Lone birthdays

I've been without my spouse for the last few birthdays. He's been in the Southern Hemishere seeing my birthday come the day before I do. Figures: he's been getting information about stuff I should know about first (like the results of my first-ever pregnancy test because he was friends with the lab guy) for a long time. He gloats about it (but that's probably a rant in its own right).

Anyway, he hasn't personally bought me a gift in a very long time so, technically, nothing's changed. He just won't be here to cook the obligatory birthday dinner. So I'll take the kids out somewhere. And I'll buy my own gift(s). And maybe, just maybe, I'll spend more than he would have if he ever bothered to buy a gift. He always takes the kids out to get some little something or other but he doesn't think about buying something. I've never understood it since his father was such a great gift-giver.

So what am I thinking about spending his hard-earned cash on? Maybe a new pair of running shoes. Not just adequate shoes, but shoes with style. Shoes with attitude. Shoes that say "yes, she ran, and she flew like the wind". Even when I didn't. And because it's my birthday, I'll buy something totally unnecessary. An ice cream cake maybe? Hey, I heard if one runs, one can eat cake!