I'm going to take a break from writing about politics for a week.  I'm going to write about something really important:  my son Cody's upcoming high school graduation.    The next person to ask me what Cody's plans are after graduation may just get smacked.  Cody's plans go up to the actual graduation ceremony and then he's pretty much plan-less.  As frustrating as I find that--being a super planner myself (when I was little more than a toddler I was making lists for my mother), it is HIS future and there's not a whole lot I can do if he doesn't hurry up and make some decisions, darn it.  

All I can control is what leads up to the graduation ceremony--senior pictures, class rings, and, of course, the graduation open house.  Not that Cody hasn't had input into these things--it's just that if he doesn't make a decision, I just go ahead and make it for him.  And--it gets done--crossed off the list--never to be worried about again.  The ways things should be, darn it.  But, I digress.

We decided  to combine a cross country pasta supper with a zombie theme.  Yeppers--no little ham sandwiches for this graduation party--we're gonna be DIFFERENT.    Instead of the obligatory cake, we'll be serving zombie cookies.  I wasn't even going to offer mints--but then I found a brain mold so decided to go ahead and make some bloody little sweets.  Well, at least I PLAN on making mints--I've never actually done it before and most of my cooking experiments don't turn out so well.

The plates and napkins won't be in class colors, but in black, because, well, zombies like black.  I bought them on clearance the day after Halloween, along with some eyeball ice cubes and an intestine jello mold.   The punch will be bright red and served in an IV bag.  Instead of signing a guest book, visitors will have their picture taken with the grad by a pack of marauding zombies left over from Paddy's birthday party.

But that's not all folks: Cody decided he wanted to have a bouncy house for all his little nieces, nephews, and cousins. And not just any bouncy house--but a PRINCESS bouncy house.  Patrick--in full zombie regalia--will serve as the host of the bouncy house.  Yes, I do have strange children. Why do you ask?

The biggest challenge has to do with the most normal decision we've made--the meal.  Before every cross country meet the last six years, Dean has hosted a pasta pot luck for his runners.    We decided Cody's graduation party would be his last pasta supper as a high schooler.    Since Cody's a vegetarian (yet again, he is odd), we decided on a white sauce, a red sauce, two different noodles, and no meat.   A little research showed that serving pasta buffet-style is difficult.  Apparently, I am to cook the noodles to "slightly below al dente" and then give them a "cold shock."  I have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds complicated.  Then you serve the pasta in warm water.  Well, I found some really cool skeleton tongs to serve it with--that's a start, right??   Ham sandwiches might have been easier. 

I haven't figured out what to do about bread yet. I've been using my newfound couponing skills to buy the pasta and sauce at really good prices. I may have to MAKE the alfredo sauce--something else that terrifies me.  We are having the party at the Dayton Country Clubhouse--I couldn't add cleaning my house to the stress of cooking and remain SANE.  Cody's job is to show up, be charming, and, oh yeah, GRADUATE.  We are hoping his band will play at 8:00 if they can coordinate their schedules. If not, there will be a zombie walk through Dayton at this time.

So, if you're not doing anything the Friday before graduation, consider yourself cordially invited to Cody Kelso Breitsprecher's zombie graduation pasta supper.  Come eat some vegetarian spaghetti, bounce is a big pink castle, and congratulate my favorite graduate. If nothing else, it should prove interesting.