Pennsylvania - Friday, March 3 - Sunday, March 5, 2006

I've been friends with Bobby McLaughlin since I was in second grade, so when his daughter, Leenie invited Debbie and I to a attend a "surprise" dinner party to celebrate her parent's 25th wedding anniversary, it didn't take long to decide we had to go.

Deb and I have been married for over 30 years now, so we realized that Bobby and Gay being married for 25 years was something truly worth celebrating.

Leenie mailed us a very formal invitation, which included an equally formal R.S.V.P. card. We promptly filled it out and returned it, indicating we would attend.

After about a month or so, I decided it would be a good time to order airline tickets and start making preparations for the trip. I got online and was all ready to shop for tickets when Debbie told me she had no idea where the invitation had gotten to. (With 2 teenage daughters living with us, mysterious disappearances are a pretty common thing). We searched high and low with no luck...

No problem I told Deb, I'll email Leenie and get the information from her. So I did... and we waited, and waited, and waited for a response.

Bobby and Gay

Finally... I got an email from Leenie, telling me that her computer had been out of commission and she had just received my email! She gave me all the information I needed to make reservations.

I am a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and as such I'm entitled to some pretty good deals on airfare and car rentals. I figured I'd use my membership privelages and went in my wallet to get my membership card. You guessed it, gone! I figured it was filed away with the invitation we couldn't find.

I started searching all over the house for the card and in the process, found the missing invitation in one of Deb's dresser drawers, right where she had put it for safe keeping.

No luck with the membership card, but at this point I was so frustrated I gave up and just ordered the tickets and reserved the rental car. There is a point where you just have to admit that you are being haunted by the "McLaughlin Luck", and give up

Well, enough of that... we made it to the party and it was absolutely wonderful! It was great seeing Bobby, Gay, and the girls, as well as several old friends from the neighborhood. And the look on Bob's face when he realized I'd flown up for the party was well worth any and all problems I may have had with mysteriously disappearing invitations and membership cards, and even the sub-artic weather that met us at the airport in Philly.

Waiting for the Guests of Honor - Friday, March 3, 2006




CLICK HERE to view pictures taken during the dinner.