Birthday Wrap-Up

Preston: "So what do you want to do for your birthday?"

Mary Frances: "Um, I don't know. We'll figure it out later."

pause

Preston: "Your birthday is tomorrow."

Mary Frances: "Yeah, I don't really know. [pauses thoughtfully and comes up with the following uncreative response] Maybe let's go out to dinner?"

Preston: "OK, where would you like to go? We can go somewhere around here, or we can go into the city."

Mary Frances: "Oooh, actually I'd really like to go out for brunch."

Preston: "OK, where would you like to go to brunch?"

Mary Frances: "Um, I don't know. [pauses thoughtfully and realizes she has no idea where to get brunch around Bryn Mawr except for...] IHOP? Actually, no. I'd like to go somewhere where they have really good coffee."

Annnnnnd this schizophrenic conversation basically repeated itself two more times. As I continued to waffle back and forth between options about which I wasn't particularly enthused, I decided that what I really wanted was a low-key night at home. Preston and I had been out of town for the last four straight weekends, and a night at home was sounding more and more awesome.

So, that's exactly what we did. At my request, Preston made pizza with my favorite toppings (spinach and mushrooms) and served it on our wedding china. While I was at work all afternoon, he made mocha sorbet (also at my request) and put it in the freezer so that it would be ready for dessert.

When I got home that evening, we took the dogs to the dog park together, and I sat down at the computer while he made the pizza. I responded to emails and caught up on news from the afternoon as the smell of fresh pizza began to waft from the kitchen into the study. Thirty minutes later, Preston poured me a glass of wine and himself a beer, and we toasted my 25th. We sat at the table for ages, chatting and savoring every bite of our pizza. Eventually we got around to present and card-opening, and when it was all over, Preston told me that he would do all the dishes (this was an awesome gift, since normally the person who doesn't cook does the dishes that night).

Every year for the last few years I've said that this birthday is the best one yet. And each year, that has been true. This year was no different. It was the best one yet, in all of its low, low, low-key glory. I can't wait to see what twenty-five brings.