...So many candles. OK, so I didn't have any candles on a cake, I think it's because the Wilmington Fire Department prohibits a dessert from containing more than 40 candles or some weird law like that. Something about spontaneous combustion or some such silliness.
My birthday didn't start out so great. I fell for Cassie. To be more accurate, I fell OVER Cassie. I was taking some towels to the washer and I didn't see her stretched out in the hall, on the nice HARDWOOD floor, and I tripped right over my big, blond dog and landed on both knees. Yes, it hurt. Yes, I am bruised. No, the dog suffered no injuries. Yes, the towels did eventually make it to the machine and are now clean and possibly even folded. I'm not sure about the folded part because I lost interest in the whole exercise after that.
It was a bit of a gray, chilly day, but that's what you get for being born in February, I suppose. Small price to pay in order to be assigned Aquarius. I'm not an avid or devoted follower of astrology, but I love all that is Aquarius - even the personality traits that aren't terribly flattering. Goodness knows I've got a lot of them.
I started reorganizing my filing cabinet - do I know how to celebrate my birthday or what? It got my mind off of my throbbing knees, sort of. And then I got a call from the florist that there was a delivery coming my way. A special thank you to my very dear friend Michel. The flowers were beautiful - white petals with yellow centers. You always remember, my faraway French friend.
Giving daisies must be a trait of classy males, because Justin popped in my office yesterday afternoon with another bouquet of white petaled, yellow centered daisies. Lovely! Now I have my favorite flowers on both wings of my desk, from two extremely classy males.
After Katie returned from class, everyone sort of congregated and we wound up at The Oceanic for dinner. It was dark so we didn't see the Atlantic, but we heard it so I'm sure it's still there. I was kind of disappointed that I didn't get the whole "birthday dessert/singing wait staff treatment, but what can you do? I always, ALWAYS tip off the staff when I'm with a birthday victim, but I guess my family doesn't like being spotlighted and stared at while people with usually very poor pitch feign exuberance and engage in one of the job descriptions that they all probably unanimously agree they like least. Call me crazy, and you wouldn't be the first, but I still like that. I also like blowing out candles and making wishes. I didn't have the opportunity to do that either, but maybe at some point I'll get to make a wish and extinguish some fire.
As we were waiting on our dinner, it was gift time. Katie opted for the sentimental, heart-touching prose in her selection of a card - something I'm sure she felt would reflect our relationship: On the front it said, "Happy Birthday to my Mom - a very wise woman" and on the inside it finished with, "From your kid - A very wise ass". So true, so true. I am wise and she's a smart ass. Perfect. I think Katie captured the moment. I laughed. And then my eyes filled up with tears...But that's Katie for you - she can having you laughing until you're crying and then crying because she can abruptly shift from silly to sentimental in .04 seconds. It's part of her charm.
Justin then pointed out that his gift to me was the bouquet of daisies and such a gift was sort of like a present and a card combined - so he let the daisies do the talking. They were lovely. He also gave me a sweet, long hug first thing yesterday morning.
And then came dinner, which was really yummy.
This morning, my knees were in really banged up shape and I was feeling the pain. I can't say I was looking forward to being at work, but staying home wasn't an option. It was drizzly and still colder than I care for, and I would have loved to have just stayed home and do nothing.
Around 12:30 today, one of the people I work with asked me to come to the back of the salon - that I had left something on and it was burning. Well duh, I wasn't born yesterday. I was, in fact, born 46 years ago, and I knew I hadn't left anything on because there wasn't anything to leave on. I told him to just take care of it because I didn't feel like walking to the back. A Baskin-Robbins Chocolate Mint Birthday pie. It would seem as if Katie had schemed and gone behind my back and done a little surprise party planning. I was surprised!
Along with the pie, was a card signed by everyone in the salon - and inside the card was another card - A GAP gift card. Everyone had chipped in and generously presented me with the best kind of present - one which will demand that I visit one of my most favorite stores. Thank you Vanessa and Katie. I collected hugs as well and I felt very grateful to be sharing the day after my birthday with all of these special people.
Vanessa went the extra mile and in her long-running campaign to try and introduce me to the concept of "organization", she gave me a beautiful ceramic cell phone holder - because I so easily lose everything. It was so sweet and so Vanessa. I love you, Vanessa!
After our little fete, Katie and I headed over to the Copper Penny for lunch. Justin works at the Copper Penny, but he wasn't due to be in the kitchen until later today, so we felt safe in ordering and the food was delicious, as it always is.
Following lunch, I was given clearance to leave by my sweet daughter and get out of there I did. It was almost like working just a half day and eventually, the sun did pop out and I saw it set from my upstairs office window which faces west. It was a very nice day.
I am a very blessed woman. I love my family and I love my friends - on both sides of the Atlantic. It is in part due to this fact, that I really love my life.
Thank you and yes, even YOU Michel...for the flowers, the critique, encouragement and your sage advice. I know you're right on just about every count.
My birthday didn't start out so great. I fell for Cassie. To be more accurate, I fell OVER Cassie. I was taking some towels to the washer and I didn't see her stretched out in the hall, on the nice HARDWOOD floor, and I tripped right over my big, blond dog and landed on both knees. Yes, it hurt. Yes, I am bruised. No, the dog suffered no injuries. Yes, the towels did eventually make it to the machine and are now clean and possibly even folded. I'm not sure about the folded part because I lost interest in the whole exercise after that.
It was a bit of a gray, chilly day, but that's what you get for being born in February, I suppose. Small price to pay in order to be assigned Aquarius. I'm not an avid or devoted follower of astrology, but I love all that is Aquarius - even the personality traits that aren't terribly flattering. Goodness knows I've got a lot of them.
I started reorganizing my filing cabinet - do I know how to celebrate my birthday or what? It got my mind off of my throbbing knees, sort of. And then I got a call from the florist that there was a delivery coming my way. A special thank you to my very dear friend Michel. The flowers were beautiful - white petals with yellow centers. You always remember, my faraway French friend.
Giving daisies must be a trait of classy males, because Justin popped in my office yesterday afternoon with another bouquet of white petaled, yellow centered daisies. Lovely! Now I have my favorite flowers on both wings of my desk, from two extremely classy males.
After Katie returned from class, everyone sort of congregated and we wound up at The Oceanic for dinner. It was dark so we didn't see the Atlantic, but we heard it so I'm sure it's still there. I was kind of disappointed that I didn't get the whole "birthday dessert/singing wait staff treatment, but what can you do? I always, ALWAYS tip off the staff when I'm with a birthday victim, but I guess my family doesn't like being spotlighted and stared at while people with usually very poor pitch feign exuberance and engage in one of the job descriptions that they all probably unanimously agree they like least. Call me crazy, and you wouldn't be the first, but I still like that. I also like blowing out candles and making wishes. I didn't have the opportunity to do that either, but maybe at some point I'll get to make a wish and extinguish some fire.
As we were waiting on our dinner, it was gift time. Katie opted for the sentimental, heart-touching prose in her selection of a card - something I'm sure she felt would reflect our relationship: On the front it said, "Happy Birthday to my Mom - a very wise woman" and on the inside it finished with, "From your kid - A very wise ass". So true, so true. I am wise and she's a smart ass. Perfect. I think Katie captured the moment. I laughed. And then my eyes filled up with tears...But that's Katie for you - she can having you laughing until you're crying and then crying because she can abruptly shift from silly to sentimental in .04 seconds. It's part of her charm.
Justin then pointed out that his gift to me was the bouquet of daisies and such a gift was sort of like a present and a card combined - so he let the daisies do the talking. They were lovely. He also gave me a sweet, long hug first thing yesterday morning.
And then came dinner, which was really yummy.
This morning, my knees were in really banged up shape and I was feeling the pain. I can't say I was looking forward to being at work, but staying home wasn't an option. It was drizzly and still colder than I care for, and I would have loved to have just stayed home and do nothing.
Around 12:30 today, one of the people I work with asked me to come to the back of the salon - that I had left something on and it was burning. Well duh, I wasn't born yesterday. I was, in fact, born 46 years ago, and I knew I hadn't left anything on because there wasn't anything to leave on. I told him to just take care of it because I didn't feel like walking to the back. A Baskin-Robbins Chocolate Mint Birthday pie. It would seem as if Katie had schemed and gone behind my back and done a little surprise party planning. I was surprised!
Along with the pie, was a card signed by everyone in the salon - and inside the card was another card - A GAP gift card. Everyone had chipped in and generously presented me with the best kind of present - one which will demand that I visit one of my most favorite stores. Thank you Vanessa and Katie. I collected hugs as well and I felt very grateful to be sharing the day after my birthday with all of these special people.
Vanessa went the extra mile and in her long-running campaign to try and introduce me to the concept of "organization", she gave me a beautiful ceramic cell phone holder - because I so easily lose everything. It was so sweet and so Vanessa. I love you, Vanessa!
After our little fete, Katie and I headed over to the Copper Penny for lunch. Justin works at the Copper Penny, but he wasn't due to be in the kitchen until later today, so we felt safe in ordering and the food was delicious, as it always is.
Following lunch, I was given clearance to leave by my sweet daughter and get out of there I did. It was almost like working just a half day and eventually, the sun did pop out and I saw it set from my upstairs office window which faces west. It was a very nice day.I am a very blessed woman. I love my family and I love my friends - on both sides of the Atlantic. It is in part due to this fact, that I really love my life.
Thank you and yes, even YOU Michel...for the flowers, the critique, encouragement and your sage advice. I know you're right on just about every count.
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