Illumination Night

This weekend is commencement at Smith College, which also means it's reunion, which also means that Cicily is bartending. Tonight I was tending a full bar at Lamont House for the class of 1941, helping them to celebrate their 65th reunion.

Last night, most of the class of 1981 were content with Chardonnay or a white wine spritzer. These old eighty-somethings, on the other hand, were fonder of the hard stuff...mainly martinis and gin and tonics. It's definitely a generational thing.

I was a little apprehensive about going solo for my first flight, but I needn't have worried. My "boss" had reassured me that these women would tell me exactly what they wanted, and boy, was she ever right. A vodka and tonic, with not too much ice...oh, that's too much...could you put one cube back?...ok, that's fine...easy on the vodka...fill it with soda...a twist of lime...no, don't give me a stirrer...that's perfect, thank you very much. It went on like that through the whole cocktail hour.

After my gig was up, I went over to Cordelia's, and she and Nadine and I walked back to campus for Illumination Night. There must have been a thousand lanterns strung up all along the paths throughout the upper campus. As soon as it got dark, the lanterns were lit. Jazz from a little ensemble set up in front of the campus center floated across the lawns.

The few kids I saw were bug-eyed in wonder at the spectacle. Strolling couples looked pretty content--it wouldn't take much of a spark to start a fire in that magical atmosphere. And I hope some of the old gals made it across Elm Street from Lamont to see their campus dressed so festively. Through the haze of those martinis I was making, it must certainly have looked pretty swell.