Reflections and Observations -- A Bright Passage from the Fantasies of Youth
to Illuminations of Advanced Maturity!
This Episode:
"Captain Romance" and His Rapt Attention to Birthdays... Sort of...!
I freely confess the fact that I'm not great at giving the Gift of Planning -- meaning birthday
celebrations -- and it is a gift that most spouses genuinely appreciate, and to which they should be richly entitled... Yes, I'm aware it's true! In my Geezerhood I should know better; I should certainly know by now!!...
SweetHeart has a milestone birthday coming up very soon!! As a point of reference, however, related to the theme of this tale, I suppose we need to look into the distant past... Some years ago, she asked me to plan her special day, complete with a particular choice of ice cream cake and one or two additional special
elements, such as choosing and booking a restaurant, along with maybe a music venue, a movie perhaps... Dancing! (I don't dance very well... I tend to move my arms a bit while my lower torso remains sort of "mired in concrete," on a chair or stool!)
But, to continue... I arrived home from work on that fateful Birthday... "Where's the cake?" she asked, pointedly.
"Uh..." I responded. "I, uh, the cake, you say... I sort of forgot. Should I dash out and make the purchase now? Um, what were the particular ingredients you wanted again?"
"Where are we having dinner," she asked, now just a bit beyond skeptical as to my reply.
"Uh... um... I sort of forget to..."
"Wonderful!," she responded. "I should have known better."
"I'm really sorry, SweetHeart," I stammered and sputtered nervously, guiltily too, of course.
"Do you remember what I always say about what I want for my birthday?" SweetHeart asks.
"Um, gosh," I began to reply, "that you don't want to have to plan it?"
"And then what do you most often say in response?"
"Uh... I guess, um... something like, 'Sweetie Heart, what do you want to do for your birthday?" (Gulp!!)
In the end, I believe I... actually we, to be honest more SweetHeart than me... figured out a place to dine, and then we went to the ice cream cake store to remedy that portion of my brilliant lack of planning. "I'm really so sorry," I continued to say, pleadingly, throughout the evening. SweetHeart is nothing if not endlessly patient, understanding and forgiving. "I'm really sorry," I repeated frequently. "I'll really do better in the future... really!!"
"That'll be something novel to behold," said SweetHeart, her words appropriately drenched in sarcasm and disbelief!
Although one year, to my credit, I planned a Birthday Date Night, complete with a decent hotel in Madison, dinner at a restaurant beyond my means, and even a nighttime horse-drawn carriage ride. My, my, but I was gallant, "Captain Romance" and "Commodore Money Pots" at the zenith of my powers! Well, yes, it was only that one year in a row!
But! This Year!... This year it'll be something quite different, a Birthday Celebration to remember for years to come, no doubt! We'll lunch at a fine restaurant, attend a Brewers Baseball contest during which we've both pledged to eat stadium hot dogs!! A true rarity!! By golly, this is quite a magnificent plan, and SweetHeart should be suitably delighted and gratified. "Lemme see, now... did I order the baseball tickets? Did I make the reservations...?"
As SweetHeart's major birthday celebration draws near, our beautiful daughters are planning a gathering, much to their credit and thoughtfulness. In many respects, this should surely be a birthday to remember, and cherish! Maybe I'll write about it, post event. You know... were there fireworks, a live band... the Beach Boys, for example??!!! Stay tuned...
One additional reflection, having to do with SweetHeart's brilliant design of one of my own pivotal birthdays. She created an ersatz costume party, ostensibly hosted by a dear friend. I was exceptionally reluctant at first, having no great fondness for costumed events. In the end, I relented, and then embraced the idea enthusiastically. I dressed as a bag of leaves,
replete with leaf designs painted all over my silly face, leaves glued to a knit cap atop my head, a large garbage sack fastened to my torso containing bushels of leaves. SweetHeart dressed as a raker of leaves, clad in a simple flannel shirt, cap and jeans.
As we arrived and our host opened her door to us, a mighty and rousing shout of, "Surprise!" greeted my completely shocked auditory orifices!! I was the only lunatic in costume! The ensuing laughter was louder than the greeting. It was, I'll admit, great fun overall, and a truly remarkable ruse played upon me by the clever and creative SweetHeart. And I was eventually allowed to "de-leaf" myself so that I could actually sit upon a chair and enjoy the festivities.
But I digress! SweetHeart's birthday celebration is planned, and will -- as our family mandate insists -- continue for at least an "octave," that is, for 8 days at the least, possibly a fortnight! And, yes, there'll be cake, possibly balloons, gifts of course, family... all of the important and necessary ingredients of a truly fine and memorable fete. I hope to be invited myself!
(Special Note of Dedication: For SweetHeart, the light and love of my life, my best friend and companion. Happiest of Birthdays to you! And just wait'll next year... Wait... what happens next year?? Do I have it on my calendar??!!...)
"Captain Romance" and His Rapt Attention to Birthdays... Sort of...!
I freely confess the fact that I'm not great at giving the Gift of Planning -- meaning birthday
SweetHeart has a milestone birthday coming up very soon!! As a point of reference, however, related to the theme of this tale, I suppose we need to look into the distant past... Some years ago, she asked me to plan her special day, complete with a particular choice of ice cream cake and one or two additional special
 |
| This wasn't exactly the cake, but you probably get the idea. |
But, to continue... I arrived home from work on that fateful Birthday... "Where's the cake?" she asked, pointedly.
"Uh..." I responded. "I, uh, the cake, you say... I sort of forgot. Should I dash out and make the purchase now? Um, what were the particular ingredients you wanted again?"
"Where are we having dinner," she asked, now just a bit beyond skeptical as to my reply.
"Uh... um... I sort of forget to..."
"Wonderful!," she responded. "I should have known better."
"I'm really sorry, SweetHeart," I stammered and sputtered nervously, guiltily too, of course.
"Do you remember what I always say about what I want for my birthday?" SweetHeart asks.
"Um, gosh," I began to reply, "that you don't want to have to plan it?"
"And then what do you most often say in response?"
"Uh... I guess, um... something like, 'Sweetie Heart, what do you want to do for your birthday?" (Gulp!!)
In the end, I believe I... actually we, to be honest more SweetHeart than me... figured out a place to dine, and then we went to the ice cream cake store to remedy that portion of my brilliant lack of planning. "I'm really so sorry," I continued to say, pleadingly, throughout the evening. SweetHeart is nothing if not endlessly patient, understanding and forgiving. "I'm really sorry," I repeated frequently. "I'll really do better in the future... really!!"
"That'll be something novel to behold," said SweetHeart, her words appropriately drenched in sarcasm and disbelief!
Although one year, to my credit, I planned a Birthday Date Night, complete with a decent hotel in Madison, dinner at a restaurant beyond my means, and even a nighttime horse-drawn carriage ride. My, my, but I was gallant, "Captain Romance" and "Commodore Money Pots" at the zenith of my powers! Well, yes, it was only that one year in a row!
 |
| Not the actual costume, but you get the idea, eh? |
But! This Year!... This year it'll be something quite different, a Birthday Celebration to remember for years to come, no doubt! We'll lunch at a fine restaurant, attend a Brewers Baseball contest during which we've both pledged to eat stadium hot dogs!! A true rarity!! By golly, this is quite a magnificent plan, and SweetHeart should be suitably delighted and gratified. "Lemme see, now... did I order the baseball tickets? Did I make the reservations...?"
 |
| The image above is an actual photo of Miller Park where SweetHeart and I plan to view an actual ball game on her Birthday!!... Hot Dog! |
As SweetHeart's major birthday celebration draws near, our beautiful daughters are planning a gathering, much to their credit and thoughtfulness. In many respects, this should surely be a birthday to remember, and cherish! Maybe I'll write about it, post event. You know... were there fireworks, a live band... the Beach Boys, for example??!!! Stay tuned...
One additional reflection, having to do with SweetHeart's brilliant design of one of my own pivotal birthdays. She created an ersatz costume party, ostensibly hosted by a dear friend. I was exceptionally reluctant at first, having no great fondness for costumed events. In the end, I relented, and then embraced the idea enthusiastically. I dressed as a bag of leaves,
As we arrived and our host opened her door to us, a mighty and rousing shout of, "Surprise!" greeted my completely shocked auditory orifices!! I was the only lunatic in costume! The ensuing laughter was louder than the greeting. It was, I'll admit, great fun overall, and a truly remarkable ruse played upon me by the clever and creative SweetHeart. And I was eventually allowed to "de-leaf" myself so that I could actually sit upon a chair and enjoy the festivities.
But I digress! SweetHeart's birthday celebration is planned, and will -- as our family mandate insists -- continue for at least an "octave," that is, for 8 days at the least, possibly a fortnight! And, yes, there'll be cake, possibly balloons, gifts of course, family... all of the important and necessary ingredients of a truly fine and memorable fete. I hope to be invited myself!
(Special Note of Dedication: For SweetHeart, the light and love of my life, my best friend and companion. Happiest of Birthdays to you! And just wait'll next year... Wait... what happens next year?? Do I have it on my calendar??!!...)
Humbly Submitted 07-21-17 -- Joel K.
