...scuse me...

I had a wonderful birthday celebration. After a day yesterday with just me and Pookie, today was awash with people and fun and OH MY GOD FOOD!

Really, I wasn't thinking of having any major bruhaha or anything, I just wanted friends over. But what I got was more than just friends over. My lovely, wonderful, and talented wife cooked her ass off- she made fried chicken (in the oven), this roast that had a beautimus marinade out on the grill (dude, it had cumin, it *had* to be yummy), Hungarian rice (it involves bacon grease. no more needs be said.)(ok, I lied, green pepper and onion too), homemade bread, and chocolate cake. Now, when I say chocolate cake, y'all may think "Oh, how nice, many people love chocolate cake." No. This chocolate cake, double chocolate to be exact, was a two-layer covered with a combination of strawberries, vanilla, almond?, and thickener, all blended with a hand-mixer, and poured over each layer. The icing was really a ganache that Jenn got from Alton Brown's recipe that begins with 2 sticks of butter, dark chocolate, and heavy cream. Since the strawberry concoction turned a bit of the cake into pudding practically, it was the ganache that quite literally held the cake together. And it was ... was... oh, it was horrible. Yah. That's it. Horrible. You surely didn't miss anything. Nope. Not a thing.

This year's celebration was especially cool because of folx like aengus1385 and others from up Butler way, and their kids. They got along swimmingly with Pookie, who obviously had a blast. J. brought fantastic beer- Dogfish Head's Indian Brown Ale. Day-um, but this was yummy; it was dark, nutty, and smooth. I thoroughly approved. Oh, he brought homemade mead too, which was equally yummy and enjoyed by many. I got to share my Brooklyn Chocolate Stout, which many liked, so it was nice to see the beer flow. It happens so rarely at our house.

blackpaladin brought games (duh) and he introduced Dominion to our Butler friends, while I was in a round of Ticket To Ride. I gave two Cut Once CDs away to said Butler friends, who I think may have been surprised to know I was in a band. The laughs were many, the food was plentiful, I even got a couple of cards and gifties (thank you again), and I wouldn't've changed a thing. I know some were not able to make it, but the circumstances were completely understandable. So after all was packed up, I'm full, happy, and my sweetie outdid herself and cleaned the kitchen and dishes and prepared my lunch for tomorrow!!! Saint this woman, please.

It's a shame that I have to get up to go to work tomorrow, but this was a damn fine night. My friends rock, and my wife rocks even harder. Sweetie, you're the best. Thank you.

My wife is the. best. cook. I love that woman.

Tonight it was Mexican Molé chili, which included dutch processed cocoa and a bottle of fine Indian Pale Ale. Then she whupped up some corn bread. Ye gods, that was fine.

I am a lucky man.

She just bought me a virtual yellow rose. It's in my profile. Thank you, sweetie!!!

Happy birthday, JENN!

You are my favorite person.

You are a beautiful woman,
a fabulous cook,
a tremendous listener,
talented and driven in many things,
sometimes acting like a frat boy or a 10 year old, take your pick,
you're frickin' hilarious,
adorable,
and most of all,
you are my best friend.

And I love you.

Happy birthday, sweetie.

So, we're watching Ron White, the comedian (Blue Collar Comedy Tour), when he says "insurance." Now, me bein' from Texas and he bein' from Texas, we happen to speak the same ...dialect. We often say /IN-shur-uns/ rather than /in-SHUR-uns/. And it makes fiannaharpar's teeth itch. In fact, she was going on about this in the kitchen. And, thoughtfully, I provide the transcript, which I dare say tickled me:

fiannaharpar:*grumble*mumble*gripe* ...there's not a stress in that part of the word!!...
lrstrobel:No, -snicker- it's in my wife!! *giggle*giggle*
fiannaharpar:glares at me
lrstrobel:(laughs into the dining room)
fiannaharpar:Is it that you stay up late trying to think of ways to not to get laid again?

I know I got in one more good jab, because Jenn really glared at me and I just said, "Hey, you trained me!"

For my beloved fiannaharpar,

Autumn rays of sun
gleaming off her flaxen hair,
shine upon my heart.

I am thankful for:

1) A daughter that wakes up cute and in a good mood.
2) The ability to run up and down stairs multiple times to get previously-mentioned new music sutff in my closet and do everything that I need to do.
3) An extra plan period to get all of this done and more.

*BONUS!!*
4) I am thankful for my wife, because she is beautiful and I love her very much.