Happy Birthday to Me

So I had a birthday this week. Typically we don't do much other than have a cake and maybe a nice meal out. I prefer to age in peace; with silent tears rolling down my cheeks as I contemplate a life mostly over and slip steadily towards death.  <heavy heavy sigh>  But maybe that's a tad dramatic? I realize that having a birthday is preferable to the alternative but are these really the only choices?  Continue Aging or Die. What's behind door #3? Can I buy a vowel?

Anyway, this year my friends threw a surprise party for me.  Boy, was I surprised.  Gobsmacked, would be an appropriate term.  Suzanne built a cover story that was worthy of an espionage thriller.  Ben Affleck snuck those dudes out of Iran with weaker legends. It started a few months ago when she asked me to fill out this survey for her kid homework assignment.  I quickly obliged and only slightly wondered why her 4th grader would need to know my favorite movies.  Whatever... I started indoctrinating the boys at a much earlier age so that now I live with two 15 year olds who are eager to watch a Korean monster movie with subtitles. That kind of thing doesn't occur naturally; it requires delicate engineering.  Maybe she was getting a late start on Eric.

Then a few weeks ago, she needed the boys to babysit.  No problem there.  They've been babysitting for a while and it works out great.  I take them over.  John and I go out for dinner or catch a movie or something. They drive the boys back home when they're done.

There were others texts and conversations that occurred, requests for assistance, general griping,  but it all culminated with me standing in her living room, holding three different clutch purses, staring at a group of friends, and telling John, "I haven't even showered today." You know how sometimes you leave the house and something feels off so you run through a mental checklist, teeth brushed-check, bra on-check, wallet, phone, shoes....I stood there wondering, "What am I wearing? Is it clean? Does it match?" Luckily, I was dressed surprisingly well for a Saturday and I didn't smell.  Two thumbs up!

Then I saw the cake!  Suzanne has a cake lady.  If you do not have a person in your life that has a cake lady then you have a hole in your life that needs to be filled.  Immediately.  With cake.  So that's what the survey was for.  Here's my fucking awesome cake:

Yes, That is a 2 foot tall Wonder Woman, stirring a witch's cauldron with the God Slayer!

Look at her hair!!

There was even a Face Hugger attached to a severed Trump head! 

Close-up of the God Slayer.  That Cake Lady is Good!

There was a Marvin the Martian in the treasure chest.

Me, "There's Marvin the Martian!"

Suz, "I know!"

Me, "I love Marvin the Martian!"

Suz, "Yeah, I know."

Me, "How?"

Suz, "Let me get you a drink."

It was fabulous and my friends are better than your friends! Thanks, Suzanne, Chris, Carol, Kerstin, Kirsten and Tammy!! See, I bet you only have one friend named Kirsten; see mine are waaaaay better!

-----

On the actual day,

Suzanne, "Your boys are so thoughtful. Did they do anything special for you this morning?"

Me, "Well, when they came into the kitchen and started their usual bitching at each other, I said Can We Have JUST ONE MORNING WITHOUT YOU TWO SNIPING AT EACH OTHER. IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! 

They shut up and ignored each other until we left for school." 

So, yeah, they are very thoughtful.