It's Penelope's Birthday

Right now, it's Penelope's birthday, as it has been for two days and will still be tomorrow. It's been more of a Penelope-celebrating festival, really. I've personally sung to her twice so far, with at least one more to come when my mom has us over for dinner and festive hat-wearing, and probably another at some other point on Monday, her actual birthday.

I've got some things planned for her, but I can't say 'em yet. She reads this site. My big accomplishment up to this point has been when I genuinely surprised her. She loves surprises, but she's very difficult to surprise. She had no way of guessing that I had Friday afternoon off work, though, so when I circled back home after leaving after lunch and rode up in the driveway again, I got her. We got to have a date in the middle of the day - saw Garden State at 3:10 in the blessed afternoon, ate sushi at 5:30, before the dinner rush, and lounged around the house thereafter.

And yesterday, we had a cookout in her honor, with lots and lots of grilled burgers and brats and something like six coolers with beer, water and capri sun. I'd never seen six coolers in use simultaneously in a non-commercial application. It all wound down with seven of us sitting around a fire in the back yard, an activity I know Penny likes.

Then, today, we're - oh. Better not spoil the surprise.

Fun stuff's coming, though. It's the most, wonderful time, of the year...

Happy Birthday, Lope!