Birthday Boy

Matt’s big 4-0 is this week, so last Saturday we had a good ol’ BBQ at the park to celebrate. Our neighbor (and Matt’s drinking partner), Didi, turns 40 the day before Matt, so we made it a joint party. We had nearly 40 people join us for the big event. It turned out to be a beautiful day with Lac Leman dotted with sailboats and the Alps looming in the background.
With the boys manning the grills, there was no shortage of sausages, ribs or kabobs. We also had nice, cold beverages thanks to our neighbor, Mark, who found probably the only ice vendor in Switzerland. We had 100 kg of ice delivered to the apartment building on the morning of the party. (It was supposed to be delivered to the park in the afternoon, but I guess if you’re the only guy selling ice in the country, you can deliver it wherever and whenever you want!). )Our friend, Jen, made a special cake for the guys. It was in the shape of a beer mug (She knows them so well!). My American desserts – rice krispie treats and brownies – were a hit, too.
Guests were very generous and brought the birthday boys gifts. A highlight for Matt were the Cuban cigars from the Elko family. After he opened them up, Sam Elko (age 5) yelled ‘smokers.’ A fun day was had by all! Maybe a little too much fun for some as Matt had a hard time getting out of bed the next morning because of a headache. (Point/counterpoint - I was around smoke that evening which gave me a headache....all the next day. - Matt