Yesterday's bad.

I've tried about four times to put this into words that don't go on for a million years and I've failed each time. So I'm going to try one more time to go the abbreviated version. Perhaps my problem is that I keep trying to combine it with the rest of the birthday... stuff and things just get sticky. So instead we're gonna concentrate on this moment of WTF that attempted to derail my day.

Yesterday was my birthday. Huzzah. My birthday and I have a complicated relationship. I keep expecting it to be something deserving of glitter or confetti and it keeps being exceptionally boring, especially when compared to other people's birthdays. This year I'd hoped to actually do something. That was not to be. It still turned out okay, but considering the fact that tears of the non-happy variety were shed... I wouldn't put this as my best ever.

And here is why. Perhaps I was overreacting. Perhaps under. I'll let you decide.

Friday or Saturday I get an email from Cass asking if we're doing anything on Sunday. Um... it's my birthday so I would hope so? Because they've been invited to go floating and she didn't want to finalize the plans until she made sure we didn't have plans.

Um, again, it's my birthday so I'd hoped you'd want to spend some of it with me?

I politely decline the sort of half offered invite because floating holds no appeal for me. Have you seen a SC river before? No. Seriously, have you? Because my ass spent years trying to not venture into that water so... I'm good. Also, I burn pretty easily and I get very bored, very quickly if I'm doing something I don't fully enjoy, and floating down a river is something that would bore me to tears and burn me to cinders.

Saturday I get an email that asks when she can drop off my present Saturday... cuz she finalized that floating thing. Which pissed me off to the point that it hurt my feelings double. Are you serious? I mean, I like presents early, but you go floating every damn weekend in the summer. I'm not even kidding. You only didn't go last week because you went to Myrtle Beach. The only time in recorded history that I can remember you not having to work on my birthday is this year. THIS. YEAR. And you still are choosing to spend it with everyone else.

Fuck. That.

But I don't say it because... I dunno, I just don't. I guess part of me is hoping I'm misreading things and part of me is just so astonished that she's that fucking clueless or just doesn't care or... I don't even know, really. It's why every time I start this, I get way too wordy. It's really very simple:

I thought Cass and I were gonna hang out on my birthday. She instead went floating down the Edisto with other people and showed up even later than she said she would because those people didn't show up on time. She dropped off my presents and if she was at my house for longer than ten minutes, I'd be really surprised. She still had people with her, in the car, which was one of the reasons given for not sticking around. Also, she was on her way to do something else.

Even taking into account the fact that I don't think Cass knows how to not cram seeing 400 people into any given excursion, this just seems excessively rude. Like what the fuck? Why would you tell me all about the people you're spending my birthday with when you know I have no plans? WHY?

It hurt a lot yesterday morning. Tears, man. Tears. And usually when I cry and it's self pity, woe is me, this is probably not a thing you should cry about, the tears, oh how they burn. Sorta like when you get sprayed in the face with Windex (just me? okay). But if the tears feel deserved, then they're just there. I dunno, it's weird. I cried. I debated calling her out on it. I ultimately decided not to because then she'd just call and things get weird when you know someone else has at least two other people with them at the time. It's... I shouldn't have to beg my friend to spend time with me on my birthday.


Anyway, it's bugging me again, but that's probably because now there are a zillion Facebook pictures and it's just making me cranky.

Birthday the good

Things about my birthday that didn't suck should be a thing, right? Right.

Well, the biggest thing that probably set my head back to happy was going to the pool. Granted, I did go alone (woe) but I'd mostly prepped for that. When I got there, the pool dude was doing stuff, but I asked if the pool was open and he said yup, just adding more water. Huzzah! Let myself in, plonked my stuff on a chair, and headed for the water.

Where I saw the cutest thing ever. Tiny little field mouse swimming! S/he swam over to the steps and I thought it was gonna climb out but I guess it was just a little too deep so it swam away. Cute as could be but I had no intention of actually swimming with a field mouse. So when the dude came back and asked if everything was okay, I asked if he could possibly help the little mouse out.

He did and I went in. I don't need to know that now I'll be a weremouse or something. :P I enjoyed my alone time and watched the birds and squirrels and basically just decided to hell with everything. I was going to enjoy my day one way or another, starting with a nice swim.

And I did.

I came home after about an hour and rinsed off while Mom made a late breakfast. After, Widget cleaned off my balcony, including getting rid of the spiders, and I folded some laundry while Ozma lept in and out of the drawers. I read my birthday book from Rose and then cleaned the glass I bought the night before, had a tasty strawberry daiquiri, had some lunch, deboxed Emerson and took some pictures (we'll see how they come out later) and realized that much as I like the line in theory, in reality I'll probably snag a second Wellie as a friend for Emers and then call it a day on the dolls. We'll see about the stuff as new stuff may appear.

Took a nap before Cass was supposed to show up and that went on longer than expected since she was late... but it was okay because snoozing with Ozma is a nice way to spend some time. Woke up briefly to Widget telling me he was heading off to his mom's like we'd talked about before, and then later woke up to Cass and her present that was a gift wrapped box of gift wrapped boxes. :P
Those turned out to be all four Descendants Funkos. :D

Had dinner (ham and cheese casserole which is my favorite and it's delicious and it's totally not summer fare but holycow, is it nummy) and finished my book, texted with the Widget and basically didn't do a whole hell of a lot. But I also didn't spaz out about things or stress or anything after my swimming.


The day before, there was a big storm and the rest of the day was cloudy and windy and awesome. Rose and I went to Barnes and Noble and enjoyed the AC (her car lacks it) and talked and looked at books and toys and things. I saw the new pet Lagoona and wow is she bright. Like burn your retinas bright.

Rose bought me a Sailor Saturn thingamabob and then we tried Pelican's Snoballs. I had a sweet cherry and she had marshmallow fluff and... pineapple, maybe? I dunno. Mine was tastier the farther I went down. The only downside of it was that, shocker, all the tables had fly issues. I know, who knew leaving sugary water everywhere would bring flies, right?

We exchanged gifts and I got two lovely, lovely books and she got a gift card and a Pusheen surprise plush. I'd warned her earlier at B&N that if you looked at the box, the one you wanted least from the lineup would be the one you got and damned if she didn't wind up having that happen. Still, Pusheen is cute. :D

Went to the European food place and she bought some snacks. I repeatedly declined the offer to run across the highway to visit Trader Joes because my people tend to die on other people's birthdays. And also, no. I will not be running across a highway where so many people can't follow the road properly that the church on the corner had to put up posts to keep people from hitting the damn building.

Went to Panera for dinner and I had the greek salad and ohmyglob. The last time I went to Panera, I had the grilled cheese and it was lackluster at best. The salad? SO GOOD. And if that's half size, how freakin' big is the whole? So good. We people watched and ate and it was fun. Then we went to the mall so I could wander around Bath and Body Works.

Where I promptly learned that I do not like the Summer Boardwalk Candle as much as I thought I would/did, that I do not like the whatever Boardwalk Vanilla Cone soap/lotion because while all the notes sound amazing, it's just... off somehow. Which is odd because I loved it last year, so either they changed it or I picked up a dud this time. Self, when there's a sale, re-investigate.

I really enjoy Beach Nights, Sweet Escape, and probably Sunshine Days. I say probably because after awhile you either achieve that dangerous "I love it all!" or "I hate it all!" level. But I think it was a solid thumbs up.

Oh, luxken27 ! Black Cherry Merlot appeared as a candle again and this year it actually smells pretty close to the soap/lotion. Now if they'd only get off their duffs and put it out in all the things, dammit.

I bought the candle after I sniffed the other fall candles they had in that collection. I wish I could remember whether it was Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake or Caramel Pumpkin Swirl that smelled... off, though I'm betting the cheesecake is the culprit. I was just so happy that the rumors of BCM smelling right were true that I basically just blanked right there.

Poor Rose found some Wallflowers, fell in love, and when we checked out she was told that half the ones she'd grabbed weren't actually part of the clearance. Seriously? The bin was pretty picked over and there were multiples of those scents in there. I hope they cleaned them out once we left because otherwise, rude.

Oh and I sniffed some little candle for Funnel Cake. Don't. Just don't. It was vomit in candle form. You know when you sniff something so awful that you immediately wonder why the universe did not stop you? That was me when I did that. Just no. NO. I don't fully understand why you would want grease in a scent, but I'll be damned if people don't. Sweet Jesus, that was a scent that lingered far too long.

Anyway, she and I wandered through the mall and found our way to the Kitchen Art store where you could tell the woman working there just wanted to go home, but she was nice and chatty and there was a lot of nifty stuff there. She showed us these glasses that you could tilt a zillion ways and I wound up buying one. Had I realized they were on sale, I'd have bought two.

After that the mall was very obviously starting to close, so we headed for the exit only to make it there just in time for the guard to be locking up. Which was a bit weird considering how many people were left in the mall but you do you, lady. She held the door for us and away we went.

I think she wanted to hang out more but I was pretty sure that due to the surprise storm eating my sleep that morning, I'd fall asleep during any movie we might see. (I would have.) So home I went and walked into a ballpitt of crazy but I'm concentrating on the happy. I took my little B&BW bag of happy upstairs with me and snuggled the cat after dealing with the craziness. I must say, I don't do it often, but when I make my bed, it's always nice to come home to.

And today I went out to Micheal's and voila, some fall stuff had appeared. Lots of funkins and autumn bedazzled pumpkins, some scarecrows and premade expensive Halloween wreaths. They also had some nifty candle holders in pumpkin shapes and the wax melts in fall scents. Oh, and candles, too. I bought the Harvest scent and Mom got a little easel to prop up her Kindle.

Ran across the street (in the car, people. In the car) to check out Target's toy clearance. Found Ghouls Getaway Jane easily but had to hunt for Elissabat. Eventually found a crapton of her and skipped away with them happily, along with carrots for the boy's birthday dinner. Got stuck in the line with the lady who takes six hundred years to ring up people, so I grabbed a Betty and Veronica digest which I am now off to read.

Vacation is going well.