51 Isn't So Bad, So Long As There's Cake

What victory looks like

First, a little update: those flowers?  STILL THERE. You can tell that it isn't just the same picture as last week, because there are all those little dead flower petals I didn't bother to clean up. Also, the water is starting to look a tad icky.

Look, I never claimed to be a great housekeeper.

AND I did it all without resorting to hidden putty or duct tape.  I'm telling you, you commenters are a devious lot, every single one of you.  It actually made me sort of tear up a little, all those helpful suggestions on how to cheat on this bet. Your dedication to my winning this marital dispute knew no legal or ethical bounds.  Such loyalty!  I knew there was a reason I love the blogosphere so much.


Anywhoo, I've been missing because it was a very busy birthday weekend.  Yoga class, a movie with Larry, a trip to the local yarn store with a dedicated friend who dropped everything at the last minute to join me (it didn't hurt that she knew I'd be using my birthday discount there, I guess), a couple of episodes of Orange is the New Black over at a friend's house in the evening...

And that was just Saturday.  Sunday, my fit friend forced me to bike 14 miles; but she made up for it by meeting me and another friend for a birthday dinner later. I spent Sunday afternoon enjoying my birthday loot:

A lot of chocolate, a neat sewing book, YARN bought with my birthday discount, a jewelry tree that I need because Anna made me get my ears pierced last year, and an awesome IPad cover that Susie convinced Larry to choose from my Amazon wish list - who could ask for more?

Do try to ignore the finish on that coffee table in the picture.  We bought the table secondhand in pristine condition years ago from a lovely old gentleman who was downsizing.  He and his wife had owned the table for 40 years, and there was nary a blemish on it.  It gleamed.  The table was, essentially, a tribute to the wonder that is maple; a song, as it were, celebrating the beauty of nature and the wonders of fine craftmanship.

Of course, when we brought it home, the kids couldn't resist sliding on their stomachs across its shiny, smooth surface.  Anna, unfortunately, was wearing a belt with a metal buckle at the time.  So, yeah - within 24 hours of being in our house, that beautiful table sported a nice long gouge across its center.

At least we didn't have to waste any time trying to keep it nice, right?