Birthday surprises

I had my first surprise party this weekend. It was awesome. I'd just briefly mentioned to L'Ailee and a couple of my friends that I hadn't had one! So she pushed me out of the house, and I went to the park and a couple of museums until she called me to tell me I could come home. She had a cab waiting for me when I got there and said we were going to dinner, assuring me that I looked just fine even though I was in jeans and my "Living In Fear Sucks" T-shirt and she was in the backless dress I like. ("Which one?", I can hear her say.) It was just good friends and good music and good liquor...and an underwater theme to the decorations, because I'm a surf-loving Pisces. Very cool. Very, very, very cool. I about cried, and then I partied for hours. I didn't even have to clean up--it was at my best NYC friend's house!

But the best surprise was at home. L'Ailee and her best friend did something that I've been wanting for ages. They painted aqua stripes onto the living room ceiling! I loved the patterned ceiling look, but got no cooperation. It looks truly excellent now.

Thanks to everyone for your birthday wishes, too! Hugs and gratitude all around. My birthdays were all horrible when I was a kid--I was sick, or nobody showed up, or whatever. And I always felt like I hadn't done enough with the last year. Around about the 25th one, I decided that I needed to stop dreading my birthday and take the opportunity to have fun somehow. It's about dang time.