I was saved... from myself.

Sorta
For my birthday I received a brand new bicycle from my wonderful boyfriend. While I had been wanting and thus hinting about wanting one for what seems like AGES (ok, so maybe a month or so) I was truly surprised when I was allowed into the house on my birthday to find a nice blue bike with a huge red bow in the middle of the living room.
Now I am not normally one to look a gift horse in the mouth (because horses come bearing gifts, right?) but while it was a great gift, it wasn't exactly the type of bike I wanted. He could tell and instantly said that we could take it back and get me the bike of my choosing (have I mentioned what a lucky girl I am to have him??). So the search began!
Since the bike I really wanted was a little out of the price range he wanted to spend (Giant, Trek, Fisher... Etc) I decided to check out some of the used options in the area. After about a day or so I stumbled upon a bike shop in Portland that will remain nameless that had a list of the bikes they had for sale online. There it was, the perfect bike for only $175. Since the store was closed and I had to work the next day I decided to head over to the store to purchase it during my lunch break. Well, I wasn't able to leave at my normal time and after getting stuck in traffic in 100+ degree heat let us just say I was a little aggravated by the time I arrived at the store. But I got there! And there it was! And there was the woman that got there not 10 minutes before
me purchasing said bike!
Since this just seems to be the way things have been going for me of late (just yesterday I call on a house for rent not 2 hours after its posted online, am the 10th person to call and thus don't even get a chance to look at it let alone put in an application) it was safe to say I was a little upset. I actually contemplated asking the guy at the counter if he would give it to me if I paid $200, but sadly, due to all my previous defeats when it comes to things like this, I threw in the towel pretty quickly. After a quick glance over their remaining inventory I decided to chalk my trip to Sellwood up as a pure waste of time (not to mention my sacred lunch break) and I headed back to work.
As fortune would have it, I decided to check Craigslist to see if they had anything new and I just happened upon an ad for not one, but TWO Giant bicycles that were basically brand new that was just put up. I emailed the guy back and forth for a couple of hours and when he got home he sent me pictures of the two bikes I was sold. We got there about 30 minutes later and I was ready to take the bikes home then and there. Brandon got the job of bartering the price down
a bit (which he did perfectly) and then we had the fun task of getting two full size bikes into the back of a Toyota Corolla that doesn't yet have a bike rack (it was actually pretty easy with these bikes since both the wheels have easy disconnect joints). But it happened, and now we have matching Giant bicycles that are the perfect color, the perfect size for both of us and can do
everything that we want them to do and more. I know I wouldn't have been as happy if I would have been allowed to purchase the bike from the bike shop. Who says things don't happen for a reason?

And all of Canada celebrates with me!

Canada day? Well yes, but more importantly my birthday!
Today is the day that I turn the age that I will be for the next 10-15 years of my life. What am I talking about?? Why, 28 of course! I hold firm to the belief that if a woman tells you she is 30, more than likely, she is at least 35..
And 30! Well.. I don't even want to think about that awful day which is but two years away now...
On to happier subjects! Like:

Mmmm..
Hey, everyone deserves a cake on their birthday.. even if they don't plan on eating any of it. ;-)

Please don't do this on my 50th Birthday...

My mom turns the big five-oh on Sunday, May 10th, but in order to give her her own special day (May 10th is also Mothers day this year) we decided to throw her a surprise party the week before. Generally speaking, I would say my mom has a good sense of humor, which was greatly required in order for her to get through the party and on this day it was no exception.

My step dad brought her to the "oh so secret" location, the community center in Woodland, where my sister and I had decorated. One half of the room was sunny and colorful with glitter and balloons, the other side was dark and dreary. I blacked out the windows and hung black streamers from the ceiling over where we intended for my mom to sit. We brought in a wheel chair and put fluffy black cloth around the bottom of the chair just to enhance the darkened effect. There was also a antelope skull (fake in this instance, altho I am sure we could have came up with some real ones) and some large black widow spiders placed along the window seals and the wall. Classic "over the hill" signs were on the wall and 50 years! banners were also hung from the ceiling.
He then brought in an IV and a saline sack, attached to a fake medical chart with all her "old age" symptoms. A family friend dressed up as "father time" and brought over a "goody sack" for her filled with an array of things such as polygrip, gas X, centrum, and much much more.
Lets see what else..
-Exaggeratedly large, thick framed glasses
-A fire extinguisher next to the cake
-Hearing aides
-A GPS button that will allow people to be able to find you when you are lost
-AARP magazines
-Dentures and associated glass for soaking

A little exorbant for my tastes, but she seemed to get a kick out of it.
Apparently he didnt do anything for her 4oth birthday and she let him know that she was a little disappointed by that so this year, he spared no expense.
Think maybe she learned her lesson?

What I Really Want for my Birthday

I was told that there has to be something that I am wanting... that even though I say that I don't want anything so that way I won't be expecting anything and then won't be disappointed when I get nothing (typical of years past).. so when the subject was pushed and I really thought about it it is true that there IS something that I really wish I could get for my birthday........
But then again, what is it they say about wishes??
If you state them aloud they won't come true?

I think that is just a way to keep the wisher from embarassment if the wish DOESN'T come true, but I will go with the superstition on this one.

I want this.

Ms. Char-Char's Birthday!

Today, May 23rd, is a special day................................
............................................................It is my little puppies birthday!


So in honor of this momentous event I decided to bake her some yummy cupcakes to celebrate. hehe. Not to say that I always bake dog’s cakes for their birthday's... but she is a special doggie :)