A Near-Perfect Day and Promised Pictures

I've had a great day today. Some of you are just waking up but it's already mid-afternoon in England and I'm looking toward to bringing the day to a close. As long as my 2 older kids come home happy and sociable it will have been a near-perfect day.

It started with breakfast with friends. I love this new weekly tradition. Today there were 4 of us and the laughter and socializing with friends was so amazingly therapeutic. I've referenced before my bleak existence in Germany, and days like this stand in such stark contrast. The smile these ladies put on my face lasts all day long.

I got to cuddle with Ian for awhile before he and I walked to school. It's about a 15 minute walk. The clouds are low and heavily grey today. It started misting right as I left the school but didn't actually toss down any significant drops of rain till I'd stepped foot in the door. The exercise was invigorating, the company on the way to school delightful, and the aloneness of the walk back was comforting.

Before I even got downstairs today I checked my email and had a Facebook friend request from a long-lost friend, someone I'd been out of touch with for 5 years. It was great to hear from her, and I hope to stay in touch now. There are definite redeeming qualities about technology, despite how much I wish it was 1800.

I found comfort after yesterday's election disappointment by reading through conservative blogs and listening to my usual podcasts. My mood lifted and nothing seemed as bleak as when I'd first received the election results. I went to see a friend who let me air out my frustrations as well; she's English and doesn't have many pre-conceived ideas about the candidates or the outcomes. It helped me to get it out. Nothing cures me like a good bout of verbal diarrhea.

And here are the photos I promised you all nearly a month ago:

For my birthday I went to see Tim in Maryland. We spent the day in Washington, DC and ended with dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe. I rarely drink and when I do it's generally a glass of wine with dinner. This time I chose a sweet martini that came in a glass I got to keep. Tim says all the pictures he took of me with the drink made me look drunk. This is the best one, and don't worry- I hadn't even taken a sip yet:

When I ordered the drink the waiter asked to see my ID!!!!!! There wasn't a better gift I could have asked for on my 33rd birthday! I thought he was joking and just laughed. But he was serious. When I told him it was my birthday, he waited till after dinner and rewarded me with a free sunday and a trip to the stage where he announced to the whole restaurant that it was my "21st birthday"! He led the whole place in yelling a couple of "Happy Birthday's" at me. It was easily one of my most memorable birthday experiences.

Here are the pics, which are pretty much terrible because Tim was too far away when he took them.


(And now that I've posted my embarrassing birthday pictures, someone might want to nag Heather about posting hers! LOL!)

Cheers!