Thirdy and Oh So Perdy

You thought you were done hearing about Abby, didn't you? Well, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and what’s more extraordinary than turning 30? It is extraordinary enough for two blogs in a row from Mr. Chase.

For my 30th birthday, Abby threw me a surprise party which, when I discovered 25 people in our front room unexpectedly, scared me so bad I uttered a swear word. So, for Abby’s 30th birthday, I thought I’d not surprise her at all. That’s why this post is about one week late—as usual, no surprise. But, for her actual birthday, I took care of her and we had a fantastic time, as documented in the post below.
30 years is a long time. The year Abby was born, Mt. St. Helens erupted, John Lennon was shot, the Rubeks Cube debuted, and the famous words "Do you believe in miracles??" were uttered as the U.S. Hockey Team upset the Soviet Union.

However, no one has evolved better than Toots. And in her honor, there are 30 things that make her bloody unique, super hot, and, well, Toots, Flabbs, Snabs, Trash, or Abs (all true nicknames):
30) She can play cards with her feet.
29) She has three little speckles in her left eye just below her pupil.
28) She once starred as a fashion model at ZCMI fashion week (and she has a way better walk than anyone I’ve seen on America’s Next Top Model (yes I watch it—shut up).
27) When she was little, she skipped training wheels and just jumped on a bike and rode—no training necessary. This is why she was able to convert to a tribike (clip pedals and all) one day before competing in a sprint triathlon.
26) Once, when trying on her super cool new posture support brace, she danced in her skivvies uninhibited through the front room with the windows WIDE open (and oh boy can she dance).
25) She picks her nose (just like me).24) She loves to watch PBS mysteries, like Poirot or Miss Marple.23) Her favorite article of clothing to wear inside our house is (drumroll please—and remember this is a member of a family who owns a world-class women’s clothing boutique store) her fluffy blue bathrobe, which she wears on top of whatever else she’s wearing.
22) She’s taught Sadie to read and write letters, numbers, and now words.
21) She loves to watch Sportscenter. (Okay—this is not true, but I’m hoping that if I list it it will one day be true).
20) Her favorite dessert is Backer’s Pastry Shop (Salt Lake City) spice cake.19) She hates milk.
18) She is super nutrition-minded, and every morning both Sadie and Jack get in their oatmeal a super baby food boost—steamed kale and Flaxseed Oil (full of fatty Omega-3s, in case you are wondering).
17) She loves to get outside and hates being pent up inside for more than a few hours. We wish we lived directly off the W&OD trail, or back in the mountains, or by the beach, so that she could get out more often.
16) She thinks bald-headed men (in particular, me) are super hot.
15) Despite #18, she secretly loves coke and not-so-secretly Famous Amos cookies dipped in peanut butter.
14) She loves baking cookies and, if we are lucky and it’s Thanksgiving, pumpkin cheesecake.
13) Her knitted hats are becoming world famous, particularly on the east coast, where demand from frenzied fans is increasing weekly.12) She hates being alone.
11) Luckily, #12 is no longer a problem since she has three new sidekicks, two in particular—Sadie and Jack—who refuse to leave her side.
10) She loves her sisters (and sisters-in-law) and thinks it’s lame that they don’t share the same area code, street, or house.
9) She loves hugs.8) She wants to become the book lady, just like her mom.
7) She despises smokers and wishes that her husband would get off his lazy butt and tell anyone within eyesight (or smelling distance) of her that smoking is not allowed.6) The most common question she asks: “Donde esta me gafas?” (Where are my glasses?) Sadie and I usually know exactly where they are, but love watching her search for them.
5) She is a whiz on craigslist: always buying at a discount and selling for a profit.
4) She can find and restore (or salvage) furniture from craigslist or the thrift store and make it look like it’s from Pottery Barn.
3) The thrift store (Unique on Gallows Road), coincidentally, is her favorite store (except for Children’s Hour, which goes without saying). She particularly loves Mondays, when Unique offers 50% off.2) She hates change, and has been a fantastic sport about living in 9 different places over the first 5 years of our marriage.
1) Despite being 30, she is naturally beautiful, amazingly graceful, and one smart mama of two (three if you include me!).
One week late (but no less sincere)---Happy Thirtieth Toots!!!