The Best Birthday

I can’t begin to tell you how good a time I had with my family. To steal a line from Stef, it was magical.

In about an hour my birthday will be over. To celebrate Mother Nature has pulled out all the stops on a pretty radical thunderstorm. I’m hearing and seeing it out my window while following it closely on the radar.

It was a great birthday.

It actually started late yesterday evening when Stef asked if I wanted to go for some fast food?

This is very un-Steffie like. She seldom ate fast food as a kid and certainly not now. I can guarantee when she asked she thought I’d say no… but I didn’t.

We popped the top on my car and set out for the other side of Hamden. Fast food is at least ten minutes away.

“Garrison Keillor,” I asked?

There was no way she’d ride in a convertible with NPR on the radio. She reached over, pushed a button and began to tune around looking for something modern and suitably auto-tuned to show youth was in control.

Somebody call 911

Shawty fire burning on the dance floor

Whoa

geoff's birthday cupcake.JPGAt the drive-thru window Stef got some chicken meal while I got a chocolate shake. Welcome home friend–it’s been a long time since a chocolate shake passed my lips.

We got home just before midnight. At the very stroke Helaine appeared with my birthday cake. geoff's birthday cupcake 2.JPGIt was an oversized cupcake custom decorated by Cindy Turner at Cakeworks. She’s been in charge of our birthday cakes for close to two decades. She did not disappoint with icing so sweet it must violate some law!

Helaine and Stef had some cards and three sets of cuff links as gifts.

roxie cuff links.JPGOne was rectangular with colored stones. The second had speedometers on the face. The third was silver and shaped like Roxie, Stef’s new mini doxie puppy. Sweet.

My bigger birthday gift was still in boxes in the garage–a new PC awaiting assembly.

If my birthday ended right there I would have been quite happy. The three of us were together and obviously in a very good place with each other. I wouldn’t have believed that at 16 or even 26, but that’s the best gift.

Most of today was spent watching the Phils play. They blew out the Cards in Philadelphia. It was nice to have Stef around for most of the game. She has, for good or bad, become a fan who can get into a game and truly understand what’s going on.

Tonight the three of us headed to Lenny’s in Branford for my birthday dinner. Once Lenny’s was a lovable dump with excellent, fresh seafood. It’s not a dump anymore and though I was scared that would affect the food, it has not.

shore-dinner-at-lenny's.jpgI treated myself to the “Shore Dinner” with a big lobster, steamers, a couple of clams, chowder and a slice of watermelon. Seriously, how can you go wrong with that?

Originally I was going to build my new computer today. That’s been put off. Not enough time.

I can’t begin to tell you how good a time I had with my family. To steal a line from Stef, it was magical.

I’d take that for my birthday every year.

2 thoughts on “The Best Birthday”

  1. Happy Birthday! (well plus one)…

    I still love my birthday and can’t wait to see what the family does each year – something fun and usually just us!

    That cupcake cake looks YUMMY!

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