I'm back....and first things first...

My wrist still hurts most of the time, but I really need to post about my birthday present from Raine and Chris. She'd kill me if I posted other things before I showed you what she gave me. Believe me, she would. I've had several phone calls on the subject. She's only cut me a breat because of my wrist. Anyway, They always give the nicest presents...and Raine always remembers all the things I like, plus the things that she knows will make me laugh. This year she hit the ball out of the park. Really! She bought me the Iron Fairy book, volume one. You have to have it to get into the cave, but now I'm stuck until volume 2 comes out. She gave me dirty soap...and by dirty I mean, naughty..my favorite kind. The directions on the back read as follows: 1)Share with someone in warm shower. 2)Rinse. 3) Then shower with someone NEW in warm shower. 4)Rinse. It has a warning which says, "Nothing risque, nothing gained." I like how they think...lol. Plus I got a bag of kettle corn...yummy! I also received five Curly Whirly candy bars...yummy...and they gave me a magnet that says "I"m happy...Don't ruin it!" I think that might have to be my new moto.
OK, but the best part of the present...the really funny part is what she put it in. A neat little container that looked like a silver briefcase or computer case at first glance. But if you look closer....
THAT is what it said on the front! I about died when they handed me the container while we were seated at The Cheesecake Factory. Here is the crazy thing about the whole story. After I opened it, I placed it on the seat across from me so we could eat. I didn't think a thing about it. When we got up to leave, the lady across from me said, "Excuse me, could I as you a question." I turned to her and said yes, thinking she needed directions or wanted to know what we ate. Then she said, "Is that (meaning the case) really full of those things?" Then I started laughing and expained that it wasn't full of condoms. That my friends had just used it as a "gift bag" to give me my birthday presents be cause they thought it would be funny. We all started laughing and the ladies Mother, looked confused. As I walked away, I'm sure her daughter explained what we were talking about.
I have to say, even if Raine and Chris came out and never bothered to give me a present, I would have been just as happy to spend the day with them. It seems like It's been ages since we actually spent more than a couple short hours together before Raine had to run off. She's a busy gal, these days. I've missed her. Truth be told, I'd probably volenteer to help her clean her apartment all day if that meant I just got to hang out with her. Raine makes everything more fun. She's just so bright and witty, you'd have to be a moron not to enjoy her company. Oh and its always fun when she brings her hubbie along, because then we have someone to pick on....but he deserves it most of the time.

More birthday fun...

I was out running errands most of the day but when I pulled in the driveway, something caught my eye. The screen door was open part way and there were balloons floating in the breeze. After closer inspection I discovered a box at the base of the balloon ribbons. Inside the box was a flower cake. Yes, a cake made of flowers. It even comes with candles that you can stick in the top and light. I'm not going to do it though because I could just imagine the possible disasters that could occur. Anyway, I love getting flowers...so I opened the card and found out it was from Nancy, Cliff and Sam. Sam didn't know anything about it...oh and he did remember my birthday. I had picked him up from drivers ed and I asked him what he wanted to get his Mother for Mother's Day...That is when his eyes got really wide and he said, "Mother's Day, wait a minute, is today your birthday?!" Then I said yes, and that I knew he had forgotten in the morning. He then said, "Did I even see you this morning?" I started laughing and informed him that we had a conversation this morning...and he said, "oh yeah, I must have been so out of it. I let him off the hook and said, I knew he had a lot going on. Anyway, Nancy said she sent me the flower cake because she knew they wouldn't be able to get me a real cake. Cliff said I should make Sam bake me a cake. I told Cliff that Sam was way to busy but Cliff said, Sam was just lazy...which of course he was joking about, because Sam really is super busy with AP exams and finals coming up...plus he had a tennis match and drivers ed today. Crazy busy.
I have had so many phone calls and emails today that I can honestly say I'm in heaven. Thank you everyone for all your sweet thoughts and wishes! Believe it or not, but I have not opened my presents yet and I have not had any cake yet. Sam and I just knocked off a great supper and we have to digest...while he takes a practice test for AP. Fear not, I do not let a birthday go by without ice cream...gasp, the thought of an IC free birthday scares the bejeebers out of me.
Oh did I tell you that I got a scary birthday message on my cell phone. My Aunt Vickie sang a small part of the Happy Birthday song to me...lol, I know know that my pathetic singing comes from the Kaster/Lade side of the family. It's genetic! I'm not the only one that sounds a sick seagull...lol, just kidding Vickie, we don't sound that bad.

It's my Birthday!

Ah, the sky is blue, no rain clouds in sight...it could be a great day after all. I love birthdays, everyone knows that...I don't get all depressed about getting older, I look at it like this...HEY, I'm alive! I will admit that when I first woke up at 6:30AM, I was feeling a little blue. Sam left for school without even saying Happy Birthday to me. I'm sure he totally forgot...the turd, and I refuse to remind him. Needless to say, I was in a slight funk so I did what all grouchy people should do. I curled up on the sofa with a blanket and a soft pillow and I took an hour and a half nap. Let me tell you, that was what the doctor ordered. Then I got up, jumped in the shower and while I was washing the sleep out of my eyes, Chris Leach called me on my cell phone and left me the BEST message ever. Why the best? The guys sang a funny, perky Happy Birthday song to me and wished me a very happy day before he went off to review some of his law studies work. I just adore him, I really do, but everyone knows how much I love my Leaches...they are the best. Chris was my first birthday call and my friend Susanne in Switzerland sent me my first Birthday email of the day. Later I'm going to send her an email...we need to catch up. She's due to have a cesarean next week, on the 13th. I need to get a present for her and get it in the mail.

Anyway, I'll update about my Birthday as the day progresses. First I have to do some errands...go to the nursery and get 4 shrubs for the front yard, return the upholstery books and get a few new ones, pick up a small Carvel ice cream cake for myself...because Nancy is out of town this week and nobody else is going to get me one, oh and then I get to open my contest prize package that Lettie sent me. YEP...more to come.

Look what Aunt Vickie sent me...

Every once in a while I get mail from my Aunt Vickie. I usually say the same thing out loud when I notice the return address. "Oh dear Lord, what is that woman up to now!" Then I say a quick prayer that the package or envelope doesn't contain a boobie trap. Hey, you have to be on your toes in this family. It turns out that Vickie was cleaning out a closet and came across these pictures of my Second Birthday party in May of '72. Vickie has said before that it was a memorable day for her because she'd been out partying the entire night before because it was her High School prom. She forced her boyfriend...later to become her hubby and my Uncle John to attend my birthday party too. Hey, if she had to suffer through a family event on no sleep, poor John was going too. That is me with my Grandma Slater..aka Martha, in the top photo. She's the only Grandparent that I have left, the rest have all passed away and I'm sad to say that Grandma's time is coming to an end. She's confused a lot and her skin is so thin. I know she suffers and that is why I find myself hoping that she passes peacefully in her sleep and then there are times I can't bare to think about it and I just want to hold on for a little longer. Time has a way of marching on though, doesn't it.
Now, I have no idea why I am in a different outfit in the bottom picture. Maybe it was a new outfit, perhaps I was covered in cake and had to change. What do I know, I was two years old. Anyway, Grandma had me standing on the table. I needed this picture the other day when I blogged about grand kids getting away with anything. Ah, I wish my hair was still Strawberry Blonde. Sure I could dye it but then I would have to keep touching up the roots....blah, I don't want to mess with that. Vickie had a few questions about this picture. I'll answer them on my blog. She wanted to know if that was my Dad at the end of the table behind me (just under my hand). The answer is yes...he had hair back then. Looks like they had a card game going....nothing new there, they always had/have a card game going. Then she asked who was sitting by John. I totally know. For everyone else's benefit, I will let you know that my Grandpa Virgil Slater is being blocked by Grandma Slater's arms and Grandpa Kaster is over there too but I only know that because I have seen other pictures of that day and I know they were sitting next to each other. Across the table we have Uncle Jim in the green shirt, Uncle John in the stripped shirt, Aunt Vickie standing over him, keeping him in line, no doubt...and the person on the other side is Uncle Gary. I know this because I remember seeing a picture that my Mom has and Gary is scooping out ice cream at my party. It's the same hairdo. Vickie also wanted to know why there was only one light bulb in the fixture above. Maybe because it was an over watt bulb and one was enough to light the room. Honestly, who wants to really look at family anyway...they can be scary. lol. Of course Mom and Dad were very young parents, not even close to 25 at the time these pictures were taken, so maybe they couldn't afford more bulbs. I DON'T KNOW. I'm sure Mom will comment and give us her incite, or lack of it.
Thanks for the pictures Aunt Vickie...I love them. I would have totally cut you some slack if it has not been for this comment in your letter, "You were so cute then. What happened?" lol, nice, very nice. You will pay for that, you know that, right. Stay tuned, I'm going to post about Dad teaching Vickie how to drive. It's a fun story. I might even throw in the story about how she got her head caught in the steering wheel of a 1960-something mustang. She will never come clean with the real story, so I will just have to improvise. Mine will be better anyway and may include brief descriptions of nudity. YEAH, it will be gooooood.