Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakes!!!

Or: Thirty-one years of tumbling red curls, the loveliest green eyes on the planet, and what can only be described as a freckle explosion.



It’s my burfday!

It sure is, you cute wee devil!



Oh good lord, woman. What have you done?

Hahahaha!
The other night, I mentioned to my friend Sam that Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks had always been my favorite Hollywood couple. “Not Bogart and Bacall?” he asked. “Not Newman and Woodward?”

“Nope,” I replied. “Definitely Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks.”

He asked why. It was because of something Anne Bancroft once said. Yes, that Brooks made her laugh. And this: “When I hear his key in the lock at night my heart starts to beat faster. I'm just so happy he's coming home. We have so much fun.” I can totally relate.

I’ll never get over my crush on Mr. Shakes.

He’s all the things that anyone would hope to be able to say about their partner—kind, intelligent, loyal, admirable, talented, affectionate, witty. But then there’s this other thing…this completely bizaare and wonderful thing that leads him to believe that his primary role as my husband is to annoy the shit out of me in the most hilarious way.

“Hey,” he’ll say. “Did you see that poll that CNN did today?”

“No,” I’ll reply.

“Oh, it was really interesting,” he’ll tell me. “They foond oot that Joodge Toobbs is the moost brilliant chooby wifel in the entire universe.”

Then he’ll give me that wicked grin with the raised eyebrow, and I’ll tell him to shut up, to which he’ll reply, “Hey, doon’t tell me. I’m joost repoorting the news, Chunkles.” And on and on we’ll go until I’m laughing so hard my sides hurt.

Which reminds me of something else Anne Bancroft once said about Mel Brooks. “I'd never had so much pleasure with another human being. It was that simple.”

I can totally relate to that, too.

I love you, Mr. Shakes. Happy Birthday.