Hi folks! I am back now, got in last night. As you guessed, I was on the boat for my birthday and I can tell you, it was REALLY a nice one. As Phred explained, my crew gave me a really beautiful card that was chocked full of $$$$$. My Captian had written "Laura, you have done so many things for everyone that has come and went during the past 10 years. I want you to know how much you are appreciated! Happy Birthday" I can just see him laying a guilt trip on them to come up with as much money as he could to put in that card. Not sure what I am going to spend it on yet though... Decisions! Decisions! Decisions!!!

I gotta tell you, I made my own Birthday cake and it made me feel SO bad.... Not because I "had" to make my own cake but because of how darn GOOD it came out! I made myself the same cake I make for everybody elses birthday, butter cake with butter flavored white icing and I am still trying to figure out what in the world I did to it because it was the best darn birthday cake I EVER made!!!! I had made the exact same cake for a deckhand just the trip before and it was good but a week later, some was still left.... Mine was so good, it was just about all gone the first day! EVERYBODY commented on how good it was and asked what I did different on their way back for a second piece... I did NOTHING different, in face I think I just threw it together a lot faster than I normally do... Mama must have been right, "It's all in how you hold your mouth when you stir the pot!"

Anyway, I think it was one of the best birthdays I have ever had. That card was one of the prettiest I have ever seen and it really isn't the money that was in it but how MUCH they gave... Does that make sense? Not the amount but the fact that THEY gave so much of what little they brought with them to the boat.. They all signed the card and I will cherish that forever..

Thank all of you for the great wishes here.... Maybe that was why that cake came out so good.... all the wishes from you good people here.

I got another card from a good friend that just cracked me up.. It said "WE SPENT OUR ENTIRE YOUTH LAUGHING AT OLD PEOPLE".... You open it up and it says "WE ARE SO SCREWED!".. That got to me and just cracked me UP! Ever have anything just hit your funny spot and make you laugh every time you think about it? That's the effect this card has on me...