Birthday

Second weekend update. Yay! This will be two down, one to go which means I just might be able to be caught up by this weekend. Okay, here goes.

August 12 - 14th:

So there are a couple reasons I don't really look forward to my birthday. In order from least important to most:
1. I grew up poor. We weren't destitute, but we were barely comfortable. Anyways, I'm not used to presents and I get really weird when I get them. Don't get me wrong, I love getting presents and I appreciate the thought and effort that goes into them, I just don't expect them and am never disappointed if I don't receive any. For the couple weeks leading up to my birthday Paul kept asking what I wanted. So I eventually just told him that what would make me happy is if he were to get something that showed he has taken the time to get to know me over the last six months (dear God, has it been that long?).
2. I hate being sung to, especially if it is in a restaurant. I blush, get all flustered. It's uncomfortable.
3. For the 6 years spanning from 19 to 25 something bad happened to either a family member or close friend the week of my birthday. We're not talking sprained ankles here. There was a car accident, major surgeries, a death culminating with my father's stroke on my 25th birthday. It got to the point where I dreaded my birthday and almost the whole month of August.

So it's just been the last year or so (since I moved to DC actually) that I've even gotten close to looking forward to my birthday. This year didn't let me down.

Friday, sometime around 3 pm I got a box delivered to my office. Inside were two dozen roses. At the risk of sounding horribly ungrateful, I've never been a huge fan. I'm much more of a Gerbera daisy or wildflower girl. And man do I love tulips. I am now, however, a changed woman. These roses were beautiful. There were four different colors; deep blood red, rich peach, rust, and yellow with orange/red tips. Absolutely stunning flowers. He did real good that Paul. I might keep him around awhile longer. Two weeks later and they are just now ready to get tossed (sad day). I feel like I did something that evening but can't remember. Sorry to whomever I shared that evening with. Nothing personal.

Saturday was great fun. Heather has had a documentary on Scrabble tournaments that she has been wanting to throw a Scrabble party and watch. The only day she could come up with was the 13th. Great, I said, that way I don't have to deal with doing anything for my birthday. She took that not as me saying, yay I get to see my friends and not have it be about my birthday but as yay I get to host a birthday party. So Saturday night a group of us hung out at Heather's, grilled pizzas, watched the movie Word Wars and played a game of Scrabble. Yes, I know I'm a geek.

Sunday was my birthday and I wasn't really planning on doing much of anything that day other than hanging out with Katie and watching Six Feet Under. Paul had to work all weekend and has been putting in ungodly hours at work during the week so I was content with doing things with my friends and seeing Paul on a day other than my birthday. Well, Paul ended up not working Sunday and taking me out to dinner to a restaurant I have been wanting to go to for awhile now. It was a very nice surprise even with Paul's "Don't ever say I don't listen to you" statement as we walked into the place. Then we went to a movie and headed our separate ways home.

As bummed as I was that Paul didn't come to the thing Saturday, I understood that it wasn't something he would have any interest in doing and he was overworked and exhausted. And it was a fantastic surprise to spend time with him Sunday. All in all, a really great weekend.