Thursday, September 23, 2010

Sorry for the long hiatus. We have been scooting along through life-as-we-know-it and I haven't had the time or energy to sit and write for awhile. That's not what the post is about - its actually about............................

Today we celebrated another monumental day - Ben's 26th Birthday. Well, actually, we celebrated last night - because I as write this, he's somewhere in Nebraska travelling with his livestock judgers to the next of two contests this weekend!

We've been unintentionally holding a gift card to one of the "PRIME" steak houses here in Fargo since it was given to us by Ben's last set of judgers back in February. It was originally intended to be used on either our closing date for the house or our anniversary - but something came up on both occassions. I think we probably enjoyed the gourmet tastings of a DiGourno pizza, maybe even splurged for the stuff-crust kind.

Back to Ben's birthday. I had done some research into the resturuant and had an idea of what to expect - $20-50/plate for the steak and a la carte sides (which means you pay for those seperately). Thankfully for me, the had developed a small plate menu because I had a hard time grasping how I was going to down a 18-oun NY stip steak. By the way, that's what Ben ordered. I decided since we were on someone else's dime (sort-of) I'd try something a bit out of my comfort zone and went with the 5-oun. filet/lobster tail combo. We were in heaven.

As we moved through the meal, Ben got to open each of his three gifts from me. A NSDU Bison polo, made of breathable fabric for his outings throughout the state. A generic pair of CROCS so he can stop mowing the yard shirtless, in his tube socks and work boots. I can't cure all the "hot-mess" at once, but I can at least put him in more appropriate footwear.

Finally, remember the post about his yearning to wear a "lid"? It was only a matter of time before he actually began wearing it without my consent (if there really is such a thing).....so I figured it might as well be a hat I liked. Why is this about "I" or me? Because I look at him and care about how he looks in public - he's an extension of me, therefore I am judged for how he looks. BELIEVE IT!! Breathe, Corineah. It'll be okay.

I didn't get the exact hat he wanted, which was okay because I ordered it from a place he'll be near this weekend. He'll sneak over there either today or tomorrow and pick something out one he is more drawn too. I'm glad he actually got to open the gift and return it for himself.......it only took two hats and roughly ~$400 on my credit card to get the right one here for the celebration.

(FYI - the first hat the company sent me was a ~$10 straw hat that looked like Kenny Chesney and not the classy chocolate felt I ordered. To make it even better they had just thrown the first attempt into a packing box - anyone who knows about hats knows they are shipped in nice hat boxes.....leaving the cheap straw to have gotten dirty and stained in its 3-day journey up north. I was very very very angry....just ask my co-workers.)

All in all, it was a good celebration. He went home with some new loot, a full belly and was greated by the cat who hadn't pottied on the floor.

Oh Kait, BTW - he was very excited that you called to sing him HAPPY BIRTHDAY this morning at 6:45 a.m. before school. Even if you did replace his name with "LOSER". Good job.