Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum
comic strip overdue media

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

It was a good birthday

The weather was gorgeous, sunny and in the 70s. Tomorrow a line of storms is supposed to come in bringing a cold front that will probably mean some of those spring flowers, especially tulip trees, will be hit. But today was glorious, and I'm glad it was like that on my birthday.

I slept until 1:30 in the afternoon. I meant to get up two hours earlier, but slept through my alarm and phone calls on both phones. I think I really needed it. I normally don't get enough sleep, and I had worked a pretty long stretch last week. With our new borrowed assistant manager, it looks like I'll be working at the store just on Thursdays and Saturdays for awhile, which will hopefully give me a break. Last week I was just off on Sunday and Friday, for example. Sunday's the game of course, which is actually an all-day affair for me that mixes relaxation and work, and that left one day to do errands, etc. This week will be much better. I'm thinking of getting my hair cut tomorrow, for instance. I also need to get an oil change soon--I'm just now hitting 3,000 miles since the last one.

Then I went and picked up a friend and we did a few small errands and then went to Masala in Beaumont Centre (I'd planned on Tandoor, but it was clear across town from where we were, and they're owned by the same people). We each had enough food to feed a small army, with plenty to take home for tomorrow. I even managed to save peshwari nan for lunch tomorrow, and a samosa, too. I had appetizers that included pakora and samosas, aloo ghabi and we split one of my favourite dishes, vegetable korma,--it's vegetables in a sweet cream sauce with peanuts. I really wanted to get some gulab jamun, and when he found out it was my birthday, the waiter said he would bring me something, that turned out to be a gulab jamun ball with a birthday candle in it, sitting in kheer (Indian rice pudding). Here's their menu, which is great, since I can never remember the korma's name. It was all wonderful, and the servers were very attentive. I had planned to pick up the tab, but my friend did instead, insisting on treating me for my birthday. That was very sweet.

Afraid that I would go to sleep after such a large meal, instead of going home I went to Meijer and treated myself to a new pair of jeans and a blouse (both very reasonably priced). I also found a new facial scrub (mine is on its last dregs). It's a pineapple enzyme scrub from Alba (I've had good luck with their lotions). I tried it just now and it cleans without drying my face like my Neutrogena Rapid Clear did. It feels very soft, actually. Now we'll just have to see how it does with oil control. I'm definitely one of those combination skin girls.

Since then I've been relaxing to Loreena McKennit music, inhaling an orchid scented oil candle, and spending some time with Cerys, my dog. I did get sleepy and napped for awhile. Then I got up and went to get a friend from work, and now I'm blogging, although I'm going to go back to bed shortly. I also got a price slashed orchid while shopping for dog food that I'm going to try to coax back to bloom. I can never justify the expense for one in full bloom, but this was very cheap. I think it will have yellow/green and purple blooms--I compared it to others in the store. I know someone who grows orchids and is a member one of the local orchid societies (there are two, the Bluegrass Orchid Society and the Central Kentucky one. I'm not sure which he belongs to, or both). Anyway, I'm hoping he can give me tips on fertilizer, etc. I saw one at Meijer tonight that was so dark purple it was almost black. I love these flowers. I'd like to collect them. But I'm definitely going to see how I do with this Dendrobium first.

It's been a wonderful day, and it's made me feel very good about turning forty, after all. I mean, I have several friends and acquaintances who enrich my life every day. I have a wonderful albeit geriatric dog. I have reasonably good health and a steady if part-time job with full benefits. For once I'm actually running a little ahead financially (although that may go away come tax time). I'm very lucky, really, and I don't usually take the time to appreciate all the good things in my life. For those of you who do make it special, thank you. I know sometimes I'm insufferable, sometimes I'm way out there, and sometimes I'm just bordering on psycho, but you stick by me all the way. I appreciate that so much.

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