To Brian On His Thirty First Birthday

I purchased no present, but just to be fair,

I did write a poem, which now I will share.

So sit back and remember these bits of your life,

"Happy 31st Birthday!" from your much younger wife.

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In Summer '09, we had planned a nice date,

And you showed up approximately one hour late.

You came to the door - no, not with a flower -

But with the request "Um, can I use your shower?"

You had made the long drive in your '89 truck,

With no AC, traffic, and lots of bad luck.

You showed up all sweaty 'cause your ride got so hot,

(Thinking back, I must have really liked you a lot.)

Our first year of dating, I turned twenty two,
We'd hang out in your condo - just me and you.
Always coming and going, I lived out of my car.
And each weekend night, we'd be out at the bar.

Brewery tours, car shows, vacations galore...
Key West, Las Vegas, the Rhode Island shore,
Charleston, Asheville, the Charlotte speedway...
Kayaking last year on that perfect Fall day.

Well, then we got Otis. Our lives changed for good.
We entered the world of dog parenthood.
The pre-Otis years, they now seem like a blur.
Was there ever a time we weren't covered in fur?

Today on your birthday, I hope you have fun.
You look good for your age, so don't worry, hun!
Let's fire up the grill and let's have a few beers, 
And let's toast to another thirty one years.

Happy Birthday Brian!
Love you to the moon and back.