HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

It's Justin's 29th birthday today. He's a young pup and I robbed the cradle. I always dated men MUCH older than I, until I met Justin. He still teases me about having geriatric wet dreams and says I'm never allowed to work in a nursing home.
Having a birthday on a Tuesday is a bummer. I tried to get some of our friends together and they all are busy or flat out didn't respond. Nice. So it might just be the 2 of us going out for dinner and maybe light bulb shopping after that. Maddie'll stay with Ana and we'll be home and in bed asleep by 10 pm.
I'm ultra-pumped because MY birthday is on a Saturday this year!
Justin came home for lunch today and I made some wild rice and a new kind of veggie burger. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRROooooooossssyuuuuuukkkkkk! It was a bag of this veggie/protein/fiber stuff that you put with boiling water and let sit. Then form it into patties and cook 'er up! They are not tasty. Of course Madeline liked them. I served Justin's on some Ezekiel bread w/ketchup and spicy mustard and spicy cheese and spicy air on a spicy plate and it still was pretty raunch. Thankfully the wild rice and yogurt were available! But we know what Maddie gets for dinner tonight while we are having pizza and beer!

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This weekend we had Jeremy and Renee's wedding reception down South. After 5 hours of driving we were totally ready for the brew tour and socializing afterward. It was super cold out and put a bit of a damper on festivities, but not too much.
The saturday reception was at this ballroom in downtown New Ulm and of course my camera batteries crapped out after taking 2 pictures of my brother during the talent show! BOoo!
The ballroom was this place that looked like it was from the '20's. Very cool. Tons of our relatives were there and we did loads of dancing and I'm still a little sore today actually. I wore monster heals alllll night and atrophied my calves and quads. I wish I could fully explain the fun that we have with some of my cousins when we get together playin "The Dare Game." It's totally wonderful for us, but dangerous for anyone else around.
It started with 13 year old Crystal trying to convince Jeremy and Renee that she was angry with her step mom and needed to sleep in their hotel room for the rest of the weekend. SHe was a true champ and totally convinced them, even though they said NO WAY.
Cousin Shelly had to go to the DJ and rub her hands all over herself and beg him to play something "dirty."
Ben had to put his tie around his head like a bandana and grap 2 sticks from one of the centerpieces and walk around "knighting" 6 people.
Justin had to escort a folding chair to the middle of the dance floor and dirty dance with it.
I had to pretend like I was leading an aerobics class in the middle of a group of people on the dance floor.
etc. etc. etc.
Stupid, fun, and most everytime we are together this crap takes place. I think Ben and I started it many years ago while camping. A bunch of us were around the bonfire and I dared him to go sit on the ground next to the fire and do 5 sit-ups and then go sit back down and not say anything to anyone. Whatever. Stooooopid, but if you knew my family you'd so be in on it.

Tomorrow is my parents' 31st wedding anniversary! Holy moly! Pretty much they can't stand eachother anymore, but maybe that's what happens when your life revolves around your kids for 31 years? When they grow up and leave, then you wonder who the hell that other person is sitting across the table from you? Sad kind of.