An Act of Devotion

I am of the firm opinion that having somebody make you a birthday cake with smarties on top is one of the most wonderful acts of devotion that you can bestow upon a person. I have told my friends this and they appear to not mind when birthday's come around that I make a cake - and I have to make the cake - none of this bought rubbish, and decorate it myself.

My other admission is that I'm crap at decorating cakes. I'm not a bad cook - I'd never make Masterchef, but I'm certainly not the world's worst cook either. I really love cooking - it's one of my greatest joys.

So when Glen Waverley turned 40 a few weeks ago, I promised him a cake. And I said I'd make him a cake with a Porsche on top. Why? Well, Glen Waverley loves Porsches. You can be wandering along the street and you will hear the loud hum of some heavy petrolled engine in the distance and his neck cranes, a loping smile comes on his lips and for the next 20 minutes you will extolled the virtues of the car, it's turning circle, how the door jambs click... I sit there and compose my shopping list while he does this. But it's his great love. Bless.

Glen Waverley also owns a Porsche - a yellow one which is in storage back in the Netherlands. In my humble opinion, he payed a lot of money for a second hand car that lives in a shed on the other side of the world - but it makes him happy, and that makes me happy.

So today is Glen Waverley's belated birthday party today. I made the cake. It didn't rise properly, but it will taste okay. I iced it this morning in my normal fashion. It's so not a birthday cake without smarties - well in this case, M&Ms on top.

Here is the result - complete with $12 of M&Ms.... And the writing icing.... it's awful to use - besides, I have the handwriting of a left-handed doctor at the best of times.

I gather I will be a spot of trouble once again.

And looking at it with fresh eyes, it sort of looks like a Datsun 180B - not a Porsche. Oh well, it's the thought that counts.