Things I Love Thursday, Birthday Edition

Hello my pretties! So, Tuesday was the big day, in more ways than one. For starters I turned

[insert cheering & confetti]
No big deal.  I remember feeling ridiculously aged at 20 so I'm over it.
Although apparently 22 opens the door for people to start making age jokes.
"Hey oldie! I got you an interview with a nursing home for your birthday!"
My friends are so uncouth...
Anyway, yeah it's technically Saturday Sunday but time is a fluid concept in the blog world. It's Thursday when I say it is! And for the 5-7 minutes you're reading this, it's Thursday. This Thursday, I love the things that made my birthday an awesome day.

(1) TURNING IN MY THESIS. yes. you read that right. I finally finished the biggest assignment I have ever undertaken. Ever. FIFTY PAGES. (ok it was like 46, but the bibliography made it 50. stop looking at me with those disapproving eyes.) I stayed up the whole night previous to edit, edit, edit! Went to class, turned it in, and then took a four-hour nap.

 ok that's technically the last draft but I turned in the final copy

I noticed as I was handing it in that I managed to misspell a word on the title page, but I'm taking that as a hint to never stay up all night again. Lesson learned! I defend it on Tuesday and then....we wait.

(2) Skyping with family. Thank you Skype. Because of you, I got to open my presents in front of my family and it was like they were all crowded into my tiny room with me and not hundreds of miles away. awwww.

(3) O'Charleys + Hattie & Ramsey. First, amazing food at that restaurant. Second, oh the times with these two. They are the only people I repeatedly sit in a restaurant for three hours with and not notice the time going by. Oh the stories!! And then they made me a bundt cake. A PURPLE BUNDT CAKE.  (the one pictured above with the awesome sparkly #2 candles) It was so warm and delicious. I almost died of happiness.


(4) Turning in my thesis. Oh, did I say that already?

(5) The weather. Pleasantly warm and sunny. I love having my birthday in spring! Well, this year I did. Two years ago, I distinctly remember snow on the ground...

(6) Presents. There, I said it. I'm not going to pretend it was all self-fulfillment and immaterial things that made me happy on my birthday. I am human, after all.  Everyone loves presents. They included, but were not limited to:
-a GPS. I no longer have an excuse for ever getting lost and interrupting Dad in an important business meeting to ask for directions.  Duly noted, Dad.
-chocolates from Switzerland (side note: 83% dark chocolate is serious business. Apparently it has enough caffeine in it to kill a small animal. I didn't die, but my eyeballs were vibrating all night.)
-a mini tripod for my Flip cam
-a Polaroid camera (!!!!!!!) Saddest of sadness, they don't make film for this particular camera anymore. But you can bet it will be displayed with my camera collection in my room/future lodgings. Special thanks to Matt!

-some sweet books, including a cupcake recipe book & a book of Chagall Bible illustrations

-a box of the best/most useless items in the world that made me laugh for a long time. Included such items as Littlest Pet Shop toys and WWE Uno Cards

Of course there were others. Thank you to EVERYONE who wrote/called/texted and wished me well. It's nice to know people think fondly of me on occasion.
[insert warm fuzzy feelings]

Here's to a year of big decisions, blogging, and bad good hair days. Love to all you invisible, wondrous beings who are reading this. And those who aren't.