My Hubby's Birthday

Jojo’s 40th birthday is coming up. I know that may surprise a number of you since he seems so much younger than that. For starters my hubby is blessed with features that could easily pass for someone in their early to mid thirties. Plus the fact that he dresses so casually too. His weekend uniform is basically jeans, shirts with superhero logos, baseball caps and sneakers. There have been times when he would even be mistaken as a twenty-something. (Okay, okay, maybe that was once by someone very drunk, with poor eyesight, in some dark alley).

But the point is he does look younger than his real age and I think the biggest reason is his disposition and lifestyle. Disposition-wise, he’s very easy-going and lives a very stress-free life. That helps! Lifestyle-wise, he’s all about “clean living” – he’s never smoked, never did drugs, drinks maybe 5 beers a year (and only when forced to!), does not gamble, and does not like late night parties. The only things he indulges in are what I call his “5 C’s”: computers, cartoons, comics, cars and chocolates (cakes, cookies, candy, anything sweet!).

But anyway, back to the fact that my hubby is celebrating his ruby anniversary this year. I’m excited since I love planning parties. My favorites are planning surprise parties and making them theme events. But as usual, my hubby has asked for “no surprises”, “nothing fancy”, and “nothing too out of the ordinary”. So we tossed around a couple of ideas. I suggested a formal dinner at a hotel. He said “no” (way too fancy). I suggested a catered affair in our home. He said “no” (way too much work). I suggested an 80’s themed party with dancing afterwards. He said “no” (not his type of thing). I suggested a Chinese banquet. He said “I’ll think about it”. He suggested spending the money on a TV. I said “no” (we don’t need another one). He suggested spending the money on a new Mac Book. I said “no” (we have a notebook and he has a Mac). He suggested not doing anything and investing the money in stocks. I said “no” (we should celebrate his birthday!). He suggested spending the money on a luxury massage chair. I said “I’ll think about it”.

So we’ve compromised. I am throwing him a birthday dinner. It’s not a surprise party but at least it’s a theme party. We are having a Chinese banquet where guests have to come dressed in red. My sisters-in-law and I are decorating the private room too. I bought the perfect invitations and am now shopping for guest give-aways. Of course, I’ll be hosting games and handing out prizes. Maybe some karaoke singing or a presentation by my nieces and nephews? I like parties to be interactive. And there’s the menu, I’ve been working with the restaurant’s banquet manager to make sure each of the 12-course dishes are Jojo’s favorites. Not to mention trying to find the perfect birthday cake to satisfy my hubby’s sweet tooth!

And yes, Jojo is getting a massage chair. It’s something he’s always wanted and may help him with his lower back pains. We’ve been searching for one on-line that meets three main criteria: His criteria: that the chair provides the perfect massage. My criteria: that it matches with our room’s décor. Our criteria: That it doesn’t put us into debt when purchased!