That sounds wonderful, Strix! Enjoy.

No singing and clapping at restaurants! Only fun cards and none of that "this makes you feel bad so it's funny!" kind of funny either. My family does gag/silly gifts a lot, but we have our own rhythm about it; we do it at Christmas not birthdays, because it's for everyone to share and laugh about. You have to know a person to know what will be funny. I don't know if I'd like a surprise party, I've never gotten one, but I doubt I would. I don't do well with sudden things.

"Oh, no, we want to sing for you!"

So sing. Since it's clearly not for me, I don't have to be there.

And I mentioned it later to Tim: "That was SUPER nice of your brothers to dial down the volume on the 'Happy Birthday' at the restaurant. I might have died otherwise." He said, "Yeah, they kind of hate it, too, but didn't want you to feel neglected."

Aw, that's sweet!

I am very anti-embarrassment.

100% anti-embarrassment. Mine or anyone else's. Can barely stand to watch it on television.

sara, glad the Tribble came back safe and sound!

If you need a little heartwarming, may I recommend the HBO doc Suited?

Thanks for the rec!

then doing an escape room thing this evening

Oh, cool! I did an escape room last weekend for the first time and it was really neat! Have fun!

100% anti-embarrassment. Mine or anyone else's. Can barely stand to watch it on television.

Oh, I"m very in the "watch from the hall" contingent.

So, it's Pride weekend! And I am slightly hungover. Ugh. Things that did not help: hella early sunrise, neighbor mowing (??) at 7AM. Hoping my advil will kick in soon. BUT, it was a very random and interesting evening: went to the trans march, but afterward it started pouring down rain. Luckily ran into a friend at that point and got some food for a while, until it wasn't so rainy. Then went home (yay living nearby) and grabbed a coat, and hit up my usual friday night dance. A friend said he'd meet me there, and we planned to hit the lesbian bar after that. But apparently either I got there just early enough, or the doorman knows me well enough that I got in free, but when my friend showed up he had to pay $10! So we chilled there, but then he didn't want to go pay for the other bar also. But I had bought a weekend pass, so I went there anyway, by myself. When I got there it was pretty darn empty. I saw one person I only vaguely know (we met many years ago, but mostly see occasional FB posts?). And then she got up and went away, but since I saw no one else I knew, I plopped down at the table she'd been at and introduced myself to her friend. Sat there chilling with them for a while, which was entertaining, and then some girl grabs my shoulders and is like "She's NOT ignoring you, she just has to use the bathroom, she'll be back!" and I"m all "Whaaaa??" Then the girl was like "OH! You are not Betsy" so we chat for a minute--the "not ignoring me" girl was Betsy's ex. And was super cute. Sadly seemed very uninterested. But I ended up hanging out with her friends for a bit, and they said they'd point out Betsy at some point. And a few minutes later, someone else wanders by and said "aren't you coming to the basketball thing?" (there was a hoop and some kind of challenge?) and I was like "...no? Also I don't know you?" and lo and behold...someone ELSE who had just met Betsy and then thought I was her! So now I had to go have her pointed out to me and introduce myself. We DO have very similar hair (curly/brown/chin length), but I didn't think our faces looked much alike? But now i want to meet her again when I'm sober?? Then there was some booty-shaking with the new friends, and eventually stumbling home...

Primed all the patches. Still haven't decided on paint.

Go with lavendar, sarameg! Even for a ceiling!

I like surprises!

Duly noted, lisah. When's your birthday again?

I'm making butterbeer cookies.

Hah, no.

Cut a bit of trim. Realized I need an adhesive and clamps. Later. Embracing couch and a cuddly cat.

I've only ever had one surprise birthday party, and I loved it. (Yet another reason why my birthday -- the day after Christmas -- is the worst birthday to have.)

I'm making butterbeer cookies.

I don't know what butterbeer is or how it could become cookies, but I want some.

I've only ever had one surprise birthday party, and I loved it.

Me, too -- but I disagree on the day! I've always liked it.

Watching an old Celebrity Family Feud, and when the question was "Name a president who appears on money," the survey answer they didn't get was Benjamin Franklin. Presumably because THEY KNOW HE WASN'T PRESIDENT. (They did guess Hamilton, and he was up there, unlike Kennedy who is on that half-dollar, which is now making me second-guess if it was specific to presidents or not.)

Timelies all!

Just got back from a pizza party one of our friends arranged.(She does this from time to time so she can see friends she doesn't get to see often.) Ate too much pizza.