Dennis' Retirement Party

On December 7th, Grandpa and Liz flew down to San Jose, California to celebrate Dennis' retirement with him. Dennis' company, Cal Water, put on a wonderful dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy resturant.

Inside the resturant, excitement filled the air. When we arrived, we were escorted to a beautifully decorated sideroom. The sideroom had twelve tables setup and ready. There was seven place settings at each table. In the center of the table stood a tall vase with a top hat. Inside the vase swam a beta fish. Candles on either side of the vase created a warm and exciting glow.

Dennis had a few moments before the dinner to speak. He introduced his family and shared some fun retirement jokes. After he sat down, the waiters and waitresses brought in the first course of the dinner. Chatter amongst employees of Cal Water, both present and past, filled the room as the meal progressed.

After the meal, two Cal Water employees hosted the games. Each table consisted of one team. During this time, laughter, debate, and oldtime stories arose.

After the games were played, prizes to the winning team handed out, and everyone's attention was drawn to the front of the room, Cal Water gave Dennis two wonderful gifts. One was a laptop with all the accessories, including a docking station with a flat screen monitor. The second was a gift certificate for Dennis and Rachel to a Thomas Kinkade gallery.

It was a wonderful celebration. Dennis' former boss, Ray, spoke for a few moments as did his present boss, Paul. The entire group spoke praises of Dennis' hardwork and commitment to Cal Water. Though Dennis is retired, he is going to continue working part-time at Cal Water. But for now, he's going to enjoy the rest of December off with Rachel, Katherine, and Robbie.

Below is more photos from the dinner party: