Happy Birthday to me!

Well OK my birthday was officially yesterday, but it was still a fun day. I went and had Thai food for the first time. 37 years is too long to go without Thai food. While I will admit I wasn’t daring, it was TASTY and I’m going to have to go back again soon. The place we went — Pad Thai restaurant in West Boise — had great food, good prices and good service but the cooking was a bit slow. I’ll chalk it up to a bad night because the food was so great I definitely want to go back there.

Otherwise, it was a great day. Everyone seemed to remember my birthday! From my neighbor/walking friend to both of my college roommates to church members to family members, I had a great day! It’s not about the presents — though admittedly I am a great sucker for gifts — I just really really love having one day a year that is mine. I share it with other people in the world, sure, but for the most part the day is mine and I can be special. And if I explain it to myself that way to keep myself from adding a candle to the cake every year, so be it. 🙂

It’s brought out a lot of the hobbyist in me again. I’m such a dilettante, it’s very frustrating to friends and family who never know what to expect from me or what to get for me. What’s my hobby of the week? Well this week it’s knitting and music. I have been evil and increased my yarn and needle stash yet AGAIN while I work on at least 3 hats and plot evil things like shawls. It frustrates me as well as anyone, because I would really like to get so many things knitted and really increase my skill. However, I can’t seem to banish the lusts of my eyes towards things like music, knitting, cross stitch, writing, great gardens, amazing baked goods, scrapbooks, and, upon rare occasion, ceramics. Many of those projects require so much endurance of time that I inevitably fail; gardens die as my interest wanes, ingredients go stale as my focus is distracted. But I just can’t commit myself to a single hobby. I love them all.

Speaking of hobbies, I mentioned that this week has also been music week. I have been voraciously bidding on oboes on e-bay, trying to revive a high school bit of fun that has been nagging at me for the past few years. Well my brother suggested I try Craigslist once again and lo and behold, there was an oboe for a deliciously cheap price! So my other birthday present will most likely be an oboe that I will pick up tomorrow. I am delighted, though it is only a cheap plastic student thing. It’s still an oboe! If you hear any delightfully ducky music wafting through the air, it may just be me. 🙂