Lisa, it's your birthday! Hap-py birhday, Lisa!

This past Monday's date was the same date I was born on. I have been trying to think for months what I wanted to do on that day and never hit on an idea I really liked. Six weeks before, I asked for the Monday and Tuesday off work. My boss said, "AND 18th and 19th??" because it was the week after I'd asked for the Canada Day weekend off. "Yep," I nodded. Then last Friday my other boss informs me that I cannot have the time off because they didn't know I had asked for it and they'd given it to someone else. I was annoyed on principle. It is good that I didn't have somewhere particular to be. I had even been thinking that I wouldn't mind working on that day because I just so enjoy serving people.

Sigh. So, I worked. It was a BRUTAL shift, including much more heavy lifting than normal. I sat down for about five minutes... Did not finish my lunch. Brutes (but good).
I liked how none of the customers knew and it didn't come up. It was like a secret and like a normal day. It was good that the guy who gives me a hard time didn't show up.

Somewhere in the day I realized I "can't take it with me," these acquaintanceships. It was good to realize that as a first step toward letting go.

My bestest funnyman sanekeeper friend was in a few times and it was grape. My favorite part was when I moved super slowly with his cards and explained that I was testing his patience. Unconcerned, his body language shows he isn't worried he won't be able to handle the worst I could do. He says, looking away nonchalantly, "I got lotsa patience: I drive the 401 every day."
My jaw drops for two reasons. The first is the commute - I mean the 401 is no joke. The second is that I didn't figure him for a commuter or NOT a local. "You don't live in Guelph?!" I ask, hiding no shock at all.
"No-ho!" he scoffs. I was highly unimpressed by the scoffing.
"Where do you live?" My tone is almost strangled with the mix of interest and disbelief.
"Toronno," he says straightly, without looking up. (Nothin doin!)
"Huh!" I react, still too surprised to feel the solidarity I normally would. After I've finally caught up - finally accepted that I had pegged him wrong - I speak to help him understand my reaction. "And you're NOT an asshole."
He laughs a bit but is almost mock-hurt (or real hurt?). Jumping in quickly in case I have managed to offend with my sideways compliment, I clarify, "I'm from there; I'm allowed to say that."

He assents weakly. I noticed I've really lost my touch with mouthing off Torontoly. It felt weird to be kinda caught in the middle. I asked what the story was and before he could really explain other customers interfered. What got me was when he said he'd explain "some other time." (He's one of two with whom I have the continuity from one encounter to the next.) And he actually remembered - I didn't need to prompt him. He explained that he IS a Guelphite but moved to TO for a woman ("Isn't that always the way??" I sarcastically commented). I guess that means I wasn't totally off.

I have been drafting this post for about eight days now and I'm finding it hard to retain/capture the spirit of the day adequately.

In the evening, I had half-plans to go over to a friend's house, just for chillings. Then some other friends wanted to hang. Then I almost had a Euchre table going. Then I said, errybuddy jus come ova hurr, and they did. And I invited another friend SUPER last-minutely, asking her to "be my birthday friend". What I meant was that it would make my birthday happy to see her on that day. Tried to call in another friend from out of town in the same way but no dice.

So, after a flop nap [that would be a nap that happens because you've flopped down on a soft surface upon entering the house to "rest for a minute" - it generally comes after a long day that precedes a long night] on the couch I went out to buy a million snacks and dinner (sushi!), came home and cleaned like a mad woman.
It was great. One sweet friend brought top-notch brownies that were WELL complemented by French vanilla ipe stream. At the beginning people focussed on the cold fruit (which makes sense in this weather) but by the very end of the night, around 1am, there were second helpings of brownies and the party mix bowl got cleaned out but for crumbs. Couldn't believe I was able to pawn off so much of the cake someone brought... Can't have that sitting all defenseless in my house after everyone leaves.

It's been a long time since I've been able to host and feed people. This, for me, was a better way to celebrate than to be waited upon. It made me supremely happy that there wasn't much left over.

Around midnight, the conversation got dark. Someone suggested we pray and I cringed a little. Turned out to be a great idea. It was hard, and the confession afterward was hard but it was good. I like that that day included corporate prayer and fellowship with believers. That is important to me. Only thing could have been added is music, ha. But let me not be greedy.

Good day; good God.

A perk of taking twenty days to compose this (while composing and publishing others) is that this gets to be Post #900! Whoo! Milestone, sucka!