Yet another annual banquet of the community group for which the wife volunteers so much of her time. And has, for some years.

In the same restaurant where we did not get our prime rib dinners yesterday. (We marched out upon discovering, for the second time in two years and a day, that they had run out of prime rib. At 7:30 in the evening. Their Valentine's Day Special on Valentine's Day. No, Dave, a rib eye steak is not the same. Valentine's dinner for us was McD's, in bed, with happy, happy heelers, and two hours of Lost.)

This evening's steak at the banquet was, as usual in Dave's place, terrific. But if he had showed his face, the wife was ready to tell him how to run his business. (Interesting that the pilot and his wife had their Valentine's Day dinner ruined the same way, at the same restaurant. They enjoyed Mexican eggs at the new diner.)

So, the banquet.

Musical entertainment by the high school jazz choir. Eight young men in tuxedos, eight young ladies in long dresses that were kind of a cherry-fushia color. Enjoyable as usual, though you could tell they were restraining their voices for the small room with low ceiling.

College aide got to direct one number. Leaving the choir director, having spent literally decades doing this, to remark how "weird" it was to be sitting in the audience.

He also mentioned, when introducing one number, that most of the choir members had had no idea who the Beatles were.

Keynote speaker was a local businessman. Still young, but well established. (I remember his first elk hunt at 14 years of age. His daughters will be hunting before you know it.)

Best thing to remember from his guiding, inspirational talk... the story about Mr. Miller, and the red marbles. Many women, wife included, were dabbing their eyes before his tale reached its obvious end.

Us men, well, we just had to clear our throats, that's all.

Tears flowed a little more openly when presentation and certificates were given to the new representatives of the Girl Scouts. And then a third certificate shown to the room. A certificate for Sue. To be given at a later date to her husband, who accompanied her to so many meetings of this organization.

Her fight with cancer finally ending last month...

There were good times, of course. It's a fun crew, and a bubbly (literally) chairman.

The wife received recognition for her official duties, as did all other officers (although the chairman's assistant was forgotten until the very end). But the wife also was recognized as an outstanding volunteer, something rarer, and unexpected.

The wall plaque is quite nice, but she's got no place to keep the plant.

There was one other eye-moistening moment, near the end. As I said, the chairman is bubbly, and her speeches are always unrehearsed and full of words and phrases like "wonderfully awesome" or "awesomely wonderful". (Those are actual quotes.")

So when the young woman who serves as historian for the group was recognized, the Chair went on about her work and, like almost everyone else she was speaking about, some of the gal's personal life.

"And on top of all that, she just recently found out she's pr..."

And the awardee's face fell.

Brief silence. The Chairman's sentence left unfinished.

Quietly, the young woman announced to all in this crowded room,

"I lost it," her eyes too low for us to see.

I wanted to jump around the table to give her a hug, but if I'd have moved, I would have found twenty women there before me.

As it is, the Chairman, whose faux pas this was, hugged her for us all.

And life moves on.