HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY!

I've been singing Happy Birthday to you, Briiiiannnnn in different ways - some clever, some romantic, some last-minute (like this one) for 24 years now.

The first year I was invited to one of your birthday parties was because I was the girlfriend of one of your buddies.

So, this year, while our four children (who are almost all older now than the ages you and I were when we first started hanging out together) are waiting for you to come home from your so-exciting Natural Gas meeting, I thought I would spend a little time remembering previous birthday celebrations.

The first written birthday card you saved from me says underneath the pre-printed greetings,"I hope that this year is one of the greatest in your life and that as you grow the Lord will bless you in many ways.

You are very special to me, Brian, and no matter what happens between us, we will remember all our good times together and even if our friendship seems dim at times, it will never fade.
Love forever,
Tami

The melodrama of our rocky pubescent relationship (did we want to "go out" or "just be friends"?) must have motivated the extremely long run-on sentence and sappy simile.

Then there is the hand-typed (yes, on a real electric typewriter) birthday present. I think I was more excited about the invitation than you were. Several clues leading to the grand announcement that for your 18th birthday I was going to take you on the Tioga Train for dinner. I closed the "invitation" with this very coy remark, "This is one night you will not want to miss, however if these plans are incovenient for you, terms may be negotiable (possibly, not pleasantly)"So, really not a whole lot has changed in the 20 years since that birthday greeting. We've had to negotiate plans for this year, too. And I'm home moping because of that stupid Natural Gas meeting. I've always been willing to be flexible, but have never promised to be pleasant about it.

I love you, Big Guy.

Happy Birthday!

(pictures taken by a friend after our engagement)