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My birthday was September 26th, and though I was turning 28, I still had a birthday party, as I do every year, which some people may think is stupid and juvenile and I should "grow up" and only celebrate "big" birthdays like turning 30, I say, fuck that, I'm having a party. It's not about the presents, it's about getting everyone together, because people I don't see that often will make the effort to be there for a birthday party. :)

As usual, I celebrated my birthday in many ways over the course of that week. The festivities began on Saturday, the 23rd, when Mom, Grammy, Brandie and I visited IKEA. It was lovely (as usual) and I found many things I needed (another plant, another DVD holder, some pots, a cheese grater, folding chairs, etc). Thanks, Randy! There was also a stop at Trader Joe's (of course!) where I got many delicious pizzas, amongst other things (thanks, Grammy!). AND there was even a stop at Friendly's for dinner that night, which is always fun. :)

The next day, September 24th, was my birthday party.

Randy pulled out all the stops in cleaning for the party this year, which was fabulous. He even bought a new shower curtain (we will not discuss the condition of the old shower curtain).

The party went very well, and we had many guests: Janicanne drove all the way from Portland in the middle of her horrendous travel schedule for work, Brandie came with the kids, my parents arrived bringing delicious Moe's subs, my grandmother arrived with the help of my parents (she had forgotten which apartment I live in and was standing in the entryway until my parents arrived because she didn't want to buzz the wrong apartment number)...

Mike, Jenna, Jason, and Emily were there, as well as Joe, Lisa, Joey, and Kiara, and Randy's parents too. It was a little crowded, but everyone seemed to have a good time.

All the kids got along fantastically, which made me very happy, until some of them (I have no idea who) managed to dismantle the shelves in my closet, sending everything crashing to the floor. Luckily, nobody was hurt and the only casualty was my clothes-drying rack. Oh well, I'll just have to make another trip to IKEA to buy a new one! :)

Ford and Joey had a great time playing video games together, which was really cute.

I got some really nice presents from everyone! Here I am with my new, NON-DORKY bike helmet, which Brandie and the kids gave me, along with a bike rack,...

...and this fabulous OWL LAMP!!! I LOVE IT. It is now displayed prominently in my living room (much to Randy's dismay). :D Brandie actually found this on the side of the road, someone was actually THROWING IT AWAY! I know, I was shocked too. How somoene could part with such a fantastic lamp, I'll never know. But it works great and the cats love it too! :)

Mike bought me the last two expansion packs for Killer Bunnies, which is VERY exciting! Of course, nobody has wanted to play the game with me (ahem, Randy) so I haven't tried any of the new cards yet. But hopefully I will soon. Maybe when Jenna and Jason come over we'll be able to play.

I did not have a traditional cake at my party. Instead, Randy baked his famous brownies, which were enjoyed by all. We didn't have any birthday candles though, so we just stuck a votive in one corner and I blew that out while everyone sang "happy birthday". :D

Brandie and Janicanne got along splendidly, as I knew they would. :)

Emily was adorable, as usual. Everyone was amazed at how well-behaved she is. :)

Oocla managed to stay the center of attention for most of the party. She never left this spot on the kitchen table!

After everyone left, Randy, Mike and I watched "Formula 51", a really cheesey movie starring Samuel L. Jackson. It was amusing, but it's no "Snakes on a Plane". :) It was a great party!

The birthday festivities continued on Tuesday, when Doria and Kim gave me some nice flowers at work, and the whole Professional Development department surprised me with a little party. There was delicious chocolate cake, and they gave me a Barnes & Noble gift card and a page-a-day cat calendar. :)

Later that evening, Randy and I got dinner at A Taste of India, which was delicious as well. :)

In other news, I've been hosting my blog on Bucket for just over a year now! I can't believe it's already been that long. I'm going to have to start archiving soon. So here's what I need to know: Which blog posts are your favorite? I'm going to highlight those on the Blog main page for easy access. The rest will still be available too but I want to highlight the best ones. What do you think? :)

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