sarameg, a very pleasant unbirthday to you (I've just skipped to your post, so I had to say it. Sorry.)

And now that we have the power here back and I don't have to try to check what's the internet been up to from somebody else's computer that doesn't have my files - yesterday was Stephanie's Ellie's first birthday, too!

Good luck to tommyrot!

I have not yet achieved 30. As suspected, I am young for this board.

I've finally caught up, now that my friends have gone home again, and I'd like to say thanks for the drink ideas. The Band Candy got a good laugh, and turned out quite tasty. I'm glad I've still got the ingredients left. Though, I couldn't find the chocolate martini sticks, so ended up getting these Hershey's Sticks instead. Very yum.

'Young for this board' used to be a whole lot younger. I don't know what's happening... it's like people are aging or something.

So, that *was* the last one? Odd choice. But I'm not sure he could ever tie up everything anyway. Cash, in re the tattoo, I suspect myself of Too Much Anthro in college.

'Young for this board' used to be a whole lot younger.

But now we have way more babies and toddlers. Who, on top or raising the cuteness level, bring down the age average considerably.

Now I imagine all the actuaries sitting with big rolls of paper and calculators and trying to balance things out: "SA graduated from college? Already? Wow, OK, JZ has to give birth on Halloween, then. Oh, and Gud's daughter is no longer a toddler, but an actual full girl? Hmm, could you take Holli back to highschool for a couple of years? No? So at least keep Raq abroad so that Mal, with the whole different timezones things, may balance ages out in a bit more complicated way. Oh, and we need a way to factor 17 in, because, well, 17".

I was just thinking that, Theo... Remember when Holli was just a wee bairn?

Also, I don't really remember turning 30, although it wasn't THAT long ago.

Sophia, I'm a skipper - are you all better?

Well, I am walking and the swelling is down, but there is still some redness on my ankle. My boss, an NP, feels that I should get seen by my doctor tomorrow if the redness isn't gone (because that will have been 8 days of major antibiotics). Everywhere else is looking good and I am just plague by the itch of healing.

I am also currently stressing because I am afraid that I will not be able to adopt another cat because of this. You have to list your previous pets, etc and I am not sure that this will go over well...

I went to a rescue place this weekend just to window shop, and there were currently plenty of calm, older cats, which I think is what I need after this.

My 30th BD featured a surprise party thrown for me by people in the FAC, who went to great lengths to invite my non-FAC friends and my family, AND to get my ex (who had recently moved 2 hours away) to come to the party.

It was the only surprise party I've ever had, and despite the fact that I'm no longer in the FAC -- and *happy* that I'm no longer in the FAC -- I felt really loved.

And I totally dig my 30s. Love love love. My 20s were mostly lame, and the overwhelming afterimage left by that decade is how I felt really out of step with everyone else my age, because I just wan't interested in the things I was "supposed" to be interested in (i.e., boozing it up at the face-time bars every weekend, fucking boys who -- despite their "adult" jobs -- think they're still in a fraternity, finding a husband who will give me that 2-carat diamond I've always dreamed of).

My 30s are SO much better b/c it finally doesn't matter to me that I don't want any of that crap. No bars, no frat boys, no 2-carat diamond. I always read in magazines that your 20s are for finding out who you are, but my 20s were for trying to be who I thought I should be. My 30s, it seems, have been for finding out who I am. I always was a late bloomer.

And, if I didn't mention, I'll be 35 in **18** days! Plan accordingly.

Sophia, sometimes vet offices are a good place to look for pets.

Last night's Grey's Anatomy was the second rerun in a row that I hadn't seen. And I thought I hadn't missed any this season.