Susan's Birthday

When we were first married I misguessed Susan's birthday on a couple of occasions and learned that this bothered her to no end. So even when I learned the correct date, I would incessantly refer to July 19th as her birthday, one week late. Susan insisted this was the worst thing I could do to her. Then at the end of last summer (a couple months after we celebrated Susan's birthday on the correct date) Susan and I were driving home from Denver after a whirlwind trip to see our dear friend Tasia get married. About as soon as we got home Susan's heart began racing. Literally. And it wouldn't slow down. It was sort of terrifying. So we rushed her to the hospital. We sat Susan down on a chair in the waiting area as I gave her important information to the office staff. Name. Social Security Number. Birthday. And in my fluster and nervousness I said the wrong birthday.

"I told you that joke would bite you in the butt one day," Susan shouted from her chair. And she and the receptionists had a little laugh at my expense.

So this year we celebrated Susan's birthday on her birthday, with no mention of any other dates. But in memory of Susan's not birthday, July 19th. I am posting this blog all about her birthday.

Susan's job has no reliable schedule, and so we had expected Susan to come home about nine o'clock on her birthday, so we were going to do a little cake and ice cream and that was all. But about five we learned she'd be home for dinner. So there went the cake idea (which I had intended to surprise her with). Instead we went down to Olive Garden which is Susan's favorite of all the restaurants.

The highlight of our conversation was convincing Susan that we had been to Olive Garden ten times together. She found this nearly impossible to believe, but we managed to remember every one of the occasions.

In our haste to get down to Olive Garden, though, we forgot to get our movie gift card which we were going to use to see Despicable Me 2. But we decided to return to Rexburg, and go back for the movie on Saturday.

I had every intention of taking this picture in front of a big yellow poster with a fat bald Steve Carrel doppelganger, but even though the movie had been out only one week we could not find a single piece of promotional material for Despicable Me 2. This was shocking. So instead of taking a nice picture with the scenery we could find we took the one above. Despicable Me 2 is an inoffensive movie. This is the nicest compliment I can work up. Although at the end the minions make fun of Boyz II Men which is hilarious . I guess that's a nicer compliment than inoffensive. I stand corrected. But it has only a small portion of it's predecessor's charm.

Then we went home, and I delivered the promised cake. Not wanting to dirty the egg beaters because washing them is a chore, I decided to hand mix the cake. The directions said 450 turns. So I counted. And you know what? The cake was delectable. Very light. Of course I still can't decide if the 450 turns was more of a chore than washing the beaters. I'm still on the side of probably. Cleaning those beaters is really obnoxious. 

This is Susan with her cake, and the flowers her parents sent her for her birthday. Also Susan is not 221, but we didn't feel like buying a number three. Besides this way there were more candles for Susan to blow out. And in the single greatest act of theft I have personally experienced, the dress I bought for Susan was delivered by the Post Office and then swiped off of our porch. At least as best as we can figure, since the Post Office did an investigation and everything and said it was definitely delivered. So no present for her birthday, but it did come the next Tuesday. It looks better on Susan, but here's a picture of it anyway.

I made Susan go dress shopping with me at the mall and I took notes on all the things she liked and then nailed a nearly perfect dress. It doesn't have a princess neckline. We can live with that.

So happy birthday to Susan, who now feels like she is old. (I don't understand this if anyone else can please let me know in the comments.) And we are a week closer to our Houston move. Our house has descended into a series of little more than piles. So probably no post next week, and the next one will be a bunch of pictures from our cross country trip.