Happy Birthday to Me

I had to update my profile just now because I'm no longer thirty-six. I am, as I told my classroommate, "turning 29--for the 8th year in a row." Despite the fact that I can feel the Big Four-Oh breathing down my neck, I really had a very nice birthday. It started early with an hour-long chat with my Fab Friend, Libby. (Our early morning conversations are generally carried by her for the first 20 minutes or so until the coffee hits my brain. Until then, I mostly grunt ...) I opened the present she had sent for me and found a lovely pottery pitcher and plate that she, knowing my growing fashion for fair trade, had found in one of the shops in her area. It's hard to imagine that something so lovely was crafted by a woman at a wheel, somewhere in South America. I just love it.

Anyway! I got the kids up and went off to school/work. During first period, I was teaching away (actually, the kids were doing the work--reading Spanish poetry. I was just sort of standing there, for the most part.) when the door opened and Maricela (TA in the ESL department) came in with Kayte and a half dozen or so of her friends. They started singing happy birthday. Very sweet. Then Maricela, who was apparently my "secret birthday buddy," left me a scarf/hat/mitten set (scarlet! Yey!) and a large container of homemade truffles--FAR too many for me to eat and still fit into my jeans! So I shared them with my first and second period classes.

Life proceeded uneventfully, except for advisory, which was a hoot, but that's another story, which I may tell you another day.

I went home for lunch and found that Mark had just returned from driving into town to get me a birthday gift. I thought, "How sweet!" and "Uh, oh." Sure enough, I was a little over halfway through my next class when I heard the sirens go off. I called home, and Mark said that yes, he had gone into SVT and the medics were there to take him to the hospital. Sigh ... But I kept teaching, and after my last class, I called the hospital. They said things were fine, so I stayed to finish up my lesson plans for the substitute tomorrow. (I'm going to a BER conference in Portland.)

Then, into Newberg to pick up Mark, back home to drop him off and pick up the kids, into Mac, where we all stuffed ourselves with Mexican food.(We were going to go to Chinese, but I thought, since Mark wasn't able to go anyway, we'd go do MEXICAN! I love Mexican. Mark does not.) Anyway, I had the most scrumptious seafood burrito, which I couldn't even come close to finishing.

Got home and started making an attempt at straightening up. (Not sure why I do that, since my family all know me too well to believe that I have somehow learned to keep a tidy house!) The family arrived, with lovely flowers and a giant cheesecake and some much needed bath towels. Mark gave me some teacups and a really cool tea press (for making loose leaf tea) and some "titanium-laced" wine glasses. (They look normal, but apparently they are super strong, which is good since I'm about as graceful as I am tidy! I think perhaps one of my ancestors was an elephant? But I digress ...)

The Grand Finale was a gift from my family. I still cannot believe this. I am SO excited. I AM GOING TO THE BEACH. By myself!!! A week from Sunday (the 18th), I have a hotel room booked at the coast. They've worked out childcare arrangements (with Kayte) and gave me a gas card to get there and a bunch of bucks to eat and go shopping or ... whatever! I am so excited, I could almost cry. What am I going to DO with myself? Hm ... maybe ... write??? Perhaps! :)