Penni's Birthday

Penni turned 29 again for the 8th time and I am glad to report that she is still smok'in hot. We celebrated the day on Sunday with a dinner that she requested and one that I can prepare. Steak perfectly prepared baked potatoes and green beans. But she still has to make her birthday dessert - Crème Brule.

It was a classic birthday for Penni and I. I talked to Penni about what she wanted for her birthday on Thursday and he only idea was too ambitious to be pulled off so I needed her to come up with plan "B". So on Saturday still no plan "B", unless you call letting her pick where she wanted to go to lunch - In and Out Burger. So by mid-afternooon the day before her birthday I finally get the dinner order for Sunday but no gift ideas. So I am on my own - which is not good for her unless she wants an endless supply of unmentionables from my favorite store - Victoria Secrets.

But she knows her husband so as I headed out to V.S. she calls and redirects me to a ribbon and lace store in downtown Mesa for some bowls and platters. As she describes what she wants she says a couple of times - oh I should just go and get it myself. The last thing I need is her telling people that I can't even get my wife a present. I have Kristine with me and she has been to the store and seen the items, plus I get a detailed description from Nichole.

So fast forward to Sunday - we are opening presents and I am pretty proud of myself. 1) Dinner was not burnt - check 2) Sees Candy - check 3) the only present she asked for - check. Wait as she is opening the present she says - this isn't the platter that I wanted. What do you mean - I went to the ribbon and lace store - I bought the only platter they had - I asked Kristine if this is the platter - Kristine made a verbal "yes" utterance. Now I see her eyes, her face and I know that it is not the platter she wanted. Like I said, another year, another birthday, another year that I got the wrong gift. Add that to the list of things she will never forget - me going to get subway when she was in labor with Nichole - I was gone 15 minutes, she still thinks I was gone an hour and a half. Yes don't ask her to tell the story. And then there was her first mother’s day after we got married and I didn't get her anything. My excuse - she wasn't a mother. This all could drive a man to drink.