Excellent celebration dinner

Yesterday was Mike's birthday. We originally had plans elsewhere (with Jodi, a bbq and going to the racetrack) but Barry's work needed him to work on Saturday so we had to cancel. That led to us being able to plan for Mike's birthday at the last minute---

Since it was us, our plans got a little cattywampus. We were trying to surprise him. The plan was for Jenna to have her hair cut at noon thirty and when she got home around 2, she would send him out to hang in the pool with me, and she would make a cheesecake etc to get ready for a surprise dinner. I had rushed out in the morning to get steaks and accessories, so was to be ready for him by 2.

As usual, things got off track. Jennas hair cut took until almost 5 pm-- how bout that for a pain in the ass. It looks like this--which she likes as she says it makes her feel like a lawyer instead of the stay at home mom she has been for more than four years. I just think it is cute and wish I could make straight hair like that----no way though. Anyway, she sent Mike out around 5 so she could run around and get the surprise stuff, and he of course could not understand WHY he was being ordered to swim. I was trying to pretend I did not remember it was his birthday, but still trying to make him go home by 7 pm, so we could get there and get all set up. We are not slick

In any event, we ended up there around 7:30 and he was already in the know--so much for our grand plan.First we had the entertainment--Sam thought he needed to wear Barry's boots. It was actually funnier when he was laying on his back with the boots over his head, but I missed that picture.

The important thing was the FOOD. We plotted on this food for hours, and not until we were there did Jenna point out that all the things I thought we should eat is what I like not necessarily what Mike likes. Oops. She had a point there. There was some overlap though-- like big old honkin steaks. Mike likes to beat the hell out of the steaks first, which of course leads to juvenile jokes. He may have turned 37 but I do not think you can take the 14 year old boy out of some of them --Barry is by far the worst about that

The twice baked potatoes were my request-- I LOVE me some twice baked potatoes and must have spent an hour explaining that to her on Friday. So we had taters.....mm mm mm good.And the ultimate birthday food---asparagus wrapped in bacon. She makes me this for my bday every year, and some other times too-- I try but it never comes out like it does when she makes it. Fortunately this is Mike's favorite so I do not have to feel bad about it. You have to try this stuff, it is incredible, even Barry loves it and he claims to hate asparagus.
We also had corn on the cob (which Jenna cuts off the cob--so why cook it that way, I ask you?), two fancy salads, cheese and crackers for appetizers, steamed carrots just for me, and homemade cherry pie that I thought was great but seemed to offend Jenna in some way. I am sure I am forgetting something-- oh garlic bread, mmm good.


This is Rusty, Jenna's dog, who is old as the wind, but one of the finest dogs there ever has been. He just watched most of the birthday, which is a hell of a lot more than I could ever say for my dogs who know better than to ask for food but generally make nuisances of themselves to company.


It was a great nite, it is so nice to just hang out and not have to do fourteen more things before the day is over.