Laura, yikes. I'm sorry for the shitty day that has befallen your family.

Talked with Tom- job hunt postponed till the craziness is over, and we've settled into the new place.

Oh, poor Laura! I'm so sorry for the nasty day. May tomorrow be much better.

Nora, that makes some sense...not necessarily fun sense, but sense.

I think I like a boy. I think he's only about 20. But, he's nice and cute and chatted with me the whole way home from class. I think maybe I just need some sleep.

The tiaras are so pretty!!

Ten minutes left to bid on this pretty.

{{Laura & Bobby}}

That's very responsible of you, Nora. When do you move in? That's after closing, withor without slapping the sellers, right? I really know nothing about this whole process.

Sparklies! Pretty. All pretty. And sparkly.

Aw, nice cute boy.

Dinner was fantastic. YUM!! I even ate tomato and liked it!

I had rack of lamb. And this crepe thing that would have been good, except it was kind of soury and I don't like sour. BUT! They comped my dessert and Mom's. Food. EXCELLENT. Waiter was both cute and funny. He got a very nice tip.

Dad gave me my card at the table. And it was teh best present he's ever given me. Dad's not very demonstrative and he doesn't express his feelings well or at all. ANd since his break up and heart attack he's been changing. And I started to cry in the restaurant.

I was going to lock it down in my lj but I want y'all to read it.

The card says "On your Birthday Daughter: My little girl is all grown up but each year on this day. I remember hust how wonderful it felt to look into your newborn eyes and hold you in my arms with so much love I thought my heart would melt."

And Daddy wrote:

It shows a mother on the front of this card, but the same thing is true for fathers. I clearly remember that this was the wya I felt when I first saw you . The doctor brought you out to me in the wiaitn groom, and you not yet fully cleaned up from being born. In that instant I eflt bonded to you and realized that I loved you totally and unconditionally forever. and for all the annoying, asggravating, and upsetting was a parent's lvoe an dcaring can manifest itself, I apologize to you and sympathize wht you and beg you not to lose sight of the love that is there.

And that (plus one other night recently) is really the most emotion he's shared with me and now Ithink that maybe he doesn't know that I love him unconditionally as well. I need to write him a card.

Ali, that's beautiful. It brought tears to my eyes, too.

Oh, askye, that's so beautiful. Glad dinner was good, too.

askye, that is wonderful for both you and your father. I'm glad the dinner went so well.

The dinner was yummy. Really.

Mom and I had the house salad, which included tomatoes grown by the restaurant. Dad had the poached pear salad (which I will have if I ever go again) -- poached pear, goat cheese, procuitto, bitter greens, this dressing that was amazing.

Mom had steak, mashed potatoes and aspargus. Dad had macodamia cursted halibut with this amazing coconut somethign sauce and risotto (that wasn't all that) and green and white aspargus. I had lamb. Wiht the crepe thing that was sour.

For dessert Mom had chocolate creme brule cake -- a rolled cake with creme brule in side. Dad cheated on his salad and dinner so he had Orange cranberry sorbet. And I had flourless chocolate cake.

We all shared. And I have to say that alternating bites with the tangy, cold sorbet and the dense rich cake was amazing.

Plus the waiter -- cute.

And I got a folding hammock for my yard ! (not from the restaurant or the waiter, but as a present).