When it comes to giving gifts, I love to make people wait in suspense. But a wonderful thing about Duane, is he can't wait to give me a gift, and I am dying to find out what it is. So when he asked when I want my birthday presents, we decided a day early. Logically, since we're at the office Monday, it makes sense to go out to eat then, rather than pack a lunch ;)
So at noon, we died and were reincarnated in India :) Naan, curry, chai, mango lassi... oh India, how I miss you!
That was deliciously motivational! I am so excited about this next year and going back to India :)
Duane never asked what I wanted for my birthday, because he wanted to surprise me. Since he has great listening skills, he knew what I wanted, even though I didn't know I wanted/needed it. It's like I hint at things, but don't realize it, so I still get to be surprised.
For example, one day, as we were talking to a friend about India, Duane asked, "do you have one of our brochures in your purse?" My response was "No, they don't fit in my purse..." Duane sighed, "I'm working on that." "Oh, you are working on that?" (hence the reason he likes to give me gifts ASAP).
Before he spent his money, I quizzed him on what would qualify as the perfect purse for me. He said, "some color, but not too much, an outside pocket for the cell phone, and one or two inside, with a zipper so things don't fall out, big enough for wallet, camera, and brochures (without folding them), which means the water bottle
would fit, rather than carrying that around too." I couldn't wait to see this perfect purse. He knows me so well!
The rest of my birthday present was a surprise - a couple headbands and a chalk bag. FYI - That's so when climbing you can dip your hands in chalk when they get sweaty, because sweaty hands make you slip and fall.
When I visited Colorado in December, one of Duane's friends gave me all of her climbing gear - shoes (that fit me!), harness, belay, rope, and a chalk bag. That's expensive stuff, which I was given for free, so it's OK that her favorite color is apparently red.
However, when climbing, I hate when my hands feel so dry from the chalk, and then even the texture of that red chalk bag feels like nails on a chalkboard. At some point I made a comment about that. Duane, with his amazing listening skills, heard, remembered, and responded - giving me a soft, blue chalk bag for my birthday.
So, of course, this evening we went to the gym, so I could use my new chalk bag :)
The fun began when we stepped outside. "splat", a water balloon landed in an explosion of pink.
Purple water shot from Josiah's water gun in retaliation. The war was on! With pink and orange dye smeared on our faces, we joined the neighborhood children playing the street. Josiah called it "the mother of all water-wars."
We were "attacked" by a gang of teenager boys. In our attempt to get even, they caught Joe and smeared poop/mud on his face and shirt...ok, that's a little gross...
Then we went to visit our various friends. First we went to S & J's house for chai. Joe attempted to clean the poop/mud off of himself.
Someone turned on the hose to help him...and soaked all of us. J's little daughter, ran across the porch crying, and without hesitation, lept from the porch into her mother's arms.
Our growing gang moved down the street to U & G's.
While chai was served, an all out water-war took place in their kitchen and porch. You can do this in India, because houses are cement, tile and marble, and furniture is mostly plastic lawn chairs...then we chilled on the porch and dried off in the sun...until someone started the war again...
We went back to M's for a dance party in her 10x12 ft living room...then home for showers, lunch, and laundry...which all turned pink...
