Another Year Older, Another Year More Awesome

My Man: So, what do you think I got you for your birthday?

Me: Honey, I have no clue.  The last thing I really wanted and desired was a book case, and you got me that a few years ago.  Now it's all gravy.

Some time later......

Text Message From My Man: What's behind Door #1?

Yes, he put wrapping paper (Christmas wrapping paper, but hey - it's what we had in the Bat Cave....) over my book case.  With my birthday gifts, naturally - behind the paper.

I was all set to wait until today.  Really, I was.  I'm really good about (nice) surprises.  I can wait.  I won't peak.  I wasn't one of those kids who went snooping around the house looking for where "Santa" hid our Christmas gifts.

I'm an honest soul by nature.

But My Man?  Was practically bouncing up and down.  So I made the supreme sacrifice (ahem) and pulled back the paper behind Door #1 on Saturday.

OMG a Kindle Paperwhite!  And a new cell phone!  I loved my ancient Sony PRS-505 like crazy-cakes (a Christmas gift from My Man way back in 2007.....) and old (and my first) smartphone - but I feel like I've entered the 21st century in screen quality.  It's breathtaking!  It's wonderful!  Hell, I played with my toys all weekend long.  And I've got them just in time to take them on my upcoming road trip to RWA.

Wahooey!

We Gonna Party Like It's Yo Birthday

It's party with a side of denial time here at the Bat Cave. Yep, it's my birthday. I'm 35 today. Which probably seems painfully young to some of you, and painfully old to the rest of you. I'm in denial because I'm not sure how I got to be 35, and holy cow - where exactly have the years gone? I mean, wasn't I in college like....last week? I'm pretty sure I was.

Today is a normal scheduled day off work for me, so I woke up this morning and got my birthday present from My Man (get your mind out of the gutter!). Longtime readers of this blog know that My Man has mighty, mighty gifting giving powers that he uses for good (never evil) twice a year. Christmas and my birthday. This year's gift?

On Saturday, September 25 me and the Super Librarian Daddy-O will be at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan watching my Tigers play the Minnesota Twinkies Twins.

Yes, a baseball game.

But oh, not just any baseball game. Let me explain, because my birthday should not only be about fun and frivolity, but learning as well....

There are two leagues in Major League Baseball. The American League and the National League. Each league is then divided up into divisions, with X number of teams in each division. Winning your division = your team going to the playoffs. The Tigers and Twins are both in the American League Central Division and for the last several years it's come down to the wire - with the Twins being victorious since second half of the season = Twinkies on a tear, and second half of the season = Tigers rolling over and dying. So this game on September 25? Could be huge. Assuming 1) my Tigers are still in the hunt and 2) the pure evil Chicago White Sox, who are now inexplicably in second place, don't throw a wrench in the works.

And I get to watch all this excitement (well, hopefully it will be exciting - we're still two months out!) with my Dad! In some really kick ass seats I might add! Woot!

Which means I now have some planning to do. Time to get off work, decide how many days I'm going home for (probably close to a week), and buy some plane tickets. More stuff for the To-Do List, but hell - To-Do Lists are pretty fun when you...well...actually want to do them.

Be It Ever So Humble

In my infinite wisdom, I opted for an early morning flight back to California. My logic, at the time, was that if bad weather hit, that would still give me all day Saturday and Sunday in order to make up for delayed or canceled flights. A sound plan, but one that lost some shine when I had to haul myself (and my parents) out of bed around 4AM. I left the snow and cold of the Midwest, to arrive home in California to 60 degree weather. In December. Yes the air quality sucks, and you practically need strategic battle plans to drive the freeways here, but you can't beat the weather.

I had a lovely holiday, despite coming down with some sort of plague Thursday evening. I must have picked up a stomach virus somewhere. Christmas Eve = Not Fun. At all. By Christmas morning I was keeping food down though, so I was able to enjoy the holiday meal. At this point I'd say I'm around 90% better. I still feel a little "off" - but given how sick I was Christmas Eve, I think it's just going to take a couple of days for my body to right itself.

My Man picked me up at the airport, and I've had a chance to unpack and mostly unwind. I've also had a chance to open up my Christmas presents.

Longtime readers of this blog know that My Man has mighty gift-giving powers. Over the years I've gotten a Sony Reader, a book case, an English tea set, jewelry, spa days - truly, he's excellent. So this year? What did I get?

More jewelry. Which I sort of figured, because ever since I got the book case I haven't really harped on about "needing" anything. But what girl in her right mind is going to scoff at the shiny? It was tanzanite this year. I got a pendant and earrings. They're very pretty and sparkly - which is technical jeweler talk dontcha know?

What else did I get? A signed, first edition of Angel Eyes by Loren D. Estleman.

Given that this is largely a romance reading blog, most of you are probably going "Huh?" right about now. Estleman is a kick-ass Michigan writer - mostly dealing in westerns and mysteries. Angel Eyes is the second book in his Amos Walker crime-noir-style series, set in Detroit. I love this series, and this edition is hard to come by. It had a limited print run, wonky distribution, and frankly that cover is all sorts of awesome. So naturally it's a gem among those who collect the series. I figured I was never going to own it - mostly because I'm cheap frugal and didn't want to shell out the bucks for it. I mentioned it to My Man (in passing no less) months ago, and he practically chanted the title and author to himself so he wouldn't forget. Then he dug up a signed first edition thanks to the wonders of the Internet. And boy howdy, is this copy in excellent shape. Like someone encased it in Mylar after it was released in the wild back in 1981.

So yeah, I got a book and jewelry. Something tells me most of my blog readers are smitten with the jewelry - and I'll admit I am too. But the thoughtfulness of the book just slays me. Now to figure out where I'm going to house this lil' beauty.

You think a safety deposit box would be too over-the-top?

I'm kidding. I think. Maybe. OK, mostly.