My husband's birthday

As I mentioned in yesterday's post it was my husband's birthday on Monday. I think people who celebrate birthdays on a Monday are rather lucky: We went out on Friday, we went out on Saturday, we went out on Sunday, we went out on Monday! Our refrigerator is stuffed with leftovers. A shelf for each day of celebration.

After last year's landmark birthday, this year was Recovery year. Birthday presents were given a week ahead (I wish you could schedule the postman not to bring parcels before the birthday). I got him the very lame mousepad, mug and notepad with his favourite photo of his Jeep on it. His Jeep is of course last year's birthday present (oh trust me, that wasn't my present. My present was agreeing to spend four days in a Jeep all the way from Montana, where he bought it, to the East Coast, where we live).

So Sunday we went out with our friends for dinner at Outback steakhouse. This is where we learned about my friend's exciting class, "Women with Balls." (She later corrected it to say, "Women with BIG Balls"). Definitely got a few stares from fellow waiting-in-line diners. For those of you with a vivid imagination, it's not what you think. It's one of those fitness classes with those huge plastic blue balls that you see at the Discovery Store.

The following day, my husband's actual birthday, we decided to go out to a seafood restaurant where he could have his favourite dish - a pound of steamed shrimps. I'll remind you that it's a Monday. No one ever goes out on a Monday! Everyone is recovering from the weekend.

But the place, which is typically packed and requires an hour wait, was not all that empty - though we did get to sit right away ("It'll be one minute wait, if you don't mind"). Then we looked at the menu, and lo and behold - the pound of steamed shrimp is a Wednesday special. This was a Monday! So my husband tries to be nice to Jay, our waiter and begs for an exception. Jay calls out to the boss across the room (did I mention the place was not all that packed?) and asks, "Is it okay if he orders a pound of shrimp today?" So the boss says, "What's the special occasion?!" Jay, trying to be helpful, answers right away, "He's going out of town." The boss comes over and asks my husband, "So where are you going?" Jay whispers in my husband's ear. Of course I didn't hear Jay, I only heard my husband say "Detroit." I'm thankful that my face didn't show the amused and amazed look. To recover from this outright lie, I decide to tell the truth and speak out loud, "It's his birthday today!" Jay and his boss look at me with that look of, 'Lady, couldn't you come up with a better lie. Everyone knows that the birthday excuse is overused to get a free dessert.' But they oblige and agree to give us the pound of steamed shrimp. That's when the lady at the table next to us tells Jay, "Oh, that's funny, it's my husband's birthday today, too!" So this time I give her the look of, 'Lady, you're not piggybacking on MY husband's birthday to get something free as well!"

But it was my husband's birthday so I tried to behave myself.

We got our food within ten minutes (typically you wait 30-45 minutes to be served in this restaurant). My husband is joyfully engaged in heaven, as all of a sudden loud singing erupts, "HAPPY birthday to you, HAAAApppy BIRTHday to you, HAAAAAAAAPPPPPPY birthday dear...., HAPPPY birthday to YOUUUUU!" But there's no one around our table. There's a table with eight people seated two rows back. My husband smiles and thinks it's cool that he got to hear the Happy Birthday song without any embarrassment. But then something odd happens.

The girl sitting one row behind us (different table from the lady next to us) gets up and walks over to congratulate the birthday man sitting in the table in the row behind her. That's when the man sitting next to us figures out what's going on and turns to this girl's boyfriend and asks him if today's her birthday. The boyfriend confirms, so the man laughs and says out loud for everyone to hear, "It's my birthday too, and his as well" as he points at my husband.

"Happy Birthdays" were sounded all around the restaurant. It was rather comic. I explained to my husband, "NO ONE goes out on a Monday, only people who were unfortunate enough to celebrate their birthdays on a Monday!" As the waiters come over to witness this amazing coincidence I asked Jay, does this happen often? And he's still in a state of shock and says, "I've never seen this happen and four tables right next to each other!"

Dinner was awesome! Company was wonderful. Jay's tip was high.

I think we now know where to go for my husband's birthday next year. It'll be a Tuesday.

No one ever goes out on a Tuesday.