21

Just as days on the Jewish calendar begin at sundown and carry through to the next setting of the sun, Jeremy's birthday celebration each year begins with dinner the night before.

Jeremy is going to be 21 tomorrow, so his dad and I are taking him out tonight for our annual feast of Chinese food.

On January 9, 1991, Stuart and I went out to eat at a Chinese restaurant that doesn't exist anymore.  (We also got engaged at a Chinese restaurant that is no longer standing ... it seems to be a theme in our lives!)  Jeremy was a week late, I was enormous and uncomfortable after gaining 60 pounds, and going out to dinner just seemed easier than cooking.

At 3 o'clock in the morning, my back started to ache - the first pangs of labor; it took Jeremy another 17 hours to finally show up to stick his tongue out at us.  Stuart has maintained for all these years that Jeremy loved Chinese food so much that it was the ultimate lure to make him give up his comfy surroundings and finally make his grand arrival!

So tonight will be the 21st year in a row that we've eaten Chinese food on January 9, the night before Jeremy's birthday.  Who knew, that first time, that this would become a tradition that's integral to our celebration???

And who knew that 21 years could possibly go by so quickly ...?


For today's recipe - Waffle French Toast with Apricot Syrup - go to the Food and Grocery page of AnnArbor.com ....