The Very Boring Birthday

Yep, it was Boring.

A few weeks ago, Hubby had a most unfortunate scheduling incident, during which a dental appointment was planned for the morning of MY BIRTHDAY. What??

I can't believe K*iser Dental Office didn't have my birthday on their calendar. Booooo

These two salvaged my morning:

Then Hubby took us both to breakfast at Kitchen Table Cafe. Mmmmmm

A quick trip to Costco, and then we decided to head out on a mini-adventure. We got in the car, opened the road atlas, realized that we'd never been to Boring, and took off to see if it was indeed boring. 

Gorgeous weather, by the way. 

We had fun, but it was a bit of a disappointment to discover that Boring is an unincorporated place, and therefore has no city or town hall. What a missed opportunity!

Upon arriving home, we were treated to a concert...

And later, we had dinner, cake, and gifts with these folks:

I received the music stand and blank music notebook from Hubby, HomeGoods gift card and Yoyo Ball (H knows me well), a baby lavender plant in a sweet wooden planter that M made, and a set of drawings that R made on our Rose Bowl trip. Mom and Bob sent the roses and a check.

Later, I had a phone call from B. We had a fun group conversation with him - can't wait till he's home.

These two approve:

My Last Day of Being 51

Took Hubby to work. R's school is in remote learning mode this week, so she's at home. I helped her with an essay.

Received roses from Mom and Bob. So lovely!

Rehearsed with concert band. I need to practice my stuff. Bassoon Kid's name is George.

Checked on the tree babies - little buds have formed:

Did two B*st Buy deliveries with Hubby, got a chicken sandwich from W*ndy's, watched Jeopardy! (go Amy!) and The Bachelor (don't ask) while folding laundry or crocheting.

Note to me: You're So Vain = C major/A minor

Meat Sweats

Sandy's birthday is January 15, and mine is on the 25th, and this year we decided to have a joint birthday bash somewhere in between. Today was the day!

We went to Fogo de Chão in Portland for brunch, and had such a great time. They have a salad bar, an omelette bar, a waffle bar, a parfait area; the best part is the strolling gauchos who watch the tables for green-side-up coasters, and slice hot meats off of huge skewers right at your table. They had several kinds of beef, chicken, pork, lamb....It was such a fun experience, and SO MUCH FOOD. They also brought plates of mashed potatoes, sauteed bananas, little cheese-filled buns. I walked out of there stuffed and still hadn't touched everything that I would have liked to have tried. Happy Birthday to us! 

When I came home, Hubby and R were off at another soccer game, so I just curled up and took a meat nap. Later we had pizza (I had none, still too full), and H came over to eat with us. He said he hadn't been sleeping well lately and ended up like this:

We watched the end of the Kansas City vs Buffalo football game together. I'm a bit more of a football fan now that I've seen a Rose Bowl game, and last night's game was almost as exciting. 

I spent the rest of the evening brainstorming and planning - mostly about how to make more money - and looking at gigs on Craigslist. A few small local groups, who are into playing jazz and standards, are looking for a pianist and I don't think I'd be ready for anything like that yet, nor do I have time (yet). But I'd love to develop that kind of ability. 

Mentioned in a couple of ads was a book that I'm strongly considering purchasing, one that jazz/standards musicians frequently use and refer to. I'd heard of it before but had never really thought about getting one for myself. Looks like it's time to do that. The books come in different versions for instruments in different keys (C, B flat, E flat), so I'll need two. 

:::fans self:::

Beautiful Saturday

The happenings:

1. Emily and I met for coffee at P*per Tiger Coffee Company in the Couve. We each had a drink, split a cinnamon roll and talked a lot, then took a walk around the sunny neighborhood and talked some more. She's interested in The Band Plan - she plays percussion! And she thinks my costume ideas are cool. I just love her. 

2. I donned my pep band uniform and joined the kids at Cl*rk for the two basketball games we were performing for. The men's and women's teams played against Linn-B*nton Community College. I met a new friend - didn't catch his name but we chatted throughout both games. He plays multiple instruments, including the bassoon in concert band, and works at Music W*rld (and y*s I'm enj*ying d*ing th*s).

3. Hubby took me to Be*ches on the river for a very tasty dinner. He spent the day with R, as she was guest-playing for Joey's team again.

4. We watched TV, flipping between Shawshank and one of those CNN movie things we like so much. Shawshank is one of my favorite movies, but I always hate it when Andy calls the warden obtuse ("Is it deliberate?") and gets locked in The Hole. It kills me off. I always have to switch over to something else until Andy tells Red about the envelope.

A Visit From St. H

Work was fun today. On my break I BROKE A SCHOOL RULE and snuck onto the stage and played the piano. Gasp!! Here I am, playing in the dark:

Then it was off to the music building for CONCERT BAND!! Everyone was entirely kind and welcoming and glad that I was there. Yay! In my future I see practicing at home and a trip to Beac*ck's for whatever supplies I'm missing - there must be something. 

I had a visit with The Shrink, then it was time to pick up Hubby downtown.

H came by for a quick visit. It was so great to see him! He told us that he took Tuesday the 25th off, cuz it's my birthday! What a sweet thing to do. 

Good news: I saw the sun

Work it girl: I was asked to help with the quarterly bookstore inventory today, starting at seven-freaking-thirty in the morning, which wouldn't be so bad except the sky is still pitch black at that time of day. I'm grateful for the extra hours, though. We had a nice chill morning - lots of chatting during the down times. Here I am at the Lounge, on my break, grabbing a mocha and a bacon and cheddar scone:

Ahhh, cozy. And here I am outside, enjoying a sun break. Look at that blue sky! 

After work: Time for a short walk. I saw some ducks (look close, they're tiny) and listened to birdsong and frogsong (is that a thing? Or is it "frogcroak"? "Frogribbit"?). I also pondered the fact that until I moved to the Couve, the only frogs I'd ever heard were on TV, and usually it was Kermit. 

I'm sure there were frogs in Brookings, but I don't remember ever seeing or hearing any. Why is that? And in Tri-Cities, I'm sure frogs were around, but I wasn't as interested in listening to them as I am now (hashtag "frog geek").

Later: I stopped by W*nCo for some veggies, came home, made a pasta casserole, roasted veggies, and washed dishes.

So good.

I picked up Hubby at work, then spent some time music-ing. I figured out the key signature of Come Monday: A major with a whole step up to B major for the bridge. On the clarinet I'll be playing it in the key of G major, bridge in A major. It took me a while (and a piano) to figure that out. I'm quite pleased, but I'm also afraid I'll forget it.

Tomorrow I'm working again, then heading to concert band for the first time ever. Whoop whoop! I hope they let me in!

🍒

I did some things today.

Made new 50/50 Raffle signs:

This was my first time using a staple gun, by the way. I'm proud to report that all ten fingers and both hands are still intact. (Goober hated the sound, though.)

Went to pep band rehearsal and picked up this ultra-fashionable uniform:

Our first performance is on Saturday. Rehearsal went well - I was invited to join Cl*rk's concert band, which rehearses three times a week. The Band Plan expands!

Went to our senior parent committee meeting with Hubby (sorry, no picture).

Hung out with a couple of jungle friends:

Ate a very expensive orange from Pike Place Market:

Went to bed. I have an early shift tomorrow.

Again! Again!

WE LOVE OUR NEW TREE BABIES! 

Wearing some snazzy shoes to perk up this gray winter day...

And then: Work was great, dinner at BJ's with Hubby and R was entertaining, and delivering a couple of B*st Buy orders was fun. We had the privilege of following this guy around Portland for a while...

...laughing and wondering how he couldn't hear that he was dragging a huge branch under his car. 

We came home, watched TV, I spent some time with my bullet journal, and we went to bed. A thoroughly good day - it gets a 10.

Day In Seattle

First: only the best hotel breakfast in the history of hotel breakfasts! Brie? Chocolate croissants? Can we just live here??

Then: the market

Out for a drive to Alki Beach...

It was a beautiful day. We left around 2:30, stopped in Centralia for gas, and dropped off S at her house before arriving home around 6:00. 

Tournament Report - Day Two

Breakfast: groceries we bought yesterday

Swimming at the hotel pool: pretending to do cult rituals with R and S; chasing R around the pool, saying that my foot was a shark; R and S taking silly videos of each other

Packed, left, new hotel room in downtown Seattle:

Spent the rest of the afternoon and evening feeling cruddy. Has covid found me? I stayed at the hotel room instead of going to R's final game, at her insistence. M texted to say she's sick too now. B and Grannie were able to get lunch and go to the Phoenix zoo together - they fed and petted a stingray!

Worked for a couple of hours on this years-in-the-making cross stitch project that is by far the most complicated thing I've ever done - and my eyes aren't what they were thirty years ago. Linen? What was I thinking?

R's team lost. We ordered pizza and salad from a restaurant down the street - Hubby picked it up. I faded in and out of sleep thanks to the cold medication he made me take (I hate pills). Lights out around 11:00.