CHAPTER 25
Thanks to Grace and her food intervention, I wasn't too hung over the next morning. I did have a little headache but willed it away with the power of positive thinking--that, and a couple of aspirin. As a result, I was feeling pretty good by the time my neighbors Sandy and Mike called to invite me over for a pizza party. It was their niece Katie's eighth birthday and the first time they would have a house full of sugared-up kids. I interpreted the invitation as a cry for help, a plea for reinforcements, and an acknowledgement that they were in over their heads. While I didn't relish spending my afternoon with a dozen shrieking little girls, I took pity on them and agreed to "drop by".
A few minutes later, I followed my lazy cat out to the patio as I cradled my second cup of co
