Sometimes I don't know what to do for my birthday. Once you're grown up you're supposed to figure out what you are going to do to make the day special (or not) instead of telling your parents what kind of party you want have.
Today worked out perfectly.
Darren and I went to breakfast at Annie's and got to have a morning walk on the way. I really like Annie's French toast and Darren had a flavorful and spicy breakfast burrito. Yum! We shared a root beer float afterwards (because we're adults and we can choose to do things like that!)
Later in the day I went to see Erin who made me lunch. We had lime-cilantro lentil soup and salmon patties with toast. So scrumptious! Then we had hot chocolate (made from a dark chocolate candy bar) and rose water cake with rose water icing. I hadn't ever had this kind of cake and with the first bite was in transports, with images of magical kingdoms, princesses, roses, and Victorian times flooding my mouth.*
I turned in some applications for holiday jobs - to see me through the end of finals and to hold me over until I get a GIS job somewhere - and felt pretty confident about the situation (that is one of the great things about getting older: you know what is going on and what to do more often).
Then, for dinner I had my Girl's Night girls over and we had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. At my request Grandpa made his Famous Spaghetti Sauce, and Grandma tracked down my favorite pie: the Elusive Strawberry-Rhubarb. (Kudos to Marie Calendar's!) I recounted my adventures on Amtrak and we managed to sing 'Happy Birthday' before we lit the birthday candles (a yellow 2, and a purple 7 - very nice combination). Then, of course, us girls talked for about two hours (yes, Boys, we talked about you).
Throughout the day I received various gifts, cards, conversations, and text messages, all of which were wonderful reminders that the people around me (both near and far) love me and pay attention to me. I felt happy, excited, and energetic all day (with the exception of a few sleepy moments) and I know this is due to the caring energy that has been coming my way (and is partially due to the marvelous food - consumed in a larger and more continuous quantity than normal - that I have been eating today).
Notes:
* If you have ever had your mouth washed out with rose scented soap, you may not appreciate the flavor of this cake.
For those who are wondering, no I didn't work on my papers. I kept intending to....
