I'm Only Good At Being Young

Close your eyes and try to imagine the worst cake you can. Okay, not like a fish cake, or a cake made out of mustard, but a cake that you might actually be able to buy, at an accredited store, and not in some back alley.

Now is this cake a incredibly dry white cake, does it have brown gloppy “strawberry” jam as one of the fillings, and it there an extra filling layer of “chocolate” whipped cream?

Is it topped with a thick layer of green icing, dotted with large pink rosettes? And just to help the cake along, are there large swags of whipped cream decorating the side of your cake?

If it is, you don’t need to dream about this cake, just come and get some of my birthday cake my office lovingly picked out for me.

Last week, our receptionist came to my office to ask me what kind of cake I would like. Without even looking up from my work, I answered emphatically, chocolate. (If Ken Garner taught me anything, it was that chocolate cake is the only kind of cake.) She then proceeded to ask if maybe I would like a nice strawberry shortcake. I counter offered with Black Forest cake. She came back with the chocolate cake with strawberries. Not quite understanding her strawberry push, I conceded, and it was decided that I would have chocolate cake with strawberry filling and whipped cream instead of icing.

I waited most of the morning for my cake to arrive so that I could serve it to the office. But when I went back to cut the cake, I found the above mentioned cake. Our receptionist flippantly remarked, “I didn’t think you would really care, but I changed your cake order just a little bit. I am so sick of eating chocolate cake.”

I just smiled through gritted teeth and cut the monstrosity of a “cake”. After I had served the remainder of the office, our receptionist insisted I take the largest piece, with a large pink icing rose in the middle of portion. My stomach is in knots from the amount of horridness I have just ingested.

Oh well, it’s the thought that counts, right? But then again, don’t I pay $5 a month to a cake fund to get whatever kind of cake I want?

So, yup, here it is, my birthday. There isn’t much to say about it. I don’t feel older, I definitely don’t look older. And short of the surprise cake, and lame comments on my office circulated birthday card, it seems like the same Monday as always.

So let’s just move on and talk about the weekend instead.

Our free cable finally got cut, and I am beside myself with grief. I have lived at houses before where we didn’t have cable, and somehow survived just fine. But after a year being able to watch Crazy Quilt or Iron Chef whenever we wanted, I don’t know what to do with my time at home.

Saturday we braved the rain and ended up at the mall where we ran smack into Internet Boyfriend and his roommate. The roommate and I had a good talk, and even though me and the Internet boyfriend were only 2 feet from each other, we said nothing and didn’t even make eye contact. We haven’t spoken since the hockey playoffs began and now with the season over (for now) I am hoping that our chance meeting will inspire him to action. (But I have learned long ago not to hold my breath.)

Jenny and I bit the bullet and decided to use our Earls gift cards we had received at Christmas. I am surprised that we were able to last six months before we broke down to use them. I think, as of right now, that was my favourite birthday present, dinner with all of my favourite people, just like it use to be. Thanks. Let’s try it again, in a while.

Sunday marked my birthday Weekday Eve. Another angel whispered idea, Weekday Eve, or just our Sunday night get-togethers are my favourite part of the week. So to combined my favourite night with my birthday just seemed to make sense. The inclusion of hotdogs (using our fantastic hot dog cooker) and birthday cupcakes made the night even sweeter. Short of birthday presents from Jenny and Mary, the night moved along as most of our Sunday nights have for the past year.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday well wishes. I am looking forward to the birthday celebration with my family tonight and more surprises to come.

Here’s to 27, hopefully just as good as 26.

As Always,