thirtysomething

We celebrated, somewhat. Collected my yummy ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins (the usual white cake with chocolate ice cream) then proceeded to take that home. Then off to the local pay phone (no we don't own a mobile phone, I can't stand them!) to yell at the phone company about turning off our phone. Yes, nice birthday indeed. Needless to say I have had it with Qwest phone company. They said our last payment never arrived. I didn't know it took over a week for a payment to reach Denver from Colorado Springs. To top it off it had cleared our bank so apparently someone somewhere, as usual, was not performing their job and had not posted our payment to our account. Isn't that so very kind of them? Of course Miss-Rude-Customer-Service-Girl-Who-Eventually-Hung-Up-On-Me promptly got narcy and said I could pay the bill via phone. Why should I pay a bill TWO times? So I gave out to her and that was that. I refuse to pay a bill twice. We ended up going to Ruby Tuesdays for dinner, where I had a giant bowl of French Onion soup and the salad bar, which made me feel better.

Then giant slabs of ice cream cake for the three of us upon returning home.

So my thirty-first birthday was not very eventful really.

I did get a giant box o'stuff from my parents Thursday last. I got an ultra nifty sewing basket I had been coveting since we returned from Virginia, as they simply don't sell them out here. It is covered in 18th century styled Toile fabric, light yellow and blue. Amongst the heavily laden box were also some bathroom hand towels with bee motif (I am highly allergic to bees and once an attack landed me in hospital, but I still love to collect bee items), a bracelet, a tote bag, a pretty sequined covered jewellery travel case, some great Yardley hand lotion, two small Kokopelli throw rugs, and some hilarious cards. Thanks Mum & Dad!!

Another package had arrived Saturday from Ireland. This one from Colm and inside I found a bookmark and sheep magnet, a book on High Kings of Ireland, a ceramic rooster oil burner/candle holder and loads of Irish chocolates. Prizes galore!

From the home front I collected my pre-ordered copy of the 5th Harry Potter book- which was also a birthday gift- although I began reading it Saturday night. Greg and Clare also got me a book entitled "Angus" about a Jack Russell. While in Virginia I picked up a pub sign which also bears a huge red crab on it and says, "The Crab Shack, 1893" (I also collect crab items since my birth sign IS Cancer the Crab!). So technically that was a birthday gift too. Or so I said it would be when I made the purchase. Anyhow, my birthday isn't that important, the big one is Monday the 30th when Miss Clare turns six! (Speaking of birthdays, someone very special is about to turn 40. Hmm, any guesses who will be turning 40 on 1st July??) Anyway, what money we had for birthdays went to Clare's gifties rather than mine. Which is fine. We plan to celebrate more belatedly once we get back East. Must make a reservation for a B&B in Virginia. That would do quite nicely.

Also speaking of going back East, only 2 weeks, 4 days. Hooray! The countdown has thus begun and time cannot pass quickly enough.

Oh, over the weekend, (besides the much-anticipated outing to collect Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), we drove up to Longmont, Colorado. It's about an hour and a half from here. A good friend of mine from high school, Glenn, was having a housewarming get-together. He and his wife got married last year and just had a beautiful baby boy in February. I had not seen him since 1990 I think. We had such a brilliant time. The house they just purchased was built in the 1930's and is really really cool. The food was tasty, the guests were fun to chat with and it was such a relaxing time. Amazingly I actually sat down and enjoyed myself, unlike how I am running around here at home not able to sit still for a second. It was nice to be able to hold a four month old baby again, it has been a LONG time since Clare was that size.

Time flies doesn't it?

Glenn, Ande holding Dante, and Clare holding her ears due to the passing train... silly girl!