birthday presents from self and others (mystery revealed)

I think I have finally recovered from the weekend run of dance shows. Now maybe I can actually make a post that is more than just a photo! I absolutely do want to write something up about how the shows went. I started doing that for this post, but it kept getting longer and longer and more rambling. I think I will save that for tomorrow. Clearly it needs editing.

Besides, I want to talk about other things.
Yesterday was my birthday! I am now 41. Lordy!

I got some great gifts. MyFavoriteKid gave me (with help from his dad) a gift card for Rasputin's Music. It's a locally owned music store that sells used cd's. That is one great gift, I tell ya'. Kid knows me.

Now when my mom and dad asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I said, "A day off. I need a babysitter for something."
Mom said, "No, really."
I said, "Yes, really. I want the day free on Saturday the 23rd so I can go to a big yarn convention."
She said, "Well, that doesn't seem like much of a gift. I'd do that for you anyhow."
I said, "Yeah, well...it does seem like much to me, because I can't go and enjoy myself if I bring him. But if it makes you feel better, toss in ten bucks for yarn."

So I got a card from my parents with ten bucks for yarn, go figure....and yay!...I get to go to Stitches without torturing MyFavoriteKid (or without HIM torturing ME, I guess).
Best. Gift. Ever.


I also got some really wonderful cards from family, plus some fantastic emails and online birthday links from FriendsInBlogland. It was awesome.

I actually started getting presents last Thursday. KarenThe(blogless)DancingLurker, gave me box Set Number 2 of Fred Astaire movies. This is a great thing, as it rounds out my collection (Karen had given me Set 1 as a housewarming gift). Also one great gift. Heaven. I'm in heaven. And me heart beats so that.....
nevermind.

TheMostImportantGuy also gave me his gift early. Friday. He knows that I have an obsession with blank books, so he gave me this:


We had seen this one night in a stationary store window in downtown Berkeley. Do take a closer look.



The book is made out of ELEPHANT POO.
And I love it. So shut up.
(someone told me it was worse than being given a vacuum cleaner for your anniversary, but this book is proof of love, my dearies).

Then of course, there was the gift I got for myself (the surprise y'all have been waiting for):



I am now the proud owner of a new van! A camper van. A miniature RV van. Like it has a stove, a fridge, a toilet and shower, sort of van. You can stand up and walk around in it, van. Told ya' it was big and needed a little bit of justification. This baby is worthy of a blog entry all it's own, for sure. I will do that Friday. But for now, all I will say is:

ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!

I should mention that it was the big joke around here that for my birthday I bought myself a conversion van and that my beloved gave me poo. Beside that just being outright hilarious, we agreed that this is much better than my having to say, "My boyfriend didn't give me shit for my birthday."


As for birthday cake, I didn't get to have that exactly. Being that I'm still doing this whole raw foods cleanse thing, I couldn't have a traditional cake, so I asked MyFK and TheMIG to take me to my favorite Thai restaurant for dinner (I had the Papaya Salad) and then we moved on to Cafe Gratitude for dessert.

I reallllly wanted to go to Cafe Gratitude for dessert because besides being a Raw Foods Restaurant, when it is your birthday, they bring out your dessert with a candle, they pop on the Beatles happy birthday song, and then I think ever y single employee stops whatever they are doing and they dance around like a bunch of crazies singing.



I love it. Just love it.


I ordered the "I am Innocent" (um yeah, right) Banana Split. Totally vegan and totally Raw. Hazelnut vanilla ice cream with raw chocolate and caramel sauces, topped with pecans. YUMM. With treats like that, who needs a sheet cake from the supermarket.


It was a good time, it was.