Chapter 9: The Alaskan Adventures Sleepover
One unseasonably warm second Saturday of February 2024, I met up with my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri along with some of my other best friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, Max Greenwald, Carly Shay, and Spencer Puckett, along with Carly's stepdad, Freddie Benson, at Pittsburgh's Perfect Parties client Abigail Carson's apartment in Point Breeze for her Alaskan Adventures Sleepover. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. Prior to the party, Spencer and Mr. Benson hosted us for video games and other special games at their apartment on the corners of Forbes and Shady Avenues. Games included Charades, Scrabble, Flashlight Tag, an obstacle course, Saran Wrap Prize Ball, Truth or Sing, and Nail Polish Spin the Bottle. There were also all kinds of fun video games to choose from. In addition to our usual music of Kate Bush, Lizzo, NSYNC, and 98 Degrees, we jammed out to a Pop2K marathon on SiriusXM, which also carried over into Abigail Carson's Alaskan Adventures Sleepover. The room was decorated with paper snowflakes at varying lengths and Styrofoam packing pieces for a game. First, we began with making the Stuffed Snowman for a game that we played outside right afterwards, which was the Snowball Battle, and then another outdoor game, which was Iditarod Racers. Then, we played even more games inside, which were Collecting Snowflakes, Snowball Surprises, and Warm as Toast!. We helped our clients vacuum after the indoor games. "At least, you guys know how to have fun appropriately without getting into trouble," James stated. "You are just one year away from sweet 16!" "Let's hope that you do not throw a wild party like James's friend, Molly did," Sarah stated. "Even though Sarah and I were too young, we wanted to come check out the party to see what it was like," I stated. "We got busted by James," Sarah continued. "The only thing that was good about the party was the free pizza and cake," I remarked. "Teenagers these days are known for throwing wild parties at least once in a while," James stated. "But, that is only because they do not have adult supervision, which we will make sure that you have, and I ended up handing out candy to trick-or-treaters at Halloween because I was getting too old. Kids and teenagers, and even younger adults, consider me to be a leader!" "I liked it when you handed out Halloween candy to me that year because I knew where the candy was coming from," Henri happily stated. Before we did crafts, we played one more game and it was with a jump rope, entitled Polar Bear, Polar Bear. Then, we did crafts, which were Soapsuds Snow and Home, Sweet Igloo. "I thought that was a nice place to host the game day at our house," Spencer stated. "I knew that James and everyone would like it." "We never got the chance to work on any crafts at my house," Mr. Benson stated. "Recall that it is on the Blue Belt corresponding to Pocahontas," I pointed out. "The cupcakes looked like they came from Prantl's Bakery," Carly stated. "That was exactly where I suggested to get the cupcakes for the igloos! That was also where we had to get a special cake for my mom and Freddie's wedding! Would you consider the Forbes Avenue business district of Squirrel Hill to be part of Squirrel Hill North or Squirrel Hill South?" "North," I replied. "And, it is still a part of our campus because as Alex pointed out in one of her journal entries, Wilkins Avenue serves as the northern border, Monitor Street serves as the southern border, Beechwood Boulevard serves as the eastern border, and Wightman Street serves as the western border." Pretty soon, it was time for dinner and snacks. In addition to the Alaskan slushies that we had before the party, there was Snowman Pie for dinner, and Snappy Snowmen for treats, and Snowball Milkshakes for a special beverage. "I am glad that I am not eating this food," Alex stated. "I either opt for healthier treats or make healthier versions of these treats. Today's recipes included French toast for breakfast, tropical fruit salad for a morning snack, black bean burgers for lunch, chicken nuggets for dinner, and frosty strawberry yogurt cupcakes for dessert." "Delicious," Abigail remarked. "It is also important to eat good food in order to do well on important tests, like the SATs," Justin informed. "They will give you energy to concentrate," Max stated. "Will I have to take the SATs this year?" Abigail asked. "When you are a junior, you take them," Alex informed. "I took my SATs when I was in my junior year of high school and they were pretty easy, and these were just prior to our Disney World trip." "Did you guys get the job?" I asked. "What job is that?" Abigail asked. "I applied for Woodwind Instructor, and Justin applied for Brass Instructor," Alex stated. "And no, we did not find out if we got the job yet, but we are hoping to!" Prior to bedtime, we all sang the song "Build a Snowman" to the tune of "Found a Peanut" in which everyone made up different verses to complete the snowman. Then, it was time for all of us to go to sleep. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Good night, guys!" "Good night!"