An Incredible Night, Part I

My hand shook as I tried to place the key within the confines of the lock. It took more effort than usual, but it was well worth it. As I entered, I could tell that my nose would definitely be red when I looked in the mirror, and my face felt stiff and frozen. As I walked towards my room I noticed the blood on my thumb, now apparent with the absence of the band-aid, reminding me of what may have been the best meal I have had in some time. All these things were tokens of contentment and signs of freedom. It had been a wonderful night.

As I was preparing to leave for school that morning to work on some overdue assignments, I was trying to decide which activities I would to pursue that evening. I had so many good options, but not nearly enough time. After narrowing my list down to the options that interested me the most, I still couldn't decide which one to do. Then I decided to do them all. I planned an amazing night, and sent out invitations to about 20 people. I realized that by this point in the day, and during this time of the semester, most of them would probably already have plans or commitments, but I decided to try anyway. When the time finally came, only a few were able to make it.

Then there were four.

As Audryn, Katie, and Eric arrived, I began the first part of the night. Having collected a number of ingredients, we began to make a Greek meal. When you visit a Greek restaurant in America, you get American food modeled after Greek food. It's not the same, and it's not nearly as good. I prepared a Greek salad by combining cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, feta cheese, and a handful of dressings and spices. Then I began preparing chicken gyros using a very large rotisserie chicken that I had purchased earlier. In all my time in Greece, I have never seen a lamb gyro. (The “Greek” lamb gyro is nothing more than an American invention.) Together we prepared toppings, fried french fries, and grilled pitas. The gyro wasn't quite 100% authentic, but it was pretty close, and better than any gyros you will find in a "Greek" restaurant. To compliment the meal, we opened a bottle of Burgundy flavored sparkling grape juice and used the fancy wine glasses next to the paper plates and plastic utensils. Audryn stayed as long as she could before she had to leave for her choir concert, and then ran out the door in a bit of a hurried panic.