How to Celebrate Your 29th Birthday

If it's a weekday, start by requesting the day off.   Be sure to do so several month ahead so your boss will have no other requests and will have no choice but to give you time off.  Start daydreaming of the free day you will have.  Ponder the the big decisions: Should I eat a chocolate croissant for breakfast?   Should I eat ice cream breakfast?   Is it ok to do both on your birthday?  (For the record, I say yes)  Will I get a pedicure?  What color polish will I choose?  How fun will it be to look at my watch at 10:30am when the others will be in a meeting?  etc. etc. etc.   Tell your husband of your plans.

-Flash forward to the month of your birthday-

By this time you will have had time to ponder the important questions, above.  Your husband will have something up his sleeve that will quite possibly get in the way of the pedicure.   You see, instead of giving you a wrapped gift in a box, he has decided to give you an experience.   This floats your boat because you don't like 'stuff' and an experience is fine and dandy with you.   The best part is, you will want it to be a surprise, and your husband will indulge you.  You will still think about the different places you might be going, which will keep you entertained for quite awhile.  Your husband will then ask you a completely random question which will throw you off the guessing game farther than you can even imagine.   In my case it was the following:

M: Jules, I have a weird question.  But just go with it.

J: OK

M: Pink or blue?

J: Excuse me?

M: Pink or blue?

J: In what context?

M: Just pick one

J: Am I going to eat it?  Or wear it?  

M: As an accessory

J: Seriously?

M: Just answer the question Jules

J: OK.   This is scaring me.   Pink?

-Flash forward to the day before your birthday-

Your coworkers will have found out you are taking the day off, even though you all work from home and communicate pretty much 100% via instant messenger.   They will start to ask questions that you cannot answer.   What are you doing for your birthday?  Where are you going?   What is Michael getting you for your birthday?   You will enjoy being clueless.

That evening, your husband will present you with a wrapped gift.  You will question the gift, based on his decison to give you an experience rather than a wrapped box.  He will say it's a clue so that you can get ready for the next day and for the impending surprise gift.  You will open the box and find this:

The shocking pink (you did say pink earlier this month, remember?) water shoes will be your clue but you will remain confused.  "Where are we going?"  "Discovery Cove to swim with dolphins!"   You will then start screaming.  Your husband may wish he had bought himself earplugs as part of the gift giving.

Y'all.   This is exciting for many reasons:

• I have always wanted to swim with dolphins.   Like for years.... since I was a small fry.  
• Discovery Cove is one of the few attractions in Orlando that I have not experienced
• The weather in May is hot and therefore perfect for frolicking in saltwater with creatures
• It would be an experience I won't soon forget and there is no 'stuff' in my house except for water shoes, but I can totally use those again so I am OK with it.

So...  the morning of May 8, 2011, we woke up around 7:30 (trust me... this is sleeping in at my house), threw on our swimsuits and water shoes and headed for the park.  It was a-ma-zing!  I'm going to write a second post all about it, since it was so darn cool.   But here is a photo to hold your interest in the interim.

You'll note that both Hurley and I were super pumped that morning.    We are sporting the same smile, after all.   While swimming with the dolphins was certainly the highlight, the park has a bunch of cool features so I will tell you about them next time.  But while we're on the subject of birthdays, can I just say that for the past few years, mine have been pretty rockin'.     I am a lucky girl.