Cakes – “Who’s the Genius?” – 1996 (I think)

This one has a little story.

This is the slightly shortened version.

My cousin, Steve, had gone to Chicago on business.  While he was out there, he had shopped at a Warner Brothers gift store and brought home a black plastic "bomb" with a fuse coming out of the top – like in the cartoons.  There was writing around the top of the black ball – "Who’s the Genius?"  And inside, Steve told me, was a tee shirt.  Cool packaging. 

And it was empty.  Steve was stunned (and annoyed at spending money on an empty plastic ball), and I thought it was incredibly funny. 

Now…to add some background – Steve and I are the same age – I’m a month older – and we’ve known each other since we were twelve.  We’ve always had a friendly sort of rivalry in terms of who’s smarter – I’m probably the crueler of the two of us.  He’s much better natured. 

So – the empty plastic container struck me funny on a few levels.

And so, when it was time to make his birthday cake, I had the perfect subject matter.

I don’t even remember what kind of cake was inside.  Probably chocolate.  I do, however, remember grinning like a fool the whole time I was making this, the whole time I was icing it in black, and writing "Who’s the Genius?" around the top. 

And honestly?  He’s much smarter than I am.  But don’t tell him I said that.