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My Birthday Weekend, Part One

On my actual birthday on Monday of last week (January 26), Katie was working really late for a deadline the next day. I therefore worked late as well, having a sad 12-hour workday on my birthday. We made up for that over the past weekend.

The festivities started with a birthday party on Friday. We didn't make dinner, but we had a nice appetizer spread:
Note in particular the cake:
Katie was supposed to stop at the grocery store on the way home, but she showed up at home saying she was tired and would I go get the groceries for my party? She felt very guilty making me go get my own birthday cake, but I was very sympathetic to her tiredness after the hectic week at work. I couldn't help to poke a little fun when the cake decorator asked what I wanted to write, though. The checkout clerk noticed it, too. He said it was sad that it was sad I had to buy my own birthday cake. (I'm sure he was picturing me eating it all alone while watching TV or something.) When I explained that my wife was feeling tired but still felt very guilty about me getting the cake, he seemed less sad for me. "I like your sense of humor, sir," he said.

I also bought myself some birthday candles, though perhaps I shouldn't have. They came in packages of 36, and I bought blue, pink, and white (figuring I was stocking up). Katie and Gabe used the entire box of blue plus one pink candle, but instead of spreading them throughout the cake, they put them all in one clump. It made a rather frightening torch!
Here's me showing off my receding hairline as I huff and puff:

Here's a close-up of the candle divot:
And finally, some friends and family who had the good taste to join in the festivities (note in particular the "Andresen photo pose" varyingly adopted by my siblings):

Comments

  1. Nice candle effect. It's reminiscent of an eternal flame, or maybe an oil refinery burning off its excess natural gas.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Did you paint that room red? I have a neighbor whose dining room is neary that same color, and she hates it. What is your true opinion of such a color?

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is more of a burgundy than a pure red, but I really like it! I like bold colors. You should see the dark red I painted my bedroom in my last house!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous8:28 PM

    What *is* that on your birthday cake? A cat eating a fish skeleton?

    Speaking of which, have you seen http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com? :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous3:36 PM

    LOL. I thought of cake wrecks too when I saw that cake. What is on it?

    PS My kitchen is red. Pure red, not burgundy.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes, I have been introduced to Cake Wrecks via Rachel's blog. When I saw this cake in the store, I thought it was a scorpion. Then I realized it was a cat eating a fish skeleton. Very odd, but the most masculine cake they had.

    ReplyDelete

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