Happy Birthday Stuie

Random birthday facts: my brother and I were both born 2-days late (which rarely ever happens anymore) and in snow storms.

The fondest memory I have of his birthday was in 1988 when the family was in NY for my aunt's wedding. I do not remember if it was before or after the wedding, but we were at my Aunt Sheila and Uncle George (paternal grandmother's brother & sister-in-law) for some kind of wedding-related-family-gathering. I was six at the time, and this was the first time Stuart and I had met my dad's extended family. Aunt Shelia told me she wanted to get a cake for Stuart's birthday. There were several more wedding-related-family-gathering planned for that weekend in which to celebrate his birthday; she asked me what he likes. I declared strawberry! This is were my six-year-memory is a little fuzzy, because I can not recall if the ensuing cake fiasco was later that day or the following.

A several tier, white frosted, strawberry-lined cake arrived. Aunt Shelia set-up the cake on the buffet in the formal dining room. We all gathered and sang happy birthday to "little Stuie" (since my dad is the orginal Stuie is that circle). As they were passing around nicely sliced pieces of, what I assume was a pretty pricey combination of sugar, flour, butter, and strawberries, it became apparent that "little Stuie" did not like strawberry cake. I soon found myself hiding under the table in the cloak of the table cloth. Aunt Shelia was not too happy needless to say and let me know it. My parents on the other-hand found it a bit amusing, especially since I do not even particularly like strawberry cake all that well.

In retrospect, I can only conclude that I made this decision because I knew he did not like it. I have made him yellow-cake with extra chocolate frosting ever since.