OMG

So, my 40th birthday came and went with a blown tire, a rapid pickup of the children and a broken air conditioner. Oh well, that’s life.  **shrugs**   The next day I shifted focus to Girl 2’s 4th birthday party in 9 days and another mini- vacation with all the extended family and all the hostessing that includes. Somewhere in that time frame dr soc had a nose job (okay, it was sinus surgery. But calling it a nose job is better for teasing because I love him), we set up a new big girl bed for girl 2, and somehow had to clean the house for all the company coming in because omg there are going to be 11 people in my house at the same time. 

Friday before the party I text dr soc with the last minute party/grocery shopping and come home to a clean house too. God I love that man. But something was slightly off. No one was downstairs like usual when I come home from work, and the sofa tables are cleaned off with the exception of a purse I didn’t recognize.

me: I’m home! Hey who’s here?
dr soc: What do you mean?

me: Whose purse is this? (I’m not too concerned, and if even if it was his mistress if she cleans my house she can stay)

dr soc: - realizes the jig is up - Oh. As for who’s here…

My bestest buddie from when we were 11 and lives in Portland and haven’t seen in 6 years runs down the stairs.

MY BESTEST BUDDIE FROM WHEN WE WERE 11 AND LIVES IN PORTLAND AND HAVEN'T SEEN IN 6 YEARS RUNS DOWN THE STAIRS.

OMFG.

I’m in shock to say the least. I'm in disbelief and hugging her so tight because all the feels! I mean now I have to figure out dinner but that’s okay because omg my bestest buddie who I haven’t seen in 6 years has flown across the country to surprise me for my/our 40th birthday! 

But wait, there’s more! Dr soc has ordered food for tonight too so I don’t need to worry about dinner either. And speak of the devil, the doorbell rings. I open the door and it's sorta food but not really because  

It’s 4 of my best friends from college who live in 4 different parts of the country and haven’t seen in at least 2 years because of the pandemic standing on my front porch (to take me out for dinner).

IT’S 4 OF MY BEST FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE WHO LIVE IN 4 DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND HAVENT SEEN IN AT LEAST 2 YEARS BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC STANDING ON MY FRONT PORCH (TO TAKE ME TO DINNER).

Well now I'm crying tears of joy, my friends are crying tears of joy too and dr soc is welling up as well because he arranged for all of them to surprise me for my birthday on this particular weekend. That night we went out for Mexican food with margaritas college style but better because we're all 40 now and have disposable income.

And Saturday they came to girl 2's birthday party and then we had a night on the town. I had a girls' weekend and it was the absolute best.  

clockwise from bottom left: Jeanne - Cleveland, me -Charlotte, Priya -Portland, Nancy - NYC, Michele - DC/Maryland and LB - Orlando

SO MANY MILES 

Some of my favorite ladies

And my shoe exploded. It didn't just break, it exploded and ceased to function

Funtimes is an understatement. Amazing isn't a strong enough word to describe my friends. I was completely surprised and overwhelmed at how much I am loved.  A huge thank you to dr soc for making it happen, and another billion thank yous to my best friends for all the miles traveled!    

I Dreamed a Dream

My dream last night was so incredibly awesome that I just have to share.
I was drafted in the first round for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their offensive coordinator. It was a complete surprise for several reasons.

1. I was the only female selected in the entire draft.
2. The offensive coordinator is not a drafted position and once again, I was the only offensive coordinator selected.
3. I clearly have no experience in this position at all yet here I was being thrust into a high level executive position.

Anyway, I excelled at this job. Like, kicked some serious ass. So somehow I was working with my Panthers in the same executive position. And the Panthers', the entire team, adored me like I was their den mom. They treated me as a cool female cousin but yet they still all wanted to protect me and did everything I said with a "yes ma'am." I was still married to Mike and we had gotten married in the Panther's press box and all the guys were lining up to take their picture with me on that spot because they loved me that much.

Like I said, it was so incredibly awesome.

Woot!

I'm going to work for the library again! I'm going to work for the library again!! I'm going to work for the library again!
Squeeeeeee!
So, anyway, I had an interview last week and I felt really good about it.  Actually really would get a job out of this round of interviews feel good about it. If you were one of the lucky ones who would be offered a position, the library would give you a call. If not, you would get a letter from HR.

I got a call :)

After accepting I immediately started jumping up and down and squealing. (of course I did).  And I wanted to share the news with everyone. But! My husband wasn't home yet because he was still teaching. And I figured this was the kind of news he should hear from me first and not via social media. (Though I'm totally going to tell him I'm pregnant via twitter when the time comes) Calling his office wouldn't do me any good since he was in a classroom, not to mention he would then have to go back to his office and check his voicemail which would add more time, and he turns his phone on silent when he teaches so texting him the news wasn't going to expedite the mass amounts of squeeing either. 

HOWEVER! I could text him to tell him to call me asap since I had good news. Yes! Brilliant! This is exactly one of the reasons I work at a library, because I can come up with brilliant plans like this!  So after squirming with excitement for an agonizing 15 minutes, he called, I squealed my good news. Then I promptly told my sister via gchat and called my mom.  Then to the interwebs! 

I guess you can tell I'm happy huh?

I do

We're married!!!!!

know your audience

Last night
mike (excitedly): do you know what tomorrow is?
my first thought was: holy crap 1 month from the wedding! 
Then I realized who my audience was. And said out loud:
me: NFL draft day!
mike: YES!!!!

Oh yeah, he knows I'm a keeper!

The College Experience

When I worked in the hospital, I was the 2nd youngest one there. (the youngest was my 23 year old coworker who was every bit of 23 and will always be my 23 year old coworker).  Anyway, one of the nurses I worked with, her youngest (daughter) was getting ready to go off to college and leave the nest for a bit. So my coworker was trying to get a few more mother/daughter bonding type things in before the daughter heads off. One of these events was a sappy tear jerker movie filled night, that were "the kind of movies you should see before college and see with your mother."

I start cracking up, because:
"When I left for college, the movie my mom wanted me to watch Animal House!"

I think my mom had a more realistic view of what college was like. Just saying....

Step Up

I was putting some clothes away at work and I walked by one of the numerous graphics like you do. I was in then men's athletic section so I wasn't too familiar with the section in general, let alone the graphics.  But I saw one on the side of a fixture that caught my eye because the male model looked really familiar to me for some reason.

I thought it may be one of the stock models the brand uses frequently so I had seen him in other ads before. But I've never payed that much attention to Fila so I knew that couldn't be it.  So maybe I had seen him in a movie or tv spot recently.  And then after mulling it over for a bit, it suddenly dawned on me where I had seen this model:

He was the male lead in Step Up 3D.

And no, I am not ashamed to admit that is where I recognized him from.  And, it also explains why he couldn't act either.