continuing the previous post!

Work has been pretty ridiculously slow, and is more so now that the 473829 sales we had going on are down to like, two or three. But! The Ganz order that came in yesterday was, in fact, new Webkinz, and Webkinz stuff. So Nancy let me check it in, and it was quiet enough that I had time to do all of it and put everything out properly. Three new Webkinz, which haven't even been posted on the website yet, and then new purses which were actually fairly cute, new trading cards, and a whole new line of little plastic figurines! which had no display, so I condensed all the Webkinz clothing and found that I could clear one whole side of *that* display to put the figurines on. I love setting up new displays, I don't know why but I always have. So it was quite a nice workday. :)

Oh! And Sue Mac took me out to lunch, and we went to McDonalds and had Big Macs, which were totally not the right health choice to make (given that she, like most of my coworkers, is semi-dieting, and Big Macs usually make me feel a little sick), buuut, they tasted really good. And then she remembered she'd turned up a bunch of the tiny crochet hooks (which are used for the intricate lacework sorts of things, which I haven't quite gotten the guts to try yet but am dying to do sometime) in with her craft things, and, as I'm the only one she knows who crochets, she passed them on to me, yay!

I was downstairs chatting with Amanda for a bit (there was nooothing to do and I had a few minutes to kill) when my shift ended, and Tom actually came in to the store to get me. Mary yelled down that Tom was here, and Amanda followed me over to meet him. (She, and a few of the other girls, have this fascination with talking to the mysterious Tom, who never comes into the store, and doesn't ever say much, and is just this strange and mysterious figure of amusement. They'll wave to him through the window as he waits in his car for me to come out, or whenever he does come in, they chat him up and he makes some sardonic comment and crack them up and it's all too cute and entertaining.) Amanda asked him what he got me for my birthday, and I asked him if he remembered to get it (he'd told me the day before he knew what he was getting, just hadn't gotten it yet). He gave us a blank sort of look, and said yes, yes of course. At which we raised eyebrows - though I had a strong hunch (which was correct) he was just messing with us. Dork.

We went back home, and as we came up to the back door, I noticed the kitchen light was on - which I thought odd, Tom and I both grew up with fathers who were nazis on turning off lights when they weren't being used. (Also, Tom covers the electric bill.) But I walked inside, and looked over toward the table...

And saw a huge bouquet, of roses and lilies, with ferns and baby's breath, all arranged in a vase with yellow gauzey stuff around it, and a biiig box of Lindt truffles leaning against it.

^______________________^

...he'd never bought me flowers, aside from a cyclamen plant for Valentine's last year (and that was at Haruna's suggestion), which I'd called him on several times. And he's a good boy, he listens. *g* But they're so lovely, I've taken all sorts of pictures which I'll post when I'm a little less lazy. He apologized that he couldn't find Oriental lilies (I've learned where there are florists around here, between Paper Factory and the Penny Saver, but he hasn't yet), and he didn't get red roses because he thought the white ones were more unique and elegant, but if I wanted red roses he could get some of those too, he'd already mixed together a few different things to get this bouquet.. He's such a dear, he really did put a lot of thought into it and they're lovely. The lilies are a deep red, the roses pink and white and yellow and cream with pink edging.

We went out to Applebee's for dinner, and each had fantastic milkshakes with our dinners. It was nice, yummy food, warm and cozy, and he always makes me laugh and it was lovely. As usual, a little too much food, so I brought some of mine home.

From there, we swung by the liquor store, to pick up a few things - Tom's off work today, and I don't go in 'til 4, so we figured we could drink a bit without worry for once, and just hang out and watch a movie. I'd decided to try making mudslides, buuut the separate ingredients were a little pricier than I'd expected, so we wound up getting a bottle of mix, to just throw in the blender with some ice. That, a bottle of wine, and I wanted to try something different, so we walked along the wall...and found the rum.

Well that was it - pirates! and rum! We have two of the three Pirates movies, and Tom and I still haven't gotten tired of watching them. So a bottle of rum it was! And then at the checkout counter were tiny minibottles of Godiva liquors. <3

So, we put on the first Pirates and each had a mudslide, and they were very yummy. Had a few drops of the Godiva and it was toooo good, we decided to hold off on that and have it sparingly. Jack Sparrow comes onscreen, so Tom gets the rum. It smells good, and tastes quite good. Lacking small glasses, Tom pours regular glasses 3/4 the way full - we figure we'll just sip at it for awhile.

And sip we do.

And continue to do, and 3/4 the way through the movie, I'm finally at the bottom of mine, Tom is halfway through a second, and we can barely stand. But it was a fun sort of dizzy. Tom tried to tell me he was fine - we could both manage to go up the stairs. Buuut.. a few minutes later he went up them awfully quickly and into the bathroom, knocking over and breaking a glass on the way. I cleaned up, and went upstairs, and tried to lay down but my head spun too badly to stay there.

...I don't even know how long it was before we fell asleep, but it was noooot a good night at that point. Tom was in rough shape, I was not doing very well but managed to get around a little to take care of him - it wasn't until he'd finally fallen asleep that I felt my worst (though even that wasn't half so bad as he was, I drank maybe half the amount of rum he did).

He has sworn up and down he'll make it up to me and we're neeeever doing that again. That's the first time either of us was really drunk, and I'm pretty darn sure it's going to be the last time. We're still in recovery mode, drinking lots of water and eating bread and crackers and pretzels, and taking the day very slowly. (It's a little nice actually, to have an excuse to just veg awhile.) Still both a bit dizzy and nauseous, but I'll be alright to get through a quiet evening of work. Ugh. How in hell do people do this like every weekend? So we have a lot of leftovers - we didn't even open the wine - but it's going to be awhile 'til we're up to having them, I think.

It's a gorgeous day though, it feels like fresh spring air, so we sat outside awhile earlier and just breathed and it was lovely.

But the birthday itself was wonderful, everyone was so sweet to me and it was so nice. :) I slept in so long this morning, and it's a beautiful day, and I have a hunch I'll actually feel so wonderfully fresh and rested tomorrow. yay. <3

 
Everyone was such a dear to me for my birthday, thank you all for your well-wishes and facebook presents and everything else. :)

Sunday, Mom and Grandma came down for the afternoon. Mom bought me real pearls! which are lovely, and Grandma gave me the most fantastic little sparkley penguin pin. And apparently I have more presents floating around in the mail delivery system. :) They took me out for lunch, where we had our first brush with a clueless waitress at Bob Evans (usually the service there is wonderful), but we just took it with amusement and the wrong pie she brought us to take home wound up tasting fantastic anyway.

My apartment, unfortunately, was a disaster - I'd meant to clean that morning, and got up early to do so, but.. then I had a dizzy spell. I've had them a lot this past week and it's getting really annoying. It's like full-blown wooooo the floor is tilting! sort of dizziness, but it only lasts a minute or two and then I'm fine (if a little nauseous). I have no idea. But on hearing this and seeing the stack of dishes I hadn't gotten to (if you happen to glance at my work schedule on facebook, you'll see why this sort of thing piles up), they repeatedly ordered me to sit down and rest and let them handle the kitchen. They did my dishes, and cleaned my stovetop, and cleaned my table, and it was far too good of them to do. I feel so much happier and relaxed around here now that it's a little cleaner, and I don't have to think about doing dishes every spare minute I get.

Yesterday, Tom and I both worked through the day, so I had a nice leisurely breakfast at Tim Horton's (splurging on strawberry cream cheese for my bagel, woo!), and, as usual, Jim (one of the boss's brothers, who comes in a few hours every day to help in back with framing) came in for coffee just before work, and gave me a ride over to the store.

Not that I really needed it for once - it basically hit 60 degrees here yesterday.

I don't even know.

So we were all exclaiming over the ridiculousness of the weather, and I commented how odd it was, that 90% of the time I get blizzards for my birthday - at which point Ann asked in surprise if that was today already, and I said yes. So everybody was wishing me happy birthday. About fifteen minutes later, I was putting some boxes away in back, and as I went by the side door, Bruce came in. Carrying a cake. He promptly yelled at me for ruining the surprise. *G* (Not that it was much of one anyway, one way or another everyone gets a cake for their birthday at the Paper Factory, as soon as the birthday is discovered. :)

Someone dug out the trick candles, and they sang happy birthday as cheerfully obnoxious as they could manage. I blew out the candles, they came back, I blew them out again..and they came back. Bruce tried to snuff one out with his fingers - as it was coming back. Fortunately Nancy decided to be intelligent about it and get a cup of water to douse them, though even still Bruce tossed one toward the cup and very nearly missed - as its flames were returning.

A few minutes later, when everyone was finishing up and slowly heading back to work, Flyer picked up the cake and headed toward the office with it. Now no-one actually saw quite what happened, but I heard Flyer let out a loud yelp, and turned just in time to see my birthday cake falling through the air.

And somehow, miraculously, land right side up.

But still getting frosting all over Nancy's back, Flyer's arm and leg, and somewhere along the way knocking a cup of coffee all over the floor.

...me, I figured it was only appropriate, really, given that it was my birthday cake. ^^; hee.

To be continued! Tom and I are going outside for a walk, it's lovely out and we're not feeling so hot and could use the fresh air.