Just back from Jersey

I am exhausted. Mama and Papa Cat picked me up from the condo at 2 PM yesterday, and dropped me off back home shortly after noon today. That's a whirlwind trip, all right.

The commutes to and from the Garden State were uneventful. We didn't witness any accidents or monster traffic jams, but we experienced a lot of people cutting us off, especially as we crossed the New York line. There were a lot of cars on the highway, given the holiday weekend, but we managed to get there in a little over two hours.

We stopped at my aunt and uncle's house before we checked into the hotel. Once we checked in, I realized that I left the 50th anniversary card on my dining room table. Off Papa Cat went to the Tar-jay across the way. Mama Cat went hunting for ice, found some, and then had me join her in the quest for snacks. We bought Doritos and pretzels--something light, as we were going to gorge heavily at the party.

We started getting dressed at 6. Mama Cat found a hole in her stockings. Off Papa Cat went to Tar-jay once again, this time to buy pantyhose. Mama Cat insisted that I join him, but Papa Cat said he could do it himself. And he did, much to the amazement of us all.

Then we went to the party. Now, kittens, for those of you who are not Italian, you need to understand three things about my people:

1. We like food.
2. We like wine.
3. We love food and wine together, especially in mass quantities at family gatherings.

I don't remember having so much wine. The wait staff kept replenishing the bottles whenever they were empty. Usually, at family gatherings such as this, Sister Kitten's the one to take the bottle and refill everyone's glasses. This time, the job fell to me, and I was more than happy to do it. I'm not normally a fan of Chianti, but this stuff tasted ever so good, and was sooooooo smooth going down.

We started off with the antipasti--artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, roasted red peppers, spicy marinated veggies--and washed it down with wine. Then came the pasta--rigatoni in a meaty cream sauce--and cheese. The salad course followed--romaine lettuce, yellow peppers, red onions, and fresh tomatoes--all tossed in a lovely vinaigrette. (For Italians, there is no other way to dress a salad).

Then came the main courses--choices of chicken Marsala or veal layered with prosciutto, eggplant, and tomato slices. Both were very tasty indeed. Finally, after the coffee, came the cake. It was a yummy white cake with white whipped cream frosting. Everything was delicious.

And let's not forget about the family. It was so good to see everyone. There was lots of animated conversation, catching up, and gossip. Papa Cat designated himself one of the event's official photographers, and told everyone he'd e-mail all of the photos from the event. He just got his first digital camera. I figured I would let him get used to it before I introduced him to Flickr.

We reminisced about my grandmother and how she would have loved an event like this. We were saddened that Sister Kitten couldn't be there (she was attending a wedding). All in all, a good time was had by all.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get more sleep. And drink more water. I need to detox. Sweet dreams, kittens.