My True Soul

The 23rd

I've been meaning to write something since the night I got home from Manda's house on my birthday.

For the past 2 years, my birthday has just really not been that great. I've went home not but a few days before. We have a tradition of going out to eat for your birthday. Or whatever else. Both years... my dad didn't go because he stayed home and slept. When I turned 21, my friend at the time was supposed to wait and have this whole lil party with a certain type of drink. Well, about 4 days before I came back to school, he did it anyway with another one of his friends. It just kinda stung.

So, this year I had to stay to get some stuff done, so I was around Manda for my birthday. That alone was really nice, just being able to be around her.
But... she and I went bowling and I had really fun doing that. I got a score of 100 on my second game, she got one of her highest scores ever too. I managed to break a nail where it coulda potentially ripped into the quick and scrape a kinda large piece of skin off my thumb due to a scratch on the thumb hole of the bowling ball. But... still... I had fun! Haha.
Then we were supposed to get to her hometown by 5:45ish to go to her niece's (she's 4) christmas singing thingy at the church. (Christmas concert?) We ran late, of course, and we get to her mom's house at 6... she wants to drop some of her stuff off. We get to her house and it freaks me out because her mom's not rushing to leave. Her mom's normally around 15 minutes early to everything. But I'm kinda like "maybe she was waiting on us, we'd better hurry!" Then her mom tells me soon after I come in that she's lied to me. That the christmas concert isn't until 7.

Then she gives me a gift, it was in a really cute bag (it looked like the mid-section of santa's suit) and it's got a little white bear with a really adorable party hat that plays the birthday song. Wasn't expecting a gift at all.

OH! Right.... Manda gave me a gift, but she gave it to me a couple of days early because I had some eye issues. It was majorly red and it hurt.... quite a bit, so she wanted to make me feel better. She got me chuzzles, which is one of my favorite games and I've played it a lot lately (349K yesterday!).

So, we have dinner, which was good. And her mom got me a cake... with candles.

Then we went to see her niece sing christmas carols. It was really really cute. Got lots of cookies in the reception afterwards, haha. Went back to her mom's house and spent the rest of the evening just talking to both of them.

So, that's what I did.
*edit* Haha.... I forgot something... not really, but to write it.
We went to Baker's Acres after the christmas concert. There's a man in her hometown that does his entire property (definitely at least 6 acres, if not more like 10) with christmas lights and lil animated statues, even some of the blow up figurines/snow globes. It's.... everywhere you look there's christmas stuff. The main house sits on a lake... and seeing the white lights reflect in the water is extremely pretty.
It's... really hard to describe... there's just so much and it's so pretty that it's honestly something you do just have to see for yourself.

The good birthday and the trip to baker's acres... it really honestly put me in a christmas mood. I went christmas shopping today and I'm still in the christmas mood.... not like crazy, but more than I have been in a while.

I had so many people wish me a happy birthday. I know I had reminders on most of the lil social websites (facebook/myspace) but still, there were a lot of people who didn't bother. So those that did, just a quick comment... it meant something still. Shorty called me from Germany. Jake called, Eric sent me a message, Lily called, Critter sent a message.

All around, it was one of the better birthdays I've had. It was the people and actually doing something and having people around me who took some time and made a little effort.


There's more stuff I could write about... but maybe later.
Just for a general check off list:
1. Applying to grad school: I've got 1 grad school down, 7-8 more to go.
2. Grades for this past semester: All A's.... and Manda did well too... Yay for us!
3. My issues with parents: Still there, but in check.
4. Christmas shopping: A third of the way down, lacking, but lots of ideas.... maybe not as much money as ideas. Potential problem.
5. Avoiding christmas shopping with the grandmother: Got the excuse.... let's see if it works... it's actually the honest truth!
6. Christmas cards: Check! Except for APRIL'S because I need her ADDRESS! (*hint hint if you're reading!!*)
7. General aggravation level for this time of the year: Way down.
8. Overall physical health: Not so hot the past few days, but I'll make it!