The Friday Five, Birthday Edition

Sitting up late tonight, listening to a hard rock on the radio (All Along the Watch Tower by Jimmy Hendrix, at the moment), waiting until Dan is deeply asleep to join him, because my coughing keeps him up. He's very kind and sweet about it, and he insists it doesn't bother him. But it does, and he needs his rest.

 

Jimmy Hendrix, All Along the Watch Tower  

I'm still pretty darned sick (but slowly getting better). I had plans (characters developed, plot outlines, everything) to take part in NaNoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month^), which encompasses the entire month of November, but I've been too sick to hold my head up for most of the month so far, much less write anything coherent. So instead, I'll be postponing NANOWRIMO until I feel better and trying to blog more often during the month of November.

 

NaNoWriMo^

Today's Birthday-themed blog assist (my addled brain needs it) comes from:

The Friday Five^

1. Do you really make wishes when you blow out the candles on your cake?
   
   Always. I don't know why, because I'm not superstitious, but I always do.
   
   
   The cats love this stuff whenever anyone has a birthday.
   Used with permission, by cohdra, from Morguefile^
   
   
2. Have any of the wishes ever come true, if yes?
   I can't think of any that have. Ever since I was a kid, I've mostly wished for intangible things like "world peace". Maybe I'd have a better chance if I wished for more material things? I probably won't, though. How awesome would it be if some of the intangible wishes actually happened?
   
   
   
   My cake has waaaaay more candles than this.
   Used with permission, by lorettaflame from Morguefile^
   
   
3. How do you feel about birthdays? (e.g. love the attention, just another day, don't want anyone to know my real age, etc.)
   
   As long as people continue to tell me that I don't look my age, I'm okay with my age. As soon as that changes, I'll probably be more sensitive about it. Although honestly, when you look at the alternative to aging, all of a sudden another birthday sounds pretty good.
   As for attention, it's okay as long as its from people I know... I don't ever want to go out to a restaurant where the staff sings to you or anything like that.
   
   

   Time marches on, doesn't it? 
   It's better than the alternative, I guess.
   used with permission, by grafixar from Morguefile^
   
   
4. Tell us a favorite gift you've received, or something you'd really like for your next birthday.
   
   Three things I've received over the years really stand out.
   
   My oldest daughter spilled all of my favorite perfume once, and I was really disappointed and a bit angry. The next Christmas, there was a bottle under the tree from her to me. She paid for it herself and I've never forgotten how she remembered, long after I'd forgotten. I felt so privileged to have such a wonderful daughter (and I still do). 
   
   My middle daughter once gave me a figure from my favorite video game. It struck me as incredibly thoughtful. She'd gotten me something she'd observed that I enjoyed. I still have it on a shelf and smile every time I see it.
   
   Again, I felt privileged to be a part of such a wonderful, sensitive, thoughtful person's life. I'm endlessly and happily amazed at what wonderful daughters I have. I don't know what I ever did to deserve them, but I am humbled to be in their presence.
   
   Finally, my husband gave me a very pretty  fáinne Chladaigh (a Claddagh ring) a few years ago. I love it. I should wear it more.
   
   
   A Claddagh symbol
   

   
   

   If I could have any one thing, it would be a Blythe doll^, which is totally silly and frivolous and not like me at all, yet... A full sized Blythe is about a foot tall (minis are much smaller), frighteningly thin, with huge heads, and their eyes change colors when you pull a string. Pretty in an ugly way. Or maybe ugly in a pretty way. I have no idea why I want one, since I don't collect dolls. I've just always wanted one (like, since the 1970's).
   
   I want a full-sized Blythe^, and it would almost certainly have to be a reproduction. Reproductions aren't that much, but originals are outlandishly expensive.
   
   

   

   Used with permission, by cohdra, from Morguefile^
   

   
   Like I said, silly and frivolous.
   
   Speaking of which, Blue Öyster Cult's Don't Fear The Reaper is playing on the radio now. It's not a frivolous song - it's rather depressing when you get right down to it. But the Saturday Night Live skit about the making of the song totally ruined it for me and now all I can thing of is Christopher Walken. And every time I hear it, I hear cowbell. Nothing but cowbell. They took a perfectly depressing song and made it silly and frivolous. 
   
   Blue Öyster Cult, Don't Fear the Reaper
   
   
   
   

                                                                  
See? Nothing but cowbell now.
5. What flavor cake?
   
   Gluten-free cake tends to be a bit dry, so I prefer cupcakes because they have a smaller surface area when cooking and don't dry out as much. As for flavor, a basic white or yellow cake with lots of pure vanilla and butter-cream icing.
   
   
   What a cupcake might look like
   Used with permission, by mconnors from Morguefile^

Finally, and speaking of birthdays, Dan's birthday is in a little less than two weeks. I've made plans, which I can't share here for obvious reasons, but I'm really pleased with what I've managed to come up with so far. I have an awesome cake planned and two spiffy gifts I know he'll love. I'm usually so bad with this sort of thing, but I've put a lot of thought into this and I'm so excited!

Until later...

Namaste.

The Friday Five from The Women's Colony...

...coming to you live, on Saturday morning. 

We had a pretty quiet week after a bustling, super-busy Halloween weekend. As soon as I'm feeling a bit better, I'll post photos of the costume I made for Clementine. It took much longer than normal to make, the better part of a week, mostly because I felt so icky. October 31st is Clementine's birthday as well as Halloween, and this was the first year we've let her go to more than just the two or three houses in our immediate neighborhood. For the first time, we allowed her (with Dan as her brave escort, of course) to trick or treat at a few dozen houses. For all those reasons, I really wanted to make her costume special.

Used with permission, by seiyastock, from Morguefile^

I've been sick for about a month, with coughing, a sinus infection, an earache; just feeling terrible. I've gone to bed early most nights, exhausted. I ended up going in to the doctor on Thursday morning after I just couldn't justify trying to say that "it'll get better" when it wasn't. Turns out, it's a sinus/bronchial infection. I'm now on antibiotics, and feel some better already. I need to remind myself that when I'm sick, the doctor is my friend.

 Used with permission, by ppdigital, from Morguefile^

Tonight, after dinner, Dan and I watched a movie on Netflix streaming. In the last few months, we've developed a habit of watching bad sci-fi/monster movies on Friday night. Tonight's feature film was Snake Island^, starring William Katt ( the actor from the awesome 1981 series, Greatest American Hero). People stranded on island full of snakes, snakes pick people off one by one. In the end, only the few people who seemed to be decent folk are left. It was pretty much ok as those things go, unless you're ophidiophobic (hate snakes). 'Cause this movie had snakes. Lots and lots of snakes. And lots and lots of bad acting. Sssssss.

Used with permission, by penywise from Morguefile^

Luckily, neither of us fear snakes. I fear clowns (coulrophobia), so I avoid circuses, and try to live a life that doesn't include day-to-day contact with brightly painted creepy people :)

 Used with permission, by mconnors from Morguefile^

Giant from the Unknown^ was our second movie of the evening. Filmed in 1958, in black and white,, it was about an archaeologist father and his daughter who were looking for the bodies of a evil giant who had been part of a Spanish conquistador expedition into California in the 1600's. They're joined by another man, I think he was a scientist of some sort. They eventually dig up the skeleton of the giant, who is then promptly reanimated by a lightening bolt. The giant rants and raves, kills a couple of people, and generally terrorizes the tiny mountain town until they kill it. It was about what you'd expect, i.e., I loved it. 

 Used with permission, by ladyheart from Morguefile^

Mostly, I love it because it gives us a chance to sit together, chat, and just "be" with each other. It's nice to have a weekly date to spend special time with my love. I can't wait until next week.

Without further adieu, the Friday Five from the Women's Colony^:

Used with permission, by alvimann, from Morguefile^

1. Are you a morning or a night person?

Night person. But I bet you guessed that, since I'm writing this at 3:49 AM. Actually, this is late even for me. I wouldn't be up now normally, but I feel better sitting up than laying down.

Used with permission, by wax115, from Morguefile^

2. You’re having dinner with friends. They all start gossiping about another friend of yours. What do you do?

Ask them to stop, possibly correcting anything said that I know to be wrong.

Used with permission, by clarita, from Morguefile^

3. What is the worst job you've ever had?

I don't know. I don't think I've ever really hated a job insofar as my bosses have been nice enough and most co-workers have been fine. I guess I'd have to say "waitressing" because people in general don't really treat waitresses very well. If you feel the need to cure yourself of your love for Humanity, wait tables for six months or so. It'll fix you right up. 

Used with permission, by duboix, from Morguefile^

4. What magazines do you subscribe to? 

Only one, Living Crafts^, a crafting magazine featuring natural handcrafts. I used to subscribe to Reason^, a magazine for libertarians; &; Skeptical Inquirer^, a science magazine for skeptics. I stopped a few years ago when the subscriptions ran out, but I'd like to resubscribe to both someday when I have more time to read them. 

 Used with permission, by Alvimann, from Morguefile^

5. What is your favorite restaurant in your area?

Eating out when you don't eat gluten is really hard, and I'm always concerned that I'm going to get "wheated". A couple of restaurants stand out as places that are easier than most. Thankfully, they're delicious, too. Arharn Thai^ has a really well-labeled menu, is very careful about gluten, and hands-down, has the best Thai in town.

 used with permission, by dantada, from Morguefile^

My other favorite place is Bird Dog BBQ^; they have some of the best BBQ I've ever had (and I lived in the South), and are very mindful of gluten.

Either place, any time.

Until later.

Namaste