Birthday breakdown

How was your Christmas?  I hope it was magical and full of love and happiness.

It feels like we've been celebrating for four days straight, and I'm a little over it.  I loved every moment, don't get me wrong, but this girl likes to sit at home and do nothing, remember?  Holidays are not conducive for sitting around and doing nothing.

Friday, of course, was Jimi's 40th birthday.  Knowing Friday was going to be a little crazy, I gave him his gift Thursday night:

It's a banjo-ukulele.  He's stoked.  

He tuned and played and played and tuned for the rest of the night...

Oh Yeah.  Friday was Finn's birthday, too.  (Not really - his birthday is ACTUALLY some time in January, but Jimi decided that 12/23 and January-something are close enough for gov'ment work, so forever forward, Jimi and Finnegan will share a birthday.)  Finn's three now!  YAY!  Of course, he got a present, too:

Stinky Pete, was the toy's name - he's a skunk.  Highly appropriate for our boy.  Pete's still around, but his tail has sprayed its stuffing all over my living room.

When Friday finally came, I spent the morning shopping for Mom & Dad & Brother, because I am on the ball and wait until Christmas Eve Eve for that sort of thing.  I wanted to try to Shop Local this year if possible, and so I headed downtown to Market Street, to a district they're trying to re-brand as NULU, or New Louisville.  (In answer, I imagine, to the artsy district known as Old Louisville, where the old Victorian houses live.)  Despite their efforts at pretension, I love NULU and the artsy-fartsy feel of it.

There's garden nestled between a parking lot and an art gallery.

I guess they had way too many tomatoes this year?  There are a few left on these vines.

We love our bourbons here in Kentucky.  :)

I finished my shopping for Momma, but Daddy and Brother still needed gifts.  Jimi was scheduled to work till 6 p.m., but was lucky enough to be one of four to get sent home early.  Even though I'd already made my way back home, we headed out again toward NULU; Jimi was starving, so we went to The Bodega at Felice, home of Lobster Bisque Fridays.  YAY!  Bossman gave me a gift card for Christmas and I was ready to get my eat on.

There's a small vineyard in their side yard.

The button on his jacket was a gift from his work-wife, Barb.

It says "In case of Zombie Apocalypse, Follow Me!"

Lobster Bisque and Grilled Cheese

I was really sad about the spilled soup, and I sure did use my spoon to save every last drop possible.  

I would've licked the plate, but I didn't want to embarrass Jimi.

Fish Tacos

After lunch, we shopped a bit, but the hats I'd had my eye on for Daddy weren't his size, and I wasn't seeing anything that would work for Brother.  We left NULU and headed for the Highlands, where I knew I could at least score a skateboard.  It was what Brother really wanted, and even though it was more than I wanted to spend, I had a feeling it'd be totally worth the extra money to see the excitement on his face.  (I was completely right about that, by the way.)  By the time that purchase was wrapped up, we were out of daylight, and I was starting to panic about Daddy's gift, but hey, that's what Christmas Eve is for, right?

Friday night, our buddy Scott Anthony was playing piano and singing in a 12-piece Steely Dan cover band.  Before the doors, we went with Steve to La Que for over-peppered lettuce cups.  (The over-peppered part wasn't part of the original plan.)

While we were waiting for our food, Jimi says "That's a very pretty flower there behind Steve."  Steve turned around and was in awe - apparently, this plant is called Crown of Thorns, and Steve, who is super plant-smart, says, "Holy crap, that's a Crown of Thorns.  I've never seen one in bloom."  We spent the next few minutes trying to get a non-blurry, non-blinding picture of the beautiful plant.

I suggested we just take it, but they wouldn't let me.  Boys never want to have fun like girls do.

I don't know why he was making this face.
I'm sure there was a funny story involved.

I nearly ruined our night before it had much chance to get started.  When we arrived at Headliners, I got the idea that I didn't want to haul my purse around.  I pulled out my valet key, my wallet, my phone and my smokes.  I popped the trunk from the inside, then used the regular key to lock the trunk release.  I got out of the car and went around to the trunk, where I deposited my purse and my daily keys before shutting the hatch.  Then I walked back up to the driver's side and locked the car.  I was swinging the door closed, when BOOM!  Sense hit me like a sledge - WAIT!  What if the valet key doesn't unlock the door?!  I stopped the momentum of the closing door, fit the key into the lock and turned - nothing.  It wouldn't turn.  My belly sank.  Fuck.  Probably won't open the trunk either, huh?  Nope.  Steve asked if the valet key will start the car, and it will, and he asked if we've got a spare house key we can get to at home, and we do, so we shrugged our shoulders and went in to listen to the music.

 I don't know Steely Dan music, but apparently this group was spot-on.  I enjoyed it, even if I didn't recognize all but two songs.  Lisa, Scott's fiance and Jimi's "sissy", was beautiful as always, and Scott was gettin' down up there on stage.

There was no way to tell Steve, "Yes,
I want a picture of me & Jimi.  But I also
want you to get my skinny jeans and suede boots in the shot."  

I woke up Saturday morning and went on a tear looking for my spare key, the one that's not the valet key.  I remembered using it last winter, but I hadn't seen it in months.  We emptied drawers and closets, old bags and purses, change jars and mail organizers.  "Would it be upstairs for any reason?" Jimi asked.  "No, I don't think so," I replied.  Of course it was upstairs.  On the coffee table, right where it belongs.  All was well with the world, as my purse and regular keys were freed from the trunk of my car.

It was a freakin' Christmas Miracle.

Speaking of Christmas, guess I'll talk about that next time.  This post is pretty epic.  :)