pen_grunt | The infamous carrot cake.

There are some things that live on in infamy. In families, in relationships. A stray comment or action that amuses takes on a life of its own and grows into, "Do you remember the time when Uncle Don..." or "Don't burn the cake AGAIN Aunt Sherry..."

Like the time when Derrick tried to karate-chop my sticking-up bangs and ended up aiming too low, whacking me square in the forehead at full speed. ("Don't beat me again, honey!" still lives on.)

Or the time that he fell down the stairs twice. In one day. While sober. And broke his foot.

Or the time that he swindled my sister into making carrot cake for my birthday.

This is how the infamous phrase, "But Missy, isn't carrot cake your favorite?" (said with a near-lewd grin) came to be.

My sister was staying with us at the time. I was away on business over my birthday. My husband and sister decided to conspire; making a birthday treat that would be a surprise upon my arrival home. I walked in the door, back from some trip or another, and exhausted of all tact.

"I made you carrot cake for your birthday!" my sister proclaimed, showing off her baked accomplishment.

"Oh. Thanks! That's really nice, but I don't really like carrot cake."

At this point, my sister whirled around to Derrick who had a sheepish grin on his face if I ever saw one. "But Derrick said it was your favorite..."

The gig was up and I sighed indulgently, "Actually, carrot cake is DERRICK's favorite."

"I asked him what I should make and he said carrot cake or angel food cake."

"Well, I don't really care for angel food cake either, but he (punctuated by a poke to my husband's side) likes carrot cake and angel food cake best."

To be perfectly fair, I had some of the cake, and loved it. My sister's carrot cake is the *only* one I've found that I even find palatable, let alone love, so it's a happy accident, all told. Perhaps I'll ask her to bring it for my birthday cook out. Along with peas. Because I think they're Derrick's favorite*.

*And by favorite, I mean "vegetable that he loathes but I love".