The people in my office have fallen prey to the “fake meeting with surprise b-day cake in the conference room” for everyone’s birthday. It’s a really wonderful gesture, and we all appreciate the sentiment, but we have so many birthdays that no one is really surprised anymore. I reminded Zach yesterday of my dislike for the tradition, and asked him persuade the powers-that-be to make a pilgrimage to Amy’s Ice Cream for my birthday instead. It gets us out of the office, no one has to sneak silverware into the conference room ahead of time and I don’t have to fake being surprised. I had a meeting this morning at 10am, and figured I was safe due to the early time (no one does cake before noon), but my team hijacked the meeting and took me to breakfast at Austin Java. Now THAT was original. Simple, but totally unexpected.

So an hour, and a vanilla latte, later - I’m a happy little (caffeinated) birthday camper.

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dad as well. I was born on his birthday, 26 years ago today. My, how time flies.