Leaf Turning…

It has been several months since I posted something to this blog. I promised myself when I started this thing that I wouldn’t resort to any of those ‘blog-a-day’ idea generators just to fill the space and keep something in front of my readership. [by the way, thank you guys. The comments the three of you have been making have been most heartwarming :)]

I figured if the voices in my head weren’t literally screaming to get out, I’d just let them be. Lately, I’ve been wondering what it was going to take to get back to this blog – and now we know. You see, Monday is Deb’s birthday. And while you are reading this, so is she – one day early, since we’re having our celebration tonight.

So Happy Birthday, Deb! Don’t worry – I won’t let on how old you are. Just let me say that I am most fortunate to share my life these days with the hottest 39+ year-old on the planet. This post is for you – and we’ll look at several things related to your big day.

Presents
I never know what to get you for your birthday. As you know, I’m much more of a ‘buy-it-whenever-I-feel-like-it’ kinda guy. But this year, you indicated early on exactly what you wanted for your birthday. Halleluhiah! And after doing some extensive research, you confirmed that the ONLY one that would meet your needs was in the $700 range. So you made me promise NOT to buy you one. So, as promised, you are NOT getting one. You’re welcome.

Diet
We have more than a few cookbooks in our house, and many of them espouse the benefits of a vegetarian/vegan diet. We have a few favorites we make from time to time, but I’m kind of a die-hard carnivore – despite your (and Kennedy’s) attempts over the years to convert me. My attitude is usually best described as ‘the comfortable skeptic’. Well, this time you win. We’re on a 30-day trial run – and fully committed. Since you have been doing so much research on this ‘nutritarian’ diet, I’m putting myself in your capable hands. And since I’m usually the cook ’round here, it means not just eating differently, but preparing food differently as well. For starters, the ‘meat and cheese’ drawer in the fridge is being converted into the “third vegetable drawer”.

Of course, we should keep in mind that I’ve never been fanatically devout about anything in my life, so if you guys out there have any suggestions for ovo-pisco-lacto-poulto vegetarian recipes or cookbooks, please send them my way.

Exercise
You have always been better at staying in shape than I have (one look will show you that). You’re still running through Aikido warmup exercises and walking 3-5 miles most mornings. I walk out to get the mail 2-3 times a week (on a good week). Sure, I’m active at work – but we all say that, don’t we? So when I say that this is your present, it’s kind of like when you get a big box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day. Sure, they’re yours, but we all know who’s going to eat most of ’em. Anyway, your present here is membership to the local gym – for both of us. I need more structure to my workout regimen if I’m going to get myself back into shape. And we’ve got plans for the future that will require that I do.

I think this new gym workout routine will be a really good thing for us. When I checked it out the other day, the place was full of tanned, long-legged hotties in tank tops and spandex, sipping protein smoothies at the juice bar. And the guy behind the counter said that sometimes women even come to work out there.

Alchohol
I’m making a promise right here and now that there will be no more long Sunday afternoons sitting in front of a football game with nothing but a plate of hot wings and a 12-pack of Budweiser. To be perfectly honest, this has never happened in the past. Still, it seems like good opportunity to promise that it won’t happen in the future, right? Besides, we have those 4 cases of $3 wine we bought at Whole Foods last week. It would be a shame to let that go to waste. So, alcohol in moderation – in medicinal dosages, if you will. I’m searching the Internet for recipes like grilled tofu, Swiss Chard and pine nuts, braised in a Pinot Noir reduction…

Stuff
This may just be the hardest one to work on. You see, while a piece of my mind can appreciate the Zen-like tranquility that comes from open and austere simplicity, I haven’t yet fully internalized this belief that enlightenment will come when I’ve divested myself of all the ‘stuff’ in my life. Yes, I’ll admit that I’m still hung up on my attachments. But now I’m making a start.

First up – my ‘mid-life crisis’ red and gold, semi-hollow-body Schecter guitar. Watch for it on Craig’s list – it will be a bargain. Then we’ll move on to our collections (CDs, DVDs, books, half-full paint cans, etc.). The eventual goal is that when the time comes to move on from here into our retirement phase (wherever, whenever that comes…), we’ll be able to put all of our belongings into the cars we take with us – instead of the 28-foot U-haul in which we brought it all here.

Thank you Deb for all that you’ve meant to me for these last 30 plus years. I am looking forward to another 30 more. With you alongside me, the wonderful ride goes on.

Hope you have a wonderful birthday – you deserve the very best.