Same job, different uniform.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Birthday - Last Time - I Promise

The final installment of "why my 40th Birthday was so great!"

I loved that my VERY pregnant sister in law sat through the whole party, enduring cigarette smoke and the probably somewhat obnoxious revelry of people who were drinking things she could not. AND she videotaped and took photos.


I loved that my somewhat less pregnant, but not-far-behind-her friend also did the same!

I love that both of them are NOT pregnant now and we get to enjoy their little cherubs.

I loved that my other, pregnant sister in law (due in Jan., 2009) who has had to give up her social smoking habit for the baby still thought of me and bought me cloves, which she loves, so I could still smoke them even if she could not.

I loved that her brilliant professor {LINK} husband donned a slightly too small cowboy hat and wore it with bravado the whole evening.

I loved that everyone got into the Texas theme and wore appropriate attire – boots, hats, Wranglers, pearl snap shirts . . .

I loved that my friends who don’t really smoke (well, neither do I except socially), shared a clove with me at my party.


I loved that whenever I finished one Shiner another magically appeared!

I love that my friends who don’t even really like beer agree with me now that Shiner rocks!

I loved that the party was held in Kris and Leah’s backyard underneath the canopy of old lilac trees; that there were white lights strung from trees to house; that there were tiny colored Christmas lights strung across the wall of the garage that served as the backdrop for the “stage” where Ben and Kari sang, that the garage wall is weathered and slightly abused and looked very much like any number of venues in Austin, Texas – the place it was meant to invoke – not least The Backyard (Which, after this weekend will sadly be nothing but a memory!)where I first saw Bob Schneider


I love that their backyard is in a part of Boise called Hyde Park and that there is a Hyde Park neighborhood in Austin that looks just like it.

I loved the picnic tables covered in check tablecloths and red and blue bandannas.

I loved the little table underneath the lilac trees with the red and white checked cloth, the iced tea and lemonade in pitchers and the mason jar full of white sugar for stirring into drinks. SO Southern!

I loved the little lie that my parents cleverly duped me with as I headed out the door and noticed that they looked awfully dressed up for just coming over to watch the boys while Kelly and I had dinner together.


Here I have to pause for a moment and say how thankful I am that both of my parents were (and ARE) still around to celebrate my 40th birthday. By the time they were both 40, only my father's mother was still alive and now I realize how hard that must have been for them. They are both healthy and happy and I anticipate celebrating many more birthdays (both theirs and mine) with them. I am blessed.

I loved that when I pulled out of my driveway to go to the “dinner for two that was not“ I saw my neighbors getting into their car to come to the party and they saw me and were nervous enough that I would figure something out that they drove around our block in the opposite direction, REALLY S L O W LY in the hopes that I’d drive off and forget about them, and then I almost foiled their plan by stopping my car right in front of them on the other side of the block loop because I thought I had a flat front tire. I, of course, was clueless.

I loved that when I was driving downtown to meet my husband for “dinner” my mother in law was accidentally in front of me (I noticed her and it did pique my curiosity) and my sister in law and her husband were accidentally in back of me and saw my mother in law in front and were so sure I’d see them both and that the gig would be up that they pulled over to the side of the Connector for several minutes to wait until I was too far in front of them to notice them.

I loved that Ben was a big hit!

I loved that he and Kari thought my family and friends were some of the nicest people they’ve ever met – because they are.

I love that he wants to come back!

I loved that he and Kari were so easygoing that they stayed and talked under the trees until midnight and then drove all the way to Idaho City to camp before driving back home the next day.

I loved overhearing my girlfriends say things to their husbands, things like, “Honey, I turn 35 in three weeks, what are you doing for MY birthday?” OR “I don’t turn 40 until 2011, you have three years to plan!”

I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. [OOPS! Wrong quote. This post is so long that finally even I got confused . . . . . ].

I loved that even after ALL of the above, several friends got up on Saturday morning – early – and played 18 holes of GOLF with me.



Seriously. You are an amazing lot.

To those of you who tried very hard to come, but just couldn't swing it, I know you wanted to be there and you were missed by all.

Thank you everyone for a wonderful birthday that was the cherry on top of an wonderful summer.

“Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried; Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel.” Hamlet, 1.3.62-3










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1 Comments:

Blogger Lois E. Lane said...




I was honored to be involved :)

Friday, October 24, 2008

 

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