47, or something...

I went into the day with such grand ambition. The first, a 23.5-mile bike ride, likely sabotaged the morning vibe. The bed was so soft, the house so enveloped in quiet, that to disentangle myself from the sheets was tantamount to blasphemy. Nevertheless, knowing a day of gluttony lay before me, the extra caloric buffer this ride would provide got me out of bed and on the road by 9 a.m.

(Traveler's note: I did not ride 23.5 miles. 20.20 was all I had gas for.)

Emily and Sadie joined me for 11:30 a.m. church, where we all gazed in perplexity at the full chapel and wondered if we were attending the wrong meeting. The announcement of a baby blessing 5 minutes later provided all the explanation necessary. Sigh, how nice would it be to have full pews week after week?

I am not ashamed to admit that on the drive back home, a pit stop was made at Circle K for a delicious (and nutritious?) 40oz Coke Zero, and that, my friends, laid the groundwork for a fully relaxing afternoon.

All the children joined me later in the evening for pizza, taquitos, 7-layer bean dip, amongst other assorted pleasures, and cake was had. When SJ got off work, she surprised me with a Menchie's gift card. I even splurged on a new Switch 2 game (Dragon Quest 1-2 remake...a game I played with rapture at a mere 10 years old.)

Can't complain about a thing; it was definitely the way I like to spend my birthday. And a special shout-out to Emily for always making me feel so damn loved. She really is the best thing.