It's her birthday

Celebrating her big day in Moline, IL

It's an auspicious day here in the Den. The stunningly patient and mighty fine SML is celebrating her birthday. This is her 28th birthday that she has, for better or worse, celebrated with me. That's a lot of birthdays and I've only forgotten it once in all those years. Twice, I tried to convince her that the houses we bought right around her birthday constituted her birthday presents. With a track record like that, I know you are thinking what I'm thinking, "#Husbandoftheyear!"

PS - If you are thinking that, you are a man who's been married a long time, like me. You will also know this is poorly conceived thinking.

Anyway, there was no breakfast in bed or other traditional birthday shenanigans here today. But there was a hat, banner, and blasters that I, in a shock to no one, did not provide. That's because the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML is not here. She's somewhere in the middle of the United States, with one of her dear friends, taking turns driving an SUV, dragging a U-Haul trailer packed with very important stuff, like TMFKATB's golf clubs. Because golf. Because his head will explode if he doesn't have his clubs at his side when he starts school.

These two women (#I80ladies if you want to follow them on the Instagram), who have five grandchildren behind them, are by all accounts having a really good time. The stunningly patient and mighty fine SML overcame her fear of dragging a trailer and is now so confident in her skills that she may have a second career in driving the big rigs. They found a 7-11 yesterday and got their free Slurpee. They saw some old man, in full commando, relieving himself into traffic from the side of the freeway. They stayed in Moline, IL last night! Isn't America great?

Believe it or not, they've talked the entire time and have not run out of things to talk about. Let's be honest, I'd have shot myself by now. But not my wife. She's having fun with her friend, celebrating her birthday in several states. If she's lucky, birthday dinner may be somewhere in Wyoming. Suffice to say, it's been a memorable birthday for her. She deserves it.

Happy birthday to my favorite!