Birthday

Today is my wife's birthday. She turns 51. Seventeen times three. We discussed a way to make it happen on a day where both she and I work. She only requested a cake and I said that I would make my bolongenesse sauce and pasta. I have hidden a few little gifts around the house to make it a little special- a bar of lavender soap she will see in the morning, a stick of "Boss Woman" lip balm that I have hidden in her knitting and a small reading lamp that I have hidden in my drawer. I had planned that she would get one at a different part of the day- Soap in the morning, lip balm during the day and the reading light just before bed. I will squeeze dinner in between 5 PM and 6:30. She will go to her singing practice then we will have cake at 9 PM.

My boys asked me if they should stay around and I said "of course". I asked them to please keep the house clean. They are really a treasure. We now play regular ping pong games in the basement. Joey, the youngest, can usually beat us both, but just the other night I beat him. I can usually beat Truckee and he is good natured enough to keep playing both of us. Truckee, myself and Donna attack the daily crossword puzzle together. It has gotten so we can finish one daily, but the Sunday puzzle is a complete frustration. Joey is a continuous musical bundle around the house. He is either playing the drums, accordion or piano at any one time. Sometimes he listens to his favorite political show on the computer such as "The Young Turks". He is enthusiastic and curious.