Today has been a day of ups and downs, and it started on a DOWN.  Today is my wife Amanda’s birthday (she is now 25 because I am trying to earn points) and Ben and I started it with ur THIRD gift to her.

All of them were very well thought out, but the first two were more fun and less practical.  We bought her monogramed cards (which she at first wondered why there was no writing in them, but that was because they were MONOGRAMED CARDS for her to use to write others) and a very nice portable hammock to test the waters to see if we could get her a real one later (she used it tonight).  We also had TWO parties for her, a family on on Friday with everyone, and another tonight.

But the third one (the gift) was very practical and well needed.  Amanda irons EVERYTHING and her ironing board is very rickety and tired.  SO we bought her a really nice one, the kind with an iron rack and hanging stand attached…..and wide width too (not for her clothes size as she is skinny, but for conveinience…..after all I am not stupid)……or so I thought.

You see, she loved it, but had a very sad look on her face as she told me that her mom gave her that ironing board and that it had been her grandmas……and her grandma died some time ago.  She was worried I would be upset, but I UNDERSTOOD as things like that are very important to me as well.  I told her “no problem” and that I would return it and that I would buy her a stand, a hanging rack and a new board pad instead.  So I took it back to return it.

The lady at the Meijer thought the whole thing was hilarious, and I suppose it was as it had not happened to her.  She made sure I knew how luck it was that I hadn’t thrown out the old one, and although it was something I didn’t admit to her it was something I had thought about all day….including on my way to Meijer!  But after Amanda revealed what she did, that new board, all wrapped up right next to the old one, could never compare….even to me.

But what goes around comes around.  My mother-in-law called tonight to wish Amanda a Happy Birthday and was told the story.  As it turns out, that board wasn’t grandma’s at all……and it needs to be replaced.  So I will be heading to a different Meijer in the morning.  I don’t want to run into that woman and giver her more to laugh about.

Happy Birthday Amanda, I love you!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+