The Birthday Festivities

I could try to make this funny, or witty, or whatever, but it's just gonna take too much effort.

So...

I had quite the birthday a few weeks ago, and I need to let those who made it great know that I actually appreciated what they did.

First off, I was treated to a trip home to Nashville by my parents. I think the original plan was to see me before I left the country for four months. Update: Peru is a no-go. I decided making money and getting married not-penniless was better than spending the summer abroad and coming home with a bank account that would get me the key to bum town. (Anne, what do you think? Rent's cheap, food's free...)

Nashville was fun. Unfortunately, the photo evidence of that trip is on my parents' computer.

Thanks, mom and dad.

When I got back to Salt Lake from Nashville, my grandma paid me a birthday visit at my sister's house.

Thanks, grandma.

Cody was glad when I got back to Provo. He wanted to show off his hard work at decorating my room.








Please notice that my bed has arms (Snuggie), and that my present is in a princess bag.





Cody wasn't actually the mastermind behind the decorations. He was just there to reach all the high places. When I saw the princess bag, I knew that this could only be the work of my friends Tammy and Melissa.

Thanks, Tammy and Melissa (and Chelsea and Callie...and Cody).

When I got to work the next day, I found a 20-pack of these in "my" drawer.





They can be purchased here.

Thanks, Chelsea (different Chelsea from the one mentioned above).

Later that night or week (I really don't remember now), Anne gave me her present, and then a week later, she constructed the birthday cake of all birthday cakes. I wish I had taken a picture of it. It was a real work of art. She took my favorite flavor (lime) and one of my favorite foods (cake) and turned it into a party in my mouth. Fantastic.

Thanks, Anne.

And thanks again to everyone that participated in the big two-four. I needed something like this to help me cope with the quarter-life crisis I've been having this last decade.

Happy birthday to me!

Save The Date!

To the surprised (and the not so surprised) readers of my blog, I hereby officially announce the engagement of Michael (me) to Anne (the girl).

We took some preliminary engagement pictures a while back. Let me know what you think.














Can't you see why I'm madly in love? Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Oh, and plan on August 8.

I love my coworkers!

This morning, I walked into the pastry kitchen at work, and all of the crew knew that my birthday was coming up. A few minutes later, I walked into the hot-food kitchen, and the sous chef asked me if my birthday was today or soon. When I asked her how she knew I was about to have a birthday, she said the banquet chef had told her. I was perplexed that everyone knew.

Later, when I was out on an event, I got a call from one of the consultants. She told me I needed to stop by her office sometime today. When the event was served, I walked back to our main office, curious about all the attention I had been getting about my pending birthday.

It all made sense when I was presented with 12 of these.





Apparently, they were made by both the sous chef and the pastry kitchen and most likely ordered by Candice, one of our consultants. A joint birthday celebration effort, if you will.





I know you're wondering, so let me just tell you. They are divine. Think of how much you love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and then multiply that by 65 billion. That's how good they are.

For this, and many other reasons, I love my coworkers. Thanks, guys!

Happy Birthday, Padre!

Here's dad in front of one of our family's more recent favorites, the Loveless Cafe.





Isn't that a flattering picture? Ever since the computer crash of 2008 when I lost all of my pictures, the pickings have been pretty slim.

Anyway, today my dad turns 53! In honor of his birthday, I would like to list 5.3 things I like/appreciate/enjoy/love about him (53 is just too dang many).

1. Dad does more for me than I deserve. I don't know what I would do without the Bob Johnson Scholarship Fund. I always tell him I'll return it to him when he's old, senile, and wearing diapers. We'll pay someone to change those...

2. Dad loves cars, always drives fast, and is passionate about his work. He has passed those traits on to me. In fact, the older I get, the more I realize how like my dad I am. Unlike the teenage Michael, I think being like my dad will be pretty cool.

3. Dad likes to eat out, and is always adventurous. I think I got my appetite for anything and everything from him. He's also generous and always takes my friends out whenever he gets the chance.

4. Dad laughs the hardest at his own jokes. There's nothing better than watching him crack up as he reads a funny e-mail over the pulpit in Church or tells a funny story that happened to him in Japan or D.C. or wherever.

5. Nobody does a better Mexican-American English accent than dad. I think he learned it from our gardener way back when. "I don't pick up the sh**."

6. Dad loves his family and loves to...

(I said only 5.3 things!)

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Things that go bump in the night.

If this doesn't give you nightmares, I don't know what will.





They used to have several of these along the front window of a shopping center on Center Street here in Provo. Either somebody bought them or they realized that no one had shopped in any of their stores while the man-headed swans were guarding the entrance.