happy {belated} birthday to me!

My birthday was on Friday.  I turned 35.  35 used to seem a whole lot older than it does now.  Actually, sometimes it still seems old (like when I stop to notice the wrinkles and cracking joints, or when I talk about college and realize it was 15 years ago already).

Hubby treated me to a THICK new book - and then played with Kiddo all weekend so I could spend my time curled up on the couch, reading.  Kiddo wrote me a story about a duck and his mommy on a paper wheel that he fastened down with a brad - I had to turn the wheel to see the story.  It was very cute and creative and special.  And on the back, there was a pocket with a blank wheel stuck inside, "so that you can write a story for me, Mommy."

I treated myself to a Starbucks raspberry scone for breakfast, my mom took me out for lunch, and Hubby and Kiddo took me out for dinner.  What a great day!

Now that I am a year older, I am a year smarter, right?  That would be a good thing.  Maybe then I can avoid embarrassing encounters with local policemen, like I had on Thursday (when I was 34).

We have a U-shaped driveway, which is wonderful - until we get over a foot of snow and we have to get out the shovel (we keep telling ourselves there IS a snowblower in our future).  When the snow is that deep, we only shovel half of the "U".  The snow has slowly been melting over the past few weeks, so now there are only a few inches left on the unshoveled portion of the driveway.  So Thursday, on the way to drop Kiddo off at school, I decided I was going to drive through it (you can see where this is going, can't you?).  As soon as I had driven a few feet, I knew I was in trouble.  I made it to within about 10-15 feet of the road before I got stuck (FB friends, you have heard this already - feel free to skip to the end).

I resigned myself to getting Kiddo to school late, called my dad to come help me out, and then started digging.  While I waited for my dad, a policeman drove by and stopped to see what was going on. Our conversation went something like this (him with a tone of incredulity, me with high-pitched squeaks of embarrassment):

Him: "do you need help?"
Me: "um, no, I'm okay, thanks, someone is on there way to help me out."
Him: "are you stuck?"
Me: "yes"
Him: "do you live here?"
Me: "yes"
Him (looking at dry half of driveway): "seriously?!"
Me: "yes"
Him: "what were you trying to do, take a shortcut or something?"
Me: "uh huh"
Him: [stunned silence]
Me: [furious blushing] "stupid, I know."
Him: "but you don't need any help."
Me: "no, but thanks for stopping."
Him: [drives slowly away shaking his head]

I can just imagine myself as the topic of amused discussions around the coffee pot later that day.  Ah well.  I did manage to dig myself out - just as my dad drove up.  The school secretary got a good laugh about it too when we showed up half an hour late.

Kiddo was tickled by the whole incident.  When I told him I had learned my lesson, he said "Yeah!  NEVER drive on the snow...at least when you are trying to get me to school."