my kids for this. But I’m sure it’ll be worth it. Let’s let cooler heads open their coolers and have a drink. It’s 5:00 somewhere.