I renewed my drivers license

I will be 65 years old when I need to renew it again. Yikes ya'll! Now that got my attention. I was able to renew online, so that was cool. For 8 years! How can I possible be 57 years old? Time is flying...I must be having fun.

It was a pretty darn good birthday as birthdays go when one attains this stellar age. For one thing, I planned a workshop for that whole day - ensuring that I'd have a captive audience. When I introduced our speakers I made sure to announce that it was the day of my birth - and that all 50+ people in attendance should be kind to me. They were!

Angie Clark from my office even took the time to bake a fab ISU cake that brought to the workshop. she broke it out at lunchtime and the whole gang sang "Happy Birthday" to me. I wasn't successful in getting them to do the polka version after that though. My pals Cory and Tom (our consultants for our EMS program) bought me a pretend drink after the meeting. Later I met Paul for a nice prime rib and Nick and John's in Waukee. He gave me tickets to a great musical - Book of Mormon. Good stuff!

Amy and Jud each phoned with well wishes - I always love to be Queen for a Day. Plus I received some nice greeting cards. I am a sucker for a good smart ass card.

My physical therapist got into the game and gave me a card. She and I discovered we share a birthday - which this year happened to fall on voting day. I didn't see her that day, but her office went with the theme and they all dressed in red, white and blue and posted "Christine" campaign promises around the office - in keeping with the day. Just like Iowa's new senator, at PT, Christine makes me squeal.

The rest of the week was pretty good too. My college roomie Vicki called - we talked for an hour of course - just catching up. We've known each other so long we can talk in shorthand, even if we haven't talked for a while. Love that girl.

Today my sissy Cindo called. On Veteran's Day it will be 2 years since her husband, our beloved Boldie, died. We miss him so.

Boldie - I bet he is watching over us...and yelling

A swell birthday

For all my lamenting about my lousy luck in my birth week - you may recall last year I broke my foot. Now this year, the blasted incident with the rental car/deer whilst my car was in the shop being repaired. Then my car wasn't done on time. And I'm not feeling great.

But yesterday was my bday and I was determined to have a great day. I didn't tell people at work that it was the big day, but I stopped by the big HyVee on University and Jordan Creek Road for a couple dozen donuts - one for each section I work in - Financial and Business Assistance (my real section with new boss Jennifer Wright) and the other Solid Waste (with the engineers and that boss Alex Moon).

Last year I had scoured Des Moines for a good place to get Donuts - similar to Quicks in Atlantic or Mr. Donut. But Des Moines doesn't seem to have many of those. I tried Donut Hut on Grand, but that guy was like a donut Nazi - not the most cheerful. I know it was o dark:30 but jeez I'm a paying customer! So I went with an Iowa store this year. The donuts were fine!

People soon figured out it was my day 'o birth (when I spilled my guts). Then Robbiedob called from sunny Orlando (my buddy since 1960 or so...) to wish my a happy day! I was feeling better as I'd gotten some antibiotics the day before. Went okay and roomie Joan took me out for supper Wednesday night and had left a funny card on my purse to start my day right. Then Becky Jolly rounded up a small group of co-workers to go to lunch in honor of my big day. We walked to Jimmy Johns in the East Village.

I called and found out my car wasn't going to be done until 4ish. Fine - I handled it without snapping. I headed to Enterprise to turn in the somewhat dented rental car around 3 PM. The two cute Tylers (20 something guys who checked it out to me - 1 is in training) had to go out and see it. Of course paperwork took a while - but I took it all in stride. Hey - it was my birthday. I (not so cheerfully) paid the $500 deductible.

When I got to Ramsey Subaru my car was done in scant minutes. I paid the $500 deductible (not so cheerfully). Ru looks fabulous - all detailed and shiny. They cleaned her out and put everything in the back - I found that missing book on CD the library asked me about. Yay! Headed home arriving just before the tailgate planners - seeing nary a deer. Paul baked me a cake! Ugly angel food but tasty.

Pablo had a meeting but Dee, Bobbie, Sharon, Jeff and Donnie and I met to discuss food. Then Jeff and Don went to do manly things and it was the girls. I broke out a bottle of chardonnay. Popped on the tailgating music track on my computer. Sally and Jules called - they're in Iowa heading to Ames. I opened my funny cards from my friends and fam. I got lots of Facebook greetings and felt the cyberlove.

When the gals left I called my baby girl, who had tried to call earlier. (Jud had sent a mushy text). And when Paul got home I got my gift from the family - Mary Poppins tickets! Yay - I love the live stuff. Chim Chiminey.

The moral of the story is - I felt really loved. Even while those people were taking my money. I'm a lucky gal!