It's My Birthday!

by Melinda

The birthday party started at 5:45 when dad woke me up shouting, "Happy Birthday! Are you getting up?!" and trying to play Happy
Birthday on the piano. And then he said, "You better hurry!"

I knew immediately that he had probably caught something on fire so I came up. And yep, he had. A can of spam with 21 candles in it
was burning brightly on the table. I quickly extinguished the flames.

Dad seemed awfully delirious at this point; he did the entire night watch after goofing off all day yesterday at Providencia. HE
MADE A CAKE. Of all my years of knowing my dad (21 years I might add), I've never seen him make a cake.

I couldn't believe it. It was a genuine, edible yellow cake with chocolate frosting. He ran off to sleep while I had breakfast
birthday cake. HE DID THE DISHES. Holy, holy crap.

Not even a minute after walking on deck, a huge mass of dolphins started swimming towards the boat from all directions. I counted
about 20 zig-zagging in a wave at our bow. It was still before dawn but light was starting to touch the mushroom clouds all around
us, creating a very unique glow.

Then the dolphins left, the sun rose, and I went inside to avoid the heat and played two games of scrabble against myself.

The rest of the day's plans are to keep eating birthday cake, sand a coconut, whip lines maybe, play the piano, play more scrabble,
read, cook dinner, and possibly watch a movie.

This birthday rocks!