10 posts tagged “birthdays”

How are you celebrating the 4th of July?

Well, the 4th is over.  It was a fairly good day; just worked out, relaxed with the family, ate some good food.

It was kind of a weird day, though.  There was some sad news this afternoon.  My cousin, who lives in England, had just gotten off a bus and was adjusting the baby stroller when another bus came by, dragging the stroller (and her little daughter) with it.  Thank goodness her baby girl survived.  She's quite bruised up, as you can imagine, and is in intensive care right now.  But I think she's going to be okay.   I feel so bad for my cousin and for the baby; I can't imagine what they must be going through right now.  So please send all your good thoughts/prayers for my cousin and her daughter, Darcy.

Then I found a stray dog outside.  She wouldn't leave and she was such a sweet, small little dog.  I let my emotions take over and immediately thought I could keep her.  I picked her up and took her inside to give her a bath.  The poor thing was just infested with ticks.  I tried to take some off but there were just too many and they had obviously been there for awhile.  She also had a hacking cough.  Of course, it was the 4th of July, so no shelter was going to be open, and it was too late at night anyway.  There was no way we could keep her in the backyard or in the house with all those ticks, since we have Harry.  And we didn't know if she had any diseases or if she could pass them along to him. 

So after her bath, we put her out on the front porch with a towel.  She seemed well-fed and like she had done well so far living out on her own (besides the rampant tick infestation), so that was a little comfort to me.  If she is still there tomorrow, I'll have to take her to the Humane Society.  She is such a sweetheart and I want so badly to keep her, but the harsh reality is that I literally can't afford to.   The pet deposit alone is $500, and God knows what the vet bill would be.  And my parents can't keep her, because Harry is such a neurotic mess of a pup that he will make your life hell if you get another dog (we tried once before).  I never like dealing with these things.

Well, I'm 24 now.  Back when I was in middle school, I used to think that this was old.  

Well, it's after midnight, so technically it's the 4th of July.  Happy 4th to everyone!

Let's see. The beginning of this week was so-so but it got better with each day.  I had a good run on Monday and a fun West Coast swing dance class on Tuesday.  I'm going to try and take new classes at this studio instead of Lindy.  There weren't a whole lot of people in the last class, and the teacher was alright.  She spent maybe two minutes talking about connection, and that's such an important part of the dance!  I'm still a novice at it, but if you throw me out on the dance floor, I'll know a lot more Lindy than anything else; unless I'm going to take the more advanced classes downtown, there's no point in wasting my money. 

I've only taken one West Coast class last year, so it was good to relearn the steps I had completely forgotten.   The teacher was the most touchy-feely dance teacher I've had so far, making us clap every time we learned a new step, as if we were in kindergarten and learning the hokey-pokey. But other than that, I had a good time.  Some interesting people in there-one dude walked in straight from the 70's, looking like he was a long-lost member of Queen or Led Zeppelin.  Another woman in her fifties was trying to reclaim her youth by wearing a halter dress with a Vera Bradley-looking pattern. Ew.

Work yesterday was good.  One of the engineers said that I had done a great job with my detention pond calculations, and that he's going to use me next week for some more sizing.  I hadn't done detention pond calculations since college (if ever), so I was happy with that.  There was an ice cream social, and ice cream at work always = good times.  I dressed casually too, for once, since it was my Friday.  I just wore my skinny jeans, a shirt that could pass as business casual, my ballerina flats, and scrunch n' go hair (thank goodness it's long enough again for me to do that).  Later in the day I was wishing I hadn't dressed so casually.  ;)

I drove home this morning.  My parents and I went shopping, and they took me by the Coach shoes.  I thought it was kind of strange my dad had followed us all to the shoe area, because usually he flees for the technology or magazine section. Anyway, we were looking at the shoes and I was complaining about the price of the flip-flops and wondering out loud how anyone would want to buy them for the price.  "You are," my dad said. "No I'm not," I said, shaking my head determinedly. "Yes you are!" my mom said, and by then I was confused. Turns out that my parents had taken me by the shoes because they wanted to buy me a pair as an early birthday gift. Oops!  My mom usually gives away surprises by accident, so I was really surprised and happy; it was a completely unexpected gift!

Dorra Scribble Thong Sandals

Pretty, no?  They are very sleek and comfortable.  I'm trying to think of how to get away with wearing them at work.

Well, it's pretty late.  I'm going running with Daddy, Terry, and Pat tomorrow, so I need my beauty sleep.  After the ice cream, and the Starburst Jelly Bean/Dr Pepper relapse I had this week, I'll need it!  Have a safe and Happy 4th to all my American readers. And for those of you who don't celebrate-have a fun day at work?

Cowboys Have Clear Path to Superbowl

I don't know if my dad reads this, but if he does, Happy Birthday, Daddy :)

So this blog is a year old.  Wow! I can't believe it's been a year since I've started it.  How much has changed since then.  When I started this, I was a brand-new college graduate, just going through a break-up and anxious about starting graduate school.  And a year later, I've finished up an internship and have one more semester left.  There have been some lows, but the highs made up for any bad experience I've had this year.  Here's to another (hopefully) amazing year!

On that note, there are a lot of crazy things happening this week.  

On the local front, we are still under a "boil water" watch, and it's pretty funny reading comments from people who think that E. coli in the water is not a big deal. Um, okay.  We are also expecting a tropical storm, but I'm not going to get worried until they are absolutely sure that my city is the target.  Plus a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Peru just now, prompting fears of a tsunami.  Hey, world, wtf? 

Alas, today was my last day of work. It was busy and bittersweet.  I had to work with a math-related problem, and I actually helped my boss come up with the right answer (this is a big deal for me, because I was always stronger in English than math).  The environmental department went out to lunch, and then there was cake at break-time.  My boss was joking that I was coming back but I joked back that I hadn't signed anything yet.  I do have an offer, which is great.  I am always rather self-conscious about my performance at work, so to have an offer and to hear that I "far exceeded" their expectations is pretty great :)  I am going to miss everyone at work and will miss working there, so it is an option I will definitely consider (still much too early to give a definite yes to anyone yet).  

This should be an interesting next couple of days, to say the least.

This morning I woke up and actually felt a little older...I don't know why, but 23 just sounds so much older to me.  But I'm still in good shape, because 20 years ago, I was only 3; that means I'm still a little young.

I headed to work today, and luckily, I didn't have a lot of tasks to work on.  I usually hate not having anything to work with, but today it was nice...except it made the day go by a little slower.  I have to say that it was a lot of fun to check my email and seeing my friends leaving me messages on Facebook, or getting phone calls at work.  To those of you out there-thanks a lot.  You are awesome, and it meant the world to me :)

Then I headed home, where my mom had my request of enchiladas waiting for me.  I was really happy to spend my birthday with my family, since I wasn't able to spend it with them last year.  It was very low-key, which I enjoyed, since I usually do not go out of my way to be the center of attention (I didn't even tell anyone at work).  I received a beautiful pair of 14k gold hoop earrings, with the engraving of flowers on them.  They are very, very pretty, and my dad picked them out. 

Then Laura stopped by with a gift of Victoria's Secret body butter, body spray, and body scrub. Yay! I've been wanting girlier scents, so this was perfect. Even better, she brought my godsister, Raquel, to visit.  Raquel was adorable as usual, and she had a gift herself.  Now, as inquisitive and intelligent as my little godsister is, she rarely talks-if she says anything, it will just be gibberish.  Well, tonight, as we were saying bye to her, she started waving and said very clearly, "Bye bye! Bye bye!" over and over.  We all pretty much just melted. It was the first time I've ever really heard her talk, and heard her voice.  It was the perfect gift.

If the next 23 years are as good as the first were, then I'll be a very lucky gal indeed.

I don't have my glasses on.  It's sad how close I have to sit to the computer to see the screen.  If my eyesight is already this bad at 22, I cringe when I think of its state 30 years from now. I apologize for any strange grammar or spelling mistakes in advance.  Then again, none of my readers seem to be grammar nazis, so that is good.  I think it's rude when a reader corrects your spelling.  Ugh. Okay off topic.  I bought contact lenses because I thought I lost a box for my right eye, but what the eyecare center neglected to tell me is that my eyes are now the same prescription, and I had contacts for both eyes the entire time. This stuff only happens to me. 

Last night there was a deliciously scary thunderstorm.  In my new house, the storms seem louder. Does that make sense? I got kind of scared at one point, which I rarely do during thunderstorms, only because the news had been hyping tornado warnings during the evening.  What if a tornado came during the night?  Then when I was awoken at 1:30 in the morning by a strange sound, I thought, "Maybe it's a tornado!" No, it was only my little brother taking a loud shower.  The things you imagine when you're half-asleep.

I sort of feel sorry for the suckers who come to this town during Spring Break.  The beaches here are a very popular destination, but it ALWAYS rains during Spring Break. I'm not even kidding. Ever since I was little, it rains pretty much 3/4 of the break.  It always gets sunny the week after.  We usually never get rain either. Oh, the irony. 

Today is Terry's 65th birthday, so my parents invited him and his wife over to celebrate.  I've known Terry since I was a little girl, and he's a grandfather to me.  My mom made some really good food, as usual: hot chicken, cocktail shrimp.  We all sat around for fun conversation.  I was grateful my mother didn't bring up the global warming issue because I really didn't feel like arguing it with Daddy and Terry, but my mom did get my dad started on his "Casual Friday" rant.  Good times! 

My brother's best friend, a Marine, leaves tomorrow for Japan. I know Patrick is sad about Steven's departure, but I'm glad he isn't being sent to Iraq right now.  I think it'll be quite an adventure for Steven!

I've been talking lately with my mom about the things that have been going on the past 2 weeks or so.  It's nice to know she supports me, no matter what I decide.

Well, I have to go read about Environmental Management Systems before Friday. Adios. 

when you have a ton of work to do, but you don't want to do it? Ugh. That's me right now.  I can't wait until a break home.  Unfortunately that's still about three weeks away.  Apparently I'm not the only one experiencing the mid-semester slump.  Last Friday in Chemical Processes, my professor showed us a picture of the planet Alderaan blowing up.  He said that you only show things blowing up when you have something important to say, so he said that everyone needs to try and show the same enthusiasm as we did at the beginning of the year. It's hard to.  My brother and I are both starting the feel the same way-we'd rather just veg, do nothing, and then get worked up over what needs to be done at the last minute rather than take care of it a little at a time, leisurely.

Yesterday I finally, (FINALLY) finished all my orders. I was waiting on Dr. T to call me back with the part # for the LC/MS vials I needed. I was really glad I waited on him to call me back and didn't send off a bitchy email, because he was very apologetic for making me wait.  I completed a lot of errands yesterday, including bringing in a copy of my citizenship certificate to my buddy in the Business Office. She was strangely nice to me yesterday, so that was good.

Yesterday someone tried to propose to me in the hallway of the Civil Engineering building, as a really bad joke, I suppose. I was walking when this guy just dropped on one knee and held out a pretend ring to propose.  I hurriedly walked by, wondering why only just the freaks are ever attracted to me, and he said, "Darn, I was going to ask you to marry me." Dude, if you are that attracted to someone, exchange phone numbers. Ask for coffee. Fake proposal? No. Just, no.  My dad said that I should have said, "I hope you have a lot of money because I am VERY high-maintenance."  Too bad I suck with quippy comebacks.

Yesterday was Meghan's birthday. It was a lot of fun, we went to Johnny Carino's. I'd gotten her a Starbucks mug and shot glasses since she loves Starbucks.  I ended up with just getting a glass of Chardonnay, because it was a Monday, and wasn't sure how I'd handle the mixed drink. Even just that glass made me incredibly sleepy. This is why I don't drink, people! I tried a little of Meghan's drink, and it was pretty good. It was making her a little happy though.

Meghan: (gesturing to her drink)  This has peach in it.  (a couple of beats later)  This is peach...wait, did I just say that?

And now it is morning and I am sitting on my lazy ass. I really need to get back into running. I have a lot to do today and I really need to stay focused to do it. So I bid you adieu.

The song for this week is dedicated to one of my heroes (my dad) in honor of his birthday today.  Pink Floyd is his absolute favorite band, and he would play them all the time when I was little.  I can still remember the first time hearing Dark Side of the Moon-it was 1993, and we were in the car to pick up a friend.  I remember the chimes at the beginning of "Time" scaring the shit out of me. I didn't see what was so great about them-you have to admit that Dark Side of the Moon is a little mellow for a nine-year old to appreciate, and I would even confuse the one song I liked from Pink Floyd ("Another Brick in the Wall Part 2") with Alice Cooper's "School's Out."

When I was just about seventeen, I heard this song on the radio and it changed my life. (No, not saved my life like the emo kids-"OMG, My Chemical Romance saved my life and now I can devote it to writing slash incest fic of Gerard Way!11!!!11!")  I just fell in love with the song. I can't describe how I felt listening to it-it was just so gorgeous and haunting all at once.  I would listen to the classic rock stations every night to try and hear it again (this was just after Napster's demise, so downloading was an issue for me).  Of course, I wouldn't hear it until months later, but I was introduced to other greats like Led Zeppelin, David Bowie and Black Sabbath. And of course, my hatred of Pink Floyd disappeared, and I began calling it my favorite band as well. Hearing that song completely changed my musical tastes, and enabled me to broaden them. I have really great memories of senior year, when I would relax at night, write and listen to the classic rock station.  And in 2001, this was a lifesaver, when all we had on the radio was N*Sync, Britney Spears, and the pre-slutty Nelly Furtado.

So happy birthday Daddy, and for those of you who haven't heard the song yet-take a listen.  You won't be disappointed.

Hey, Vox, thanks for nixing the entry I wrote. It was way cool of you.

greenshirt.jpg

This is one of the shirts I bought at Wet Seal the other day.  It's fun.  It's cute.  Besides, it's a killer color and is my favorite.  However, my parents think that it's slutty.

Perhaps they remember my high school days, specifically my senior year, when whatever I wore was skin-tight. Hey, I was testing my boundaries.  But I dress differently now, as long as it follows my fashion philosophy:

-Be classy, even if you're in a t-shirt and jeans.

-Do not dress like a skank.

And, most importantly,

-Dress your age.  I figure I have another fifteen or twenty years to get away with wearing fun, perhaps funky, fashion choices before I have to opt with something more "mature."

I wore the top on Friday with my dark jeans and heels. I was going to a doctor's appointment, albeit an uncomfortable one, and I wanted to appear pretty while in pain.  When I arrived home, my parents adopted a bemused expression.  What is Jennifer wearing? She certainly didn't take after her mother's style.  My mother, ever so subtle, asked if I had kept the receipt. So really, I had two choices-return the top and gain parental approval, or be the fiercely independent twenty-two year old that I am. 

"But I liiiike the green top," I protested to my mother.  "Yes, it is nice," she conceded, "if you're going to a club." But in the end, my principles prevailed, and the shirt still hangs in my closet.  Yay, I'm awesome? *sigh*

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Yesterday was the quad's birthday party, and it was quite an event (in case you are wondering, this shirt paired with my dark jeans garnered a thumbs up from the parents. You win some, you lose some.)  Two of our news channels were there.  I REALLY wanted to be on TV, but Patrick avoided all opportunities to come on the news with me.  Billy (baby daddy of the quads, not the ex) invited us to appear on the "Thumbs up" segment, but Patrick refused to do that too. I don't blame him, considering everyone else doing the segment was under age 12.  Sighing, I tucked back my longing to be on camera in favor of my dignity. 

The party was still fun, though. I got to hold Raquel, Billy Ryan, and Dallas.  Dave and his wife, Emily, were there. I thanked them for my graduation gift. It was great to see Emily.  She's fighting colon cancer, and she's fighting hard. I pray that she continues to do well.

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If you want to see a really, really, REALLY crappy movie, see The Off Season. Crappy acting, crappy directing, the works.  It makes Vanilla Sky look like Citizen Kane.  Speaking of crappy movies, I still haven't seen Snakes on a Plane yet.  I think I'm going to wait until it comes out on video. Or if someone else takes me to see it. Heh.

Well, tomorrow, after five years of driving, I finally have an excuse to go on the SPID freeway.  Yay? Until tomorrow, kiddies!