Rant #2,769: Happy Birthday, Sweet 65

Today is a special day in my family.
 
Wednesday, November 10, is my wife’s birthday.
 
And it isn’t just any birthday—
 
It is her 65th birthday.
 
I can say that now, that she is 65, but in previous years I shied away from broadcasting her actual birthday number to everyone, while telling everyone that it was her birthday, but this is such a special one, that I feel that it is OK to let people know just how young she really is.
 
No one would believe that she is that age—she has even been told this right to her face—and they are right about that.
 
My wife keeps herself in the best shape that she can. She goes to the gym, walks, and watches what she eats.
 
She likes the occasional drink—on some days, drinks—but he never overdoes it.
 
And the proof, as they say, is in the pudding, as if you saw her in person, you would wonder how this lady is the age that she is.
 
And now, on top of everything, she has retired, so she is going to celebrate her birthday—and many more birthdays—free of the shackles of the work environment.
 
She decided when that time would come, and it came just before her birthday, so she can now do whatever she wants to do.
 
I decided to look back on what I said over the years on her other birthdays right here at the blog, and what I said six years ago, on November 10, 2015 in Rant #1550, is still pretty appropriate:
 
“Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you..
Happy birthday, sweet Elena,
Happy birthday to you.
 
There really isn't that much more to say.
It is my wife's birthday today, and she turns ... .
No, I am not going to tell you the number, but believe me, she doesn't look it.
She is the light of my life.
And as I said in the past, please pinch me to make sure I am not in some type of dream land.
 

I am really married to this woman, the mother of our son.
She is a great girl, comes from a great family, and we share lots in common.
As I tell our son all the time, she is the boss of this family, and that is how I like it.
She tells us what she wants us to do, and we do it.
And we love her for it.
 
She has so many attractive attributes, as well as just being attractive, that they are too numerous to name.

But here we are. Another year has gone by, and although in age we are getting older, in spirit, we are where we always have been and hopefully, always will be.”
 
Now she is six years older than when I wrote that, but to me, she hasn’t aged a day, not a single day.
 
And her mindset is different now, because she doesn’t have the responsibilities of the workplace to encroach on her life and very being.
 
And that is great. She did what she wanted to do when she wanted to do it.
 
What is in the cards for her?
 
That will certainly be her decision.
 
She was very much into art when she was younger, and she might get back into that once everything settles down.
 
She is still into exercise, so that won’t stop, nor will her life as a mother and as my wife and as a person who puts family first.
 
Now she has the time to do what she wants to do, when she wants to do it, and even though she gained a year, she also gained the freedom to make whatever choices she makes as a retired person.

 
So I guess you can have your cake and eat it too—and yes, she will get cake later, although knowing her, my wife will only have a sliver of whatever I get for her, and will want the cake out of our house ASAP so as to not provide any temptations to go against the norm of watching what she eats.
 
And that is fine.
 
Ice cream cake melts away, my wife still has decades to go before she is done.
 
And we are having a big party—close relatives only—for her this coming weekend, so the fun will continue for several days.
 
And I got my own present this morning.
 
As I went to our garbage pails, I saw that the top was off of one, and as I went over to put it back where it should be, I saw either a dead or sick or who-knows-in-what condition raccoon staring back at me, but not moving, right in the center of the garbage pail.
 
I will go back down in a little while to see if this “birthday present” is still there, and if it is, I will call Animal Control and get rid of this thing.
 
The last thing I need is a “Rocky Raccoon” to spoil the day.
 
Happy birthday to my wife, and many, many more!