day 2 of 10

Yay me, day 2 of 10 day challenge ... 3 miles sounds so much cooler when you call it a 5k, doesn't it?

Did I already say that?

Um. Today I got a hip new bag to carry my laptop around in from my sweetie ~ Surprise! I was so excited to see this, totally unexpected digital camo with my very own nametag! I am a sucker for monograms. I have a similar hook/loop tag with my name in Arabic from the last time he went to Summer Camp... Very cool

Tonight I'm enjoying another blessing, a Leftover Turkey Sandwich. From a turkey I cooked myself today, the very first whole turkey I've ever cooked by myself and it is a beautiful thing:

Although . . .  I feel like she's in a slightly indecent position.
At least she's not birthing stuffing. 

I don't do in-bird stuffing. Creeps me out. But this is a tasty bird even sans stuffing. Seriously Silver Dollar is staring me down. While I made the sandwich she jumped up on the trash can lid and threatened to come up on the countertop with me and the turkey.

The boys were here today, their dad let them stay with me (Yay!) instead of having someone else come get them in the morning since we are out of school. I was so excited because, you see, I bought this turkey for Christmas but obviously underanticipated the generosity and hospitality of my friends. We were invited over to my friend's house on the 24th for tamales, just like when I was little at my grandmother's house. I totally think I should make tamales. Then for Christmas the boys' dad picked them up around 9 and by ten-ish I was back over at my friend's for brunch quiche, and to help start cooking. Then a wonderful thing happened, it turned out they had lunch at his parent's house, so he dropped them back off with me at my friend's, which was where I was helping cook dinner! So I had my boys for both days, birthday and Christmas, which obviously worked really well for me.

Did I mention I went here on the 23rd?

I took the kids out shopping for my b-day gifts and on the way home they all clamored to go to Chuckee Cheez. The two little ones and the teenager and his girlfriend. We had all voted earlier in the month to do this, and my adult friends pooh-poohed the idea as an optimal birthday party for me. Well, I'm not sure I agree, but still, I'm flexible. I figured they didn't want to go. So instead I took the kids myself. (It turns out my friends would have gone with me after all, they just didn't think that was the best idea for the birthday. Whatever.) We ordered a pizza, and knowing the boys don't usually sit still for the pizza, I also ordered the sampler appetizer. Then the server guy brought me some wings with my pizza. And I said, well I ordered the sampler platter, and he was like, well there it is! And I said, no, I think more than one thing comes on the sampler platter. Then he said "Well I don't cook it, I just bring it out!" Ha ha ha, then he took it back. He came back with a gigantic pizza plate full of stuff. Maybe that is what I ordered but I wonder if they gave me extra stuff because of the mistake? I dunno. The manager there is always super nice. I just love Chuckee Cheez. I never did as a child, because it looked to me like that rat was flicking his boogers at me when he did that thing with his nose. But now, if I can afford it, I will totally schlep myself and the boys and my schoolbooks to that place. I can get so much studying done there. It's something to do with tuning out noisy children, I think. I am supremely suited for it. Tuning out peace and quiet, not so much. I have to get up and do things when it is quiet and peaceful. Like laundry.

Okay so the next day was really my birthday and my friend L. had planned to take me out for a drink. We knew sort of where we wanted to go but we waited too long. I did, anyway. She texted me at noon, then we planned to go at 3, and I think, other than the toilet hose coming out of the filler tube dealie under the tank lid, and shooting water out and all down the toilet/wall/floor of the bathroom, I probably could have concentrated on getting ready earlier. So we missed going to the martini bar, we missed that one restaurant on the river, which would have been really pretty but closed at 4. Everybody was closing at four! We finally found a spot and happily sat down with our beer with oranges. Then a gentleman walked in irresistibly dressed in a hat and coat and a Santa tie.That other guy is Flat Daddy. I will have to explain Flat Daddy some other time because I think I need another half of the turkey sandwich deliciousness. And I sorta wish I had some ice cream.