2002-03-11 - 9:06 a.m.
Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me ...

Actually, it was yesterday, but oh well. I am now 24, holder of a new driver's license, and hopefully soon to see a reduction in my car insurance charges. Hmmm. Anything else mark this year as new and different ...? Not that I can think of. *grin*

Not much happened in the way of gifts this year outside of the family, but it's all good. KaDee, her husband, her two littles, and her parents all came to my mom's house for a party, and so did my aunt and uncle and their two children. Granddad even made an appearance. We were a motley bunch, and my brother was bored to tears after the first twenty minutes, but hey. It was family. I pasted on a smile, located a conversation I was interested in, and did my best.

There was cake, and baked chicken, and baked beans (*bleagh*) and potato-cheese casserole; there was laughing, and cuddling babies, and being chased by seven- and ten-year-old girls. Tell me, why is it that I always end up hanging out with the children? The instant KaDee & co. walked through the door, her mother passed me KaDee's five-month-old son, and told me I was a natural; nobody offered to take him back until it was time to eat. Not that I minded. He was very good natured, and smiled at me, and had very big, very innocent blue eyes. *sigh*

Children ... I'm not going to get detoured now on thwarted-motherhood-issues, but there is another incident I wanted to mention, that made me feel all warm and melty. KaDee's older child is twenty-three months now, toddling everywhere and grinning and grabbing everything of interest. When he first walked into the house and spotted my seven-year-old cousin, he broke into a huge smile and reached for her. She's not tall or strong enough yet to pick him up, of course, so I had to help her, and we all three of us had a big hug. He giggled, and beamed, and then ran off to harrass the dog; but he kept coming back to my little cousin, at various points during the day, for a hug. It was cute.

Gifts! My parents' was the best, I think, but my brother ran a close second. Mom and Dad got me a dress and a sweater, since I kept saying what I needed most was decent work clothes that weren't from my high school wardrobe; but tucked under the clothes was a little flat box that looked suspiciously like a jeweler's box, and it rattled like a bracelet might. When I opened it, the first thing I saw was a smaller box tucked into the corner, with a pearl in it -- the very pearl that Granddad got in World War II, when he served in the Pacific and a friend of his was dating a pearldiver.

I'd had that pearl packed away in a box of keepsakes when we moved, but apparently Mom borrowed my box inventory when I wasn't looking, and found the one with "Granddad heirlooms" listed on it. She sneaked the pearl out without me suspecting anything. I'd told her before that I didn't want it drilled, so she found a jeweler that sells cage necklaces. That was the thing in the present that had rattled like a bracelet -- a little cage, on a very heavy, expensive 24-inch gold box-chain. (She wanted to make sure I couldn't lose it ... *lol*)

So, I'm wearing my heirloom pearl today, and telling the story to anyone who will listen. Mom deserves a million gold stars for this idea; it was a perfect birthday present.

My brother's gift, he swears, was an accident ... he accidentally got the high bid on a few eBay auctions. (Yeah, right). There was a 1920's book of medieval romances, translated from the French; a 1902 copy of "Hamlet"; an 1898 copy of "Macbeth"; and an 1887 complete Works of Shakespeare. *grin* Not only books, but antique books, two of my favorite categories in one gift. They have a prominent place on my shelves now! Good thing I have six months to scheme and find something equally cool for him.

Drat! That reminds me. I forgot to bring KaDee's gift today, or her mother's. KaDee got me a little fairy statue, complete with wings and flowy pink dress and flowers in her hair, to perch on my monitor; she said I needed things to decorate my office with. Her parents were a bit more practical, and gave me a $20 Meier & Frank gift certificate. Since I work about a mile from a major mall, I was going to have a detour today and see what sales are running. Oh well. Tomorrow's another day.

I did, however, remember to bring my electicity bill. They're demanding over a hundred dollars as deposit to secure our service, but I think it's because the idiots put my brother's name on it instead of mine. His credit is (excuse the phrase) pretty fucked up; he let his roommates two years ago put bills in his name and then refuse to pay, and when we left Tigard he held onto a bunch more bills without telling me, and only just paid them, several weeks late.

My credit ought to be clean, and since we're only sibs, not spouses, there shouldn't be any reason for the electric company to demand a deposit of me, living together or not. I'm putting the call off until near lunch, for strategic reasons, but also because I hate chewing people out. However, there is no way that I am going to pay that money, so I'll just have to gather my courage and stick it out.

La la la, better get back to work now. I'm so not in the mood, but ... *shrug* Have a nice day, y'all.