I missed my own birthday

I was so busy with that thing called WORK that I had no time/focus to acknowledge my own birthday on my own blog. I had to work until 7:00, but then Bizarro took me out to eat and we had a nice evening, which included margaritas and a birthday brownie. So here I am - The Answer to Life, The Universe and Everything.

For once I'm on top of Vladurday, but LOLCATS hasn't posted today's funny. So instead:


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On the way.

It's February, which means March is almost here. March has many good things. It has my birthday, my wedding anniversary with Bizarro (5 years), and Spring Break, for which I am headed to the land of my birthing (South Shore of Boston).

The new schedule is starting to feel a little more sane. I am not worried about it at this point. I am happy as a clam to have all this work and to have a plan for summer (teach screenwriting in Korea).

Birthday Thoughts

So I turned 41 yesterday. How does it feel? Like I need to get the rest of my life lined up in my sights. The weekend with Rrrache was excellente ~ except for the Nor'easter that cancelled my morning flight and got me home very late in the day. Spending time with someone who knew me at the beginnings of my fledgling film "career" and who shares a vision and artistic voice was important.

I went out for drinks with PMP after work yesterday for my birthday, and that was nice. There was a live Irish band there (just a session) and I found out they're there every Tuesday night. I have me a new hang out for Tuesday nights.

Tomorrow night I am headed to a midnight screening of "Watchmen" with some of my crazy students. Then Friday I am driving to Splash Lagoon with Bizarro for a weekend of warm water, Margueritas and laziness. Excitamente!

Next week: another writing retreat! Huppah!

Birthday Photos

...this drink is the "Tiki Bowl" -- notice the plastic cup and utter lack of anything tiki, but also notice the tiara, provided by PMP, of course!

...and finally...the Stigmata Hula Girl:



Dinner with Mamazoo:

Pu Pu Platter and Tiki Temple (my version of a Shirley Temple):


I couldn't get a decent photo of Bizarro all night, so that's why there aren't any here.

Despite the lame-o "tiki bar," it was a great night. It didn't matter that there were no real tikis - we brought the tiki in our hearts! Thanks for helping me celebrate, Bizarro, SMJ, PMP, Echo & Phyl! And thanks to Mamazoo for taking me to dinner where I could finally get my tiki on.

My 40th birthday is winding down; only an hour to go of March 3. I'm not sad though, because next week is part III of the celebration in Cleveland with the Bizarro clan.

I'm ready for bed. G'nite.

The Sunshine is All Around Me!

Today marks my 4th decade on Planet Earth. It's 55 out, the sun is shining, and I've had a wonderful couple days' worth of celebration. I will post pictures tonight when I get home.

I am deeply thankful for all that I hold dear, especially my Mom and Dad, for bringing me into this world. I was a "surprise" you know, and at the age of 41 in 1968, my mother was brave to have a baby. Thanks, Mom!

For those of you who know me by name, please check out www.sixsentences.blogspot.com for a little surprise. It's a special birthday gift, indeed!

40th Birthday Bash Part I

Yesterday I began what is to be a multi-event celebration of my fourth decade on the planet. PMP and I went shopping in the afternoon, which was a little more chaotic than either of us would have liked. Apparently everyone decided it was a good day to go to the mall since the temps were finally above freezing. I bought myself a pair of abalone earrings, and a couple things for mom and Bizarro. From there we picked up the things for dinner, including 2 bottles of chianti.

Dinner went off without a hitch, although there were 6 of us crammed around the table. Salty Miss Jill baked a delovely chocolate cake, which finished off a spaghetti dinner that I thought was quite passable, although certainly not my best work.

After cleaning up we headed out to Todd's Beach House. Now, understand that we live in Upstate New York. Cow country. Well, wine country, to be precise, but you get the idea. It was dark, it was snowing, and SMJ sorta kinda forgot to tell us about a crucial left turn that would have brought us to the bar within about 15 minutes. We were in two cars - Bizarro the designated driver in our car, PMP in hers. We realized when we crossed the county line that we'd gone too far in the wrong direction, so we backtracked and managed to find our way there.

Recall that this was supposed to be a tiki-themed bar, and bear in mind that I was trying really hard not to have any expectations. I couldn't help having a few expectations, but even those were thwarted. The place is essentially a towny bar with some crap from Florida hung on the walls and ceiling. There is a sign that declares it to be a tiki bar, but other than that, there was a cardboard hula girl, a card board tiki mask and maybe some vaguely looking Polynesian-esque strings of lights hanging over the bar. Most of the stuff was surf-related, which is okay, but not what I was hoping for, really.

Having been let down on the appearance angle, I thought, well, let's order a Mai Tai and see what they've got to show for themselves. I had a birthday drink on the house (they were expecting us after my conversation with the owner earlier in the week), but when I asked for a Mai Tai, the bartender had not a freaking clue. She was very nice but really didn't even know what a Mai Tai was. She went for the drink recipe book, and I just said never mind. Instead, she offered me the specialty drink of the place, called a "Tiki Bowl." (Keep in mind that they only had enough ingredients for four of these - I ordered two and my friends Echo and Phyl each ordered one, and then they ran out of pineapple juice.) The drink had Malibu, Admiral and juices. I'm not a big Malibu fan, myself, but I figured "What the hell." I was hoping hoping hoping it to come in something of a fu manchu mug, or at least an actual glass. It was served to me in a plastic cup. With an orange straw. That's it. No umbrella, no sword-with-a-pineapple-and-cherry garnish. But it was strong, and it took only 2 of those suckers to do the job (well, on top of all the wine I'd had before, during and after dinner).

We made the best of the evening, though, and played some pool, thew a couple decent tunes on the jukebox computer, and generally had fun. The people were very kind and the locals were generous and friendly, although I had to stop one guy from playing Jimmy Buffet on the juke box because that would have set me over the edge, on top off the lack of true tiki atmosphere.

Most importantly, I had the good company and love of friends and Bizarro to help me celebrate. Yes, it would have been nicer to be at a cooler bar, but even so, I am grateful to everyone for being there. Thanks especially to Bizarro, who detests townie bars more than I do, and who was trying really hard not to get into any altercations with the three stoner frat-boys sitting near our table. He's a trooper!

I do have photos, which I will post later, along with more commentary. Right now I have to get myself pulled together for 40th Birthday Bash Part II with mom. We're going to our favorite Chinese restaurant, and you know I'm gettin' the Pu Pu Platter.

One Down...

Today was my last day at Out of Town University. I handed in my grades after meeting with my students for the last time, and then off I went, never looking back.

The morning drive was very pretty, actually, with snow and ice clinging to every wisp and branch in the morning sun. The roads were clear, which was a relief, seeing as how I drove through a frakking snowstorm on Tuesday.

Stopped at the grocery store on the way home, then a car wash (ew salt), then home to find my door was completely unlocked, and all the doors inside were wide open, thus destroying the system we've developed for preserving the precious little heat we are afforded here in the Beehive.

I got into my email and had looked at 2 of the 13 in my inbox when the internet went out. The Cable Guys showed up shortly thereafter and informed me that they were updating the service, etc. etc. and hadn't the apartment manager sent notices around? It was they who had been in and out of the apartment, leaving the door unlocked and all the doors inside open to let the heat escape. Not to mention opening the front door 90 billion times. It's only 4:00 and already it's chillier than it should be in here.

I never ate lunch, either.

Then I found out I missed my friend R's birthday yesterday. I am sorry I missed it, but jumpin' jeezus on a pogo stick I've had shit raining down on me non-stop for the last month and it's all I can do to keep my sanity. It didn't dawn on me that it was Dec. 5 = R's birthday. I was grading papers and assigning final grades for Out of Town University when I wasn't teaching at the Other School on the Hill.

I've begun taking the little blue pills for seasonal affective disorder and I hope they kick in soon.