They excelled themselves with my cake this year. They asked me what I wanted, and I said "Golden caramel cake, drizzled with melted milk chocolate, filled with strawberries, and served with cream." Full marks for presentation! - although they could have changed the tablecloth! I swear I didn't spill the coffee on it! #1 took control, made the cake - but still required her younger 12 year old sister to break the eggs for her! - went shopping for ingredients with Dad and insisted on buying classier candles - 'decorated' the cake - more the artist than the cook, she always got top marks for presentation in her school cooking class! - and insisted on being the one to take the birthday photo.

I had a good day. A quiet day. Got my sleep in - and even though he was awake earlier, and champing at the bit to get some work done on the car, he didn't want me to wake up to a deserted other side of the bed - so he stayed till I woke up! Altogether now - "Awwww". The kids disappeared themselves with friends for a while - which they considered to be their present to me. A pity Himself was tied up in fixing the leak in the car, but what must be done must be done.

The weather gods gifted me a glorious spring-like day. The body sabotage gnomes, however, decided that all could not be perfect, and late Saturday sprang upon me, for no good reason, a sore knee/back of calf. I had been fine all day Saturday; we'd ridden the tandem nearly 60km in the morning, but all good. Walking around as usual at netball and then pottering around at home. Drove Alison's friend home late afternoon, and as I got out of the car to duck into the supermarket, I had to suddenly hobble! It got worse and worse till I limped up to bed in pain, forgoing even watching the Swans come good in the final quarter to beat the Saints.

Not the best night's sleep, but at least it had eased on Sunday. I tentatively tried my bike, and it didn't hurt too much; better than walking actually. So late afternoon Marc and I took off for a quick MTB ride up the highway, but then exploring a back route on dirt home again over a hill and through banana plantations. I thoroughly enjoyed it apart from the scary downhill bit where I wished I had knobbier tyres on my MTB and had spent a childhood yahooing around on bikes like boys tend to do. As soon as my back wheel starts skidding, I start freaking. Walking down with the bike wasn't the best thing I could have done with this stupid knee/calf thing, but what the hell. You only live once, and I was going to be disappointed if we didn't do a little bit of something like that on my birthday!

We went out to a Thai meal for dinner, came home to birthday cake, and more phone calls from relatives - like my 'little' sister- reminding me how old I am. ["How old are you ? 44?".... "45 actually"... "Sheesh..! 45 is it?! Geez, you're over the hill - nearly 50 then aren't you?"... "Gee thanks sis." ]

Both Marc and I figured we had bought ourselves enough presents this year - ie. our new road bikes. A new tandem. Bike parts. Bike clothes. So we didn't do anything about presents, except to buy each other a carton of 'nice' beer. On Tuesday for his I bought him a carton of Blue Tongue. (Reckon that might be an Aussie beer?) And he bought me a carton of Coronas. (But forgot the lime!) And a bottle of more expensive wine than we usually get.

The kids don't get the chance to get to the shops without me, so we didn't go there with presents either, but to be honest it doesn't bother me. They made me a card. And a cake! And Caitlin gave me a 'virtual' IOU for a new blog banner.

Anyway, despite my age, despite the various stupid inconveniences my body is throwing at me, I'm not over the hill yet. Unless it's on a bike! And for once, there's a photo of me I don't hate. That is possibly the best birthday present I could ever have been given!!!

Labels: bike riding, birthdays, daily