My birthday post at last. I know, you've been DYING to read it.

What in the name of Catnip IS THIS? AND WHY IS IT ON ME? . . . Oh, they are so gonna pay . . .

I awoke at 8:30 to hear the strains of K carrying a FULL breakfast tray into the room while singing "Happy Birthday." He woke up at like 6 and went shopping for honeydew melon and peaches and snagged some orange Gerbera daisies just pour moi. Oh, yum. Also on my birthday tray was my family's package for me including pretty new make-up! Yay for moms who sell Mary Kay!

We read a while and enjoyed a leisurely morning. At lunch K gave me the second gift he'd intercepted at the mailbox (much better luck than he had before!) M-lo's card was hilarious, as promised, and her chocolate-covered espresso beans? DIVINE! I have to keep them out of the room before I eat EVERY LAST BEAN and jitter my way to cardiac arrest and NO 24TH BIRTHDAY. *sigh* Speaking of food gifts, the day before I received a GIANT Harry & David basket from the office crew. It was full of chips, various spicy/exotic salsas and some yummy chocolates. *sniff* They know me so well . ..

After lunch we ran some errands, having neglected earlier to get a gift for Persephone who also had a birthday that day. We got her days away from my Half Birthday and were told she was six months old at the time. Naturally, I HAD to make her birthday the same as mine. We found some catnip-laden faux mice at the pet store and returned to play with Kitten Little, who is no longer technically a kitten now that she's one whole year old!


She couldn't make me happier if she sang the birthday song while waxing ferocious!

She was, as you can see, ridiculously fun to have around. When she wasn't trying to wrench the ribbon off her body, she was loopily chasing those mice. Cats on hallucinogens - awesome! We also gave her wet catfood for dinner which SHE LOVES. We usually save it for when she's sat through her manicures, but it was a special occasion so the princess got what she wanted.


I am 1 now, hear me roar!

When dinner time rolled around, K announced that he wanted to give me my gift before we left. I was going to draw this out, but I can't even contain myself VIA THE INTERNET, so I'll tell you: he gave me a pearl necklace and bracelet. Genuine, hand-picked by his savvy uncle and strung in China. YEAH, I KNOW. EEEEEKK! They are very white in tone and they are just magnificent. Of course now I realize I have like two things I can wear with them, but who cares? They'll be lovely with a lifetime's worth of wardrobes. And beyond, really. On my wedding day, I wore a string of pearls my grandfather gave me grandmother on their wedding day and my mother wore them on her big day, too. I might end up with two sets eventually. Oh, the decadence!

Once I changed my outfit to match my jewelry (man, I LOVE it when I get to say that) we tried to hit up PF Chang's for some cheap, scrumptious food but they had a wait time that of well over an hour. We should have known better since it's right by the mall on a Saturday night - DUH. Instead, we slummed it at Olive Garden and enjoyed our pasta dishes. They did the dumb "Bring you Cake and Sing Embarrassingly" thing, but I got chocolate cake with a candle in it. My chocolate-drenched neurons did NOT mind.

I got calls throughout the day from the families, and some close friends. One of them forgot the exact day, but decided to call that day and VOILA, her subconscious redeemed her. The USPS was tardy delivering the in-laws card FOR NO APPARENT REASON, and they felt bad, but it brightened my day when I opened it yesterday even more. Thanks to K (for out-doing the HECK out of himself), my family, K's family, and all of you darling folk who thought of me. I hope I continue to love birthdays. Adults are always saying that I will learn to loathe birthdays because I'll be getting old, but I like to think the thoughtfulness and love of so many people showered on me year after year should keep me wanting MORE BIRTHDAYS, DARN IT!