Early Birthday Treat

It is May 4. Raining. Finally. It's also 3 days before my birthday, which is not really important to the staff here, since I will be out of town on my birthday.

Not so fast...Sara, Terri, and Teresa, our resident plotters, foiled my escape attempt. Rarely am I here on my birthday anyway...I go to visit my parents and wish my mom and Happy Mother's Day. This year will be no different. Other than my sister graduating from Law School at Bama, the weekend expects to be docile. And I do deserve a break, from work. 500 hundred working hours in two months is quite a bit. But I work for 4-H, so it actually make s working fun, worthwhile, and, well, tough at times.

So anyway, I appear at my office at 7:32 Eastern...from my door, which is on the left side of the narrow hallway, I notice three balloons - pink, red, and blue. Dang! I had hoped to escape without the "celebration" of another anniversary of the day of my birth...Don't get me wrong, I like to celebrate birthdays around here. Employees are usually treated to special treats. Mine was always cheesecake, but I grew to hate cheesecake - which does NOT make me communist. I like to keep my favorite treats a secret, so that I am not deluged with them at every occasion. Chocolate and biscuits, though, are my favorite. And what do you know, I am surprised with those confections on this rainy morn. Molten chocolate, flaky crumbly biscuits, and a giant strawberry or four can turn a birthday into a bright day. I am lucky to work with folks that take the time to recognize big days and treat them as such...

So anyway, if anyone else wishes to surprise me, do so with these:
Chess Squares
Lemon Icebox Pie
1 Dozen Model 72 Herter's BLuebill Decoys or 1 dozen Church's Superstandard Canvasback decoys
4 Fried Quail
1 Car Wash
A phone call

Enough self indulgency. Would like to re-visit Dock of the Bay, but only briefly. My lady friend was able to wander and wonder about on Saturday night, without me asking her to do anything. She wouldn't be voluntold into work, this time around. According to her, she was the hit of the party, but failed to learn shagging...she insisted on dancing "Mis'sippi" style. And she can dance as well as I run from it. By all accounts, the Dock of the Bay was great, as it follows evolutions route into the greatest fundraiser/party in the world. I had rave reviews for my steamed shrimp. I don't like pats on the back for a good job, as I generally expect to do good, and I am generally disgusted by the prevalence of acceptable mediocrity, but those shrimp were pretty incredible. I warned Lee that putting me in charge of them endangered his slef-proclaimed title of Best Heater of Mass Quantities of Meat...You put a boy from the Deep South in charge of the shrimp, and he'll do it right. I call it Voo-doo Magic. Other folks call it Old Bay... Yet, you have to love every meal you cook, especially if you want the folks eating it to love you back. Sure, I steamed 150 pounds of shrimp, but I personally checked each one for appropriateness and afterwards discarded the unacceptable to a vat located in my belly.

Mother's Day is upcoming...my Mom is pretty much the reason I am here today. Mom is a great mom. In my life I have also watched her be a great sister, wife, and daughter. My dad had a Mom like that, too. And while this will be his first Mother's Day without his mom, I know that he'll be happy for my mom. I wrote "mom" a lot in theat paragraph, but mom's are everywhere and everybody has one. Even Lee. And she's a good one, too.

I'll be out for a bit to check on my parents down in Dixie...I will be back next Monday. This weekend, we have the Prom and Elections here...The following week, two retreats, then Leadershape. Before we know it, Summer Camp 2kX. I am still looking for 1 female cabin counselor. Only those interested in working long hours with loud children need apply.

Congratulations to my sister for a storied academic career who will be earning her Juris Doctorate this weekend. We always knew she was special, and almost as smart as me. I feel sorry for any litigant who dares to oppose her. She has always made straight A's - at least until law school. She would have cried over making a B in college, while my parents and I would have celebrated such an occasion for me.

Oh - I'll be 27 on Friday...yes, Dad, that's old - but not nearly as old as you...

Enjoy the day...