Aw CRAP! I have HOPE again!

Okay, so. I was happy. Completely without hope and figured that love is just a lie like Santa Claus, diet pop, and Republicans caring about the environment. It was a state of...well, a state of something. And I was enjoying it. Talking more and more to myself about giving up on love completely (and specifically) when POW! I got hit in the face with hope.

Here's what happened:

A couple of weeks ago on Criminal Minds, Penelope Garcia met a "hottie" who shot her at the end of the episode. Isn't that just like life, I thought, a chubby girl meets a hottie who asks her out on a date and just when you think it's all good, he shoots her through the heart. I was really angry about it. Ask my friend Daniel who got an earful of "why this was really stupid." Anyway, continuing. This week the show featured Nicholas Brendan as a tech-nerd who was asked to come in and help out. He fell in love with Garcia just from her computer skills. He was a classic nerd in all senses...and totally drew me in because, hang it all, I love nerds. I just do. Quand-meme, at the end of the show he meets Garcia and she says, "Do you believe everything happens for a reason?" And right then I said to my Mom (the poor woman had to watch the show with me telling her all about how mad I was and how cool it was that Nicholas Brendan was on the show) "I hope they bring him back because it'd be great to have a love interest for Garcia. She's one of my heroes."

Then SMACK right in my face I realized that I had hope again. Hope that things DO happen for a reason. Hope that the next one will be even more perfect for me than this one (although that'd be pretty damn miraculous in and of itself) because I'm blinded by the "hottie" who shot me in the heart that I'm not quite ready to see the beautiful nerd waiting around the corner.

Damn you, Criminal Minds! Why did you have to give me hope!

Quick! Think of a Lie!... Do You Want Bagels for Breakfast?

Today was my birthday. It was AWESOME! Mom sang Happy Birthday to me, so did Kylie and Ted...and my sister. And others, too. I woke up to birthday greetings in my email box from David A., Jolene, Eric, and Aleksander. Later on I received email greetings from Serena, Al, Ryan, Jana, and Daniel M. I got a card from Brian and Michelle. Phone calls from Christina, Erin, and Chris. While working at the WomensWorks Art booth Ginger, Missy and Sally all wished me a happy birthday, followed also by Emily and Cindy! (Sally also wished me Happy Birthday every time she ran into me that day!)

Kylie sat with me at the booth for the beginning of the day. (She gave me a handmade bag with monkeys on it...and a Pirate Monkey!) Daniel M. sat with me at the end of the day. (He gave me a Sock Monkey comic and a Woodsy Owl t-shirt!) Emily and Cindy came to take over the booth for me so that Kylie, Teddy , Daniel and I could go out to Chinese food--where we all got lame fortune cookies.

We went back to my house and had some cake that Kylie made and I tried to think of a wish. But every time I try to think of a wish only two things go through my head, "I wish for love" and Dr. Suess's "I wish a fish." Instead I said, "May Fate be kind because she's going to do whatever she wants anyway."

Just after we'd finished our cake, Amanda, Kimberly and Ryan stopped by with cookies! OLE!

I also had about 13 birthday wishes on Facebook to reply to. So, all in all, I'd say it was a highly successful birthday!

Thank you everyone (especially Kylie and Daniel) for making this a GREAT day for me! I love you all!!

Envelope Eleven Taped to a Box

Today in the mail I got a box! Taped to the front of it was Envelope Eleven from David A. in France. (That gives me a 61% return rate!--and yes, I know it's a skewed statistic, but I failed statistics or didn't take it or something like that.)

He made me miss France, though. And he did look for Pschitt but couldn't find it. I think it's a south of France thing.

Anyway, he also included Birthday Wishes which were my first official birthday wishes of this current birthday season. (Yes, birthday season).

And of course speaking of my birthday I thought I'd include here a little conversation I had over email (remember, these were sent one at a time over email--because I'm weird and so is Eric apparently):

Maaike: It's November, everyone! The countdown to my birthday has begun in double-time now! I still don't have a boyfriend, which is what I really wanted for my birthday, someone to spoil me, you know. Nevertheless (I love the opportunity to type that word) my birthday is COMING SOON!! November 9th is just 8 days away! Hooray! It's November!!

Eric: Just so I understand what I'm reading...this is a shameless plug for presents...right?

Maaike: Actually, it was a search for "who's going to fill the boyfriend slot before it's too late." But presents are good.

Eric: If I need to have a girlfriend before my birthday in December, I am going to be in big trouble.

Maaike: Focus, Eric. We're talking about me here.

Eric: Right... right. Sorry I got off track. I better find you a nice present to make up for my slip.

Yep. That's right. My birthday in 8 more days. There's still a chance I'll meet someone. But I'm not holding my breath!

Thanks for the box, David! And by the way, Mom says "Hi."