Genericization and The Yaz

My sister Emily came up this weekend for a sisterly girls night out and a birthday party for BIL Marc and our grandma. And because she thought she could kick my butt at Wii tennis. She would be proved wrong.
So Saturday night we had reservations at Club Soda. Originally there was to be five of us. My two sisters, me, my SIL and my best friend who just moved within two hours of me. My SIL remembered old plans to celebrate a friend’s birthday, so she had to cancel. Then my friend got too busy with her huge garden and plans to become the organic Martha Stewart of Michigan. So she bailed too. Guess even with only a two-hour drive it’s not going to be easy to get together.
Oh well. It would just be my sisters and I. That would actually be really fun.
Ella cried and cried when we left around 6:30 though and I hated it. Although we did have a great day together and she would be in bed in a few hours so I convinced myself I was not a terrible mother and should have fun.
Our table was on the upper deck, which was fabulous. It was still hot and sunny out but there was a roof that provided shade and ceiling fans. They have a huge downstairs patio too. With all the outdoor seating, it felt like I was in California again. I loved it. The restaurant is really neat too. A really old building with lots of exposed brick.
Emily and I both ordered the duck. It was encrusted in maplesugar and then had some sweet and spicy chili mint sauce and peach salsa on top. We each ordered the aged white cheddar mashed potatoes with it. It was delicious.
So we sat and talked. Sara told us stories about how all her friends are on “the yaz.” It’s a new birth control that contains a “light mood enhancer.” Apparently it’s pretty good.
Emily talked about her work. She’s already back to school – she’s a social worker at a school. I can’t believe kids go back to school in early August now.
Also at one point we were talking about brand names that turn into general terms – like Kleenex, and the word Davenport was brought up. Well, I had only heard this term in context of my grandma, who passed away when I was 10, so I said “Doesn’t davenport mean porch?” Well, Sara, being one to pounce on someone’s mistakes, thought this was HILARIOUS, because it really means couch. Just recently she stopped making fun of me for losing my winter coat in Ireland. Which happend ELEVEN YEARS AGO. Also, everyone said “What is that word when a brand name becomes a generic term?”
Anyway, we returned to my house, where we all drank a few beers and talked and played Wii tennis. Very fun night.
The next day Emily and I had our coffee and watch Ella play and before we know it it was time to head to my mom’s for the joint birthday party.
My mom had awesome food. She served some crazy good bean/salsa/cilantro dip with chips and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, and some brownies that had a chocolate caramal/peanut butter frosting.
Ella was so tired she ended up napping during most of the party. I ended up nearly being in a brownie-induced coma from the amount of brownies I consumed. Emily could barely lift her arm from the Wii tennis championship the night before. So we were all kinda lazy.
At one point Sara came up to me laughing and said “Ask mom what Davenport means.” I did and sure enough, my mom said couch. Ugh. If only The Yaz had some sort of etiquette enhancer. Ha ha.
And then there was another round of people going “Isn’t there a word for when a brand name becomes a generic term?”
By four we all left to return back to normal life.

And of course it was Steve who said the word is Genericization!

Aunt Emily snuggles with London and Ella.