Saturday, October 07, 2006

Let Me Eat Cake!

Yesterday my husband came home with a bakery cake--a chocolate cake with buttercream icing, decorated with the words '100,000 October 6, 2006'. I was simultaneously thrilled and exasperated. My husband has admitted to having a little list of numerical milestones that celebrate out life together.

When I was working, I was called down to the lobby for a bouquet of flowers, sure they weren't for me, but willing to check anyway. The card read, 'For a thousand incredible days and nights'... (Whoa! Had to hope the security guard hadn't snooped.) There's been another milestone marked as well, but shockingly, I can't remember it. (And last time it took me forever to figure it out. I'm not sure I ever did...I think he had to tell me.)

So this time, I'm already guessing out loud--way off, just spouting things--like 'days we've been together'. Well, after a few of these, he gives me a hint. The cake is actually celebrating two milestones within a few days of each other. Now I'm really confused, thinking back, trying to mentally calculate, giving up finally, and using a calculator... Really I should have figured this out right away, but somehow it got lost in all the other silly guesses: We've been married 100,000 hours.

My hint for our second reason to celebrate pertains to the kids. Well, we've been married for almost twelve years, and our kids are young, so I jokingly ask, 'Do you have an eleven year old I don't know about?' Let me tell you, it's a little disturbing that he answers with 'You're getting close' (!) Anyway...turns out I've accumulated 100,000 hours taking care of my children. I scored double for the time I've dealt with them--I mean enjoyed them--both together.

Wow! Talk about your unexpected surprises and celebrating the little things...
I wonder what else is on my husband's little list...are we limited to powers of ten, or will a quarter million somethings be marked in some way? Only one way to find out....

4 comments:

Catherine Avril Morris said...

Awww--that is so romantic!!! In a mathematical genius kind of way. My dad's a statistician and he's always figuring out stuff like that too. He was really excited to inform my then-about-32-y-o sister the moment that she was 1 billion seconds old. :)

xxxx said...

So cute! Here I was, thinking it was like 100,000 words written :)

Kari Lee Townsend said...

aw, very sweet and unique.

Trish Ryan said...

Yay for your creative hubby - that's a great story! And yay for you and your 100,000 hours of service.

I worked with a guy once who told me his wife had prepared over 12,000 meals for him in their 30+ year marriage. I'd been married about a month at that point and had prepared less than four. Nice to know that perseverance pays off :)