Smithereens: What Fifty-One Looks Like

This weekend was a big one.

Friday was "May the Fourth Be With You" day.

Saturday was Cinco De Mayo.

And Sunday was the most glorious day of all -- my beloved's 51st birthday.

However, Sundays (and this one in particular) are a little crazy in Smithereens land, so we chose to mark the anniversary of Karen's birth on May 5th. And what better way to celebrate a birthday on Cinco De Mayo than by eating Mexican food.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

We spent the celebratory birthday morning eating oatmeal pancakes. Why? Because they are so dang tasty. And they're made with oatmeal so they're healthy! And no, you paleo fanatics, they're not even close to caveman approved. We don't care.

After breakfast, the girls did a whirlwind round of chores (I'm not sure anything got super clean...although Jenna did show me the vacuum dust bin after doing the living room and it was disturbingly disgusting. I'm both exhilarated that our vacuum sucks up that much stuff after just one week and appalled that our carpet accumulates that much in one week. It's not like we live in Oklahoma in the 30s), and once we were all cleansed, dressed, and coiffed, we piled into the Santa Fe and headed to Park City.

Why Park City? Because, as I previously mentioned, Karen wanted Mexican food for her birthday, her fave mexican place is Loco Lizard (only in Park City) and it was Cinco De Mayo so perhaps there would be some sort of spectacular fiesta special -- like half-price nachos, or bottomless margaritas, or free college tuition. Turns out there was none of the above...although I think if our girls had offered to do some sort of line dance on a table, there were some patrons there who had the resources to give tips that could have definitely helped out with college. For whatever reason, they did not volunteer to perform any sort of tango, salsa or meringue for the edification of Loco Lizard's patrons.

Pity. It would have been a riveting retelling, I assure you.

Instead we ordered our food (full price, mind you. Why were they not celebrating Mexican independence...or whatever it is that Cinco De Mayo commemorates? I thought it was a requirement: you serve chips and salsa, you give away something free on May 5th. Okay, I'm letting it go now), and commenced the opening of the gifts.

She got several lovely cards, a couple of coffee gift cards, some chocolate and some cash. We didn't sing happy birthday, and our waiter (the less-than-friendly, but very capable, Matt) did not put a sombrero on her head, bring her a calorie-laden dessert, nor gather his compadres to sing some sort of uncomfortable but mildly entertaining proprietary version of the birthday song. We just enjoyed the festivities on our own in the booth.

Soon, our delectable meals arrived.

They really were delicious, although I'm not sure this picture is evidence of such. You'll just have to trust me on this one.

And what takes place after such delights? A trip to the outlet mall, of course, just a stones throw from the restaurant. Because nothing says "birthday celebration" like a trip to Eddie Bauer outlet.

After the five us dug through clearance racks and discounted merchandise at several stores, and walked away with bargains in hand for everyone, we headed to Starbucks to obtain fuel for the long drive back to Orem.

And because Starbucks is having a special, although not for Cinco De Mayo. I'm not sure exactly why they're doing it, but every day until May 14, they have half-price frappacinos from 3-5pm. And since we were leaving town about 4pm, that marvelous mix of espresso, sugar and milk was on the menu.

Coffee (or coffee flavored shakes -- I mean, let's be honest, that's what they are) in hand, we loaded up the SUV again and headed back down to reality.