Oh, all right, it wasn't a good joke, but I liked it. I'm in a good mood. I've been enjoying my birthday today. I had two nice presents from John this morning, a Bill Bryson book and some very cool padded workout gloves. Pardon me, Cardio Training Gloves. They remind me of the fingerless gloves I used to wear in the 80's when I was a little punk chick. At any rate, my hands won't get calloused now.

At work there was Key Lime pie from my bosses and a cute little beanbag dog from Virginia to get me through until we adopt a dog from a pet shelter. I bought myself flame-colored roses at the grocery store (and toothpaste plus a toothbrush because it was a prosaic sort of errand despite the glory of it being my birthday). I had a totally painless, very expensive booking come across my desk which I chose to consider a birthday gift from the travel gods. All day long I made my clients wish me happy birthday.

I did not make my therapist wish me happy birthday, but I did tell him about this diary because it was part of our discussion about avocation and vocation. John picked me up afterwards as a special treat. We were going to go out to dinner, but both of us were kind of full from lunch (and late afternoon pie in my case) and I refuse to force myself to eat when I'm not hungry just because it's a special occasion.

I had celery and cheesecake for dinner later. It's what was in the refrigerator, what can I say?

Earlier in the evening I stopped by Kepler's and bought a compendium of all the Douglas Adams Hitchhiker books which neither John nor I have ever read. I wanted to fill in that gap on my essential sf reading list but I kept balking at paying $6.99 for a 200 page book. The collection was a better investment. I can't stand paying seven bucks for a book that wouldn't last more than one lunchtime and a ride home on the train, which is why I haven't replaced my lost copies of LeGuin's Earthsea trilogy, despite wanting to reread it rather a lot. I haven't made time to go to the library, so I just keep hoping I'll run across a complete set in a used bookstore.

Tuesday night I went to a private showing of B's Beads at her house in Menlo Park. B makes beautiful necklaces, bracelets, and earrings using all sorts of semi-precious gemstones, pearls, stunning Murano glass, and Swarovski crystal. Eventually she's going to have a website so I can link to her, but suffice to say her creativity is boundless and I usually want everything she has. I spent an hour trying to pick out just one necklace. I finally settled on one that combined freshwater pearls, gold vermeil, and tiny crystals. It was, of course, a birthday gift to myself.

Tomorrow will be nice because even though it will no longer be you-know-what I have nothing at all planned for the evening. Imagine that! I'm going home after work and read one of my new books. All the celebratory food in the house is gone, so my stomach can have a rest. I think my pocketbook needs a rest, too. I've done a lot of acquiring in the last two weeks. I have to buy my textbooks out of this paycheck, so no more treats. It's time to segue into responsible mode again.

But it was a really wonderful birthday this year.

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