Saturday, April 12, 2003
 

Had a really great time last night. The duo was good, as usual. To honor our resident Beauty Queen's birthday, they sang "You Are My Sunshine" (her favorite). To honor Watson's, they sang a Carter family song (one of the ones about flowers, forget which). To honor mine, they sang Springsteen's "Nebraska," which they billed as being "about a serial killer and the woman who loved him." Ain't that sweet? I've always thought of him more as a spree killer than a serial killer, but it brought a tear to my eye either way.

Holmes, party planner extraordinare, brought not just any cake but cheesecake from a favorite local deli. That sucker weighed 11 pounds. Practically no one could even finish a slice of it, the slices being so huge and so rich. Pretty much everyone picked at their cake all evening, because no one could polish off their slice in one sitting.

I got presents! Holmes' present, which she purchased at Toys R Us while intoxicated, turned out to be utterly hilarious. She gave me these inflatable boxing glove type-things called Sock'em Boppers. We inflated them, and people shadow boxed intermittently throughout the evening. They're probably something I can use, given my frequent need to vent. Violently.

She also gave me something I'd seen on the internet and loved, though I hadn't told her that (she must be psychic). It's a bumper sticker from the Happy Bunny line. It reads: "I hate everything." She said it made her think of me. I love it.

Beauty Queen gave me a little journal-notebook with a vintage photo of a grinning woman on the front. It says "she had not yet decided whether to use her power for good . .. or for evil" (noticing a theme in my gifts yet?). It has funny things on the inside, too. She also gave me a little notepad (which will promptly go in my purse, where it is indeed needed) with a picture of vintage shoes that says "Change your shoes . .. change your life!"

She was wearing her birthday tiara. The odd thing (which we all noted), is that, on her, that looks perfectly natural. I, on the other hand, probably look more natural in a feed cap.

Watson gave me a magnet that says "Bitter? Moi?" Again, caught onto the theme here?

I gave out my trademark homemade birthday cards, which feature Dorothy Parker's poem "Resume." You just can't find anything that sweet in stores.

Jake's Mommy (henceforth JM) gave me a card from her and a card from Jake. The Jake one says on the front: "Many people think we cats are too self-centered and shallow to bother wishing a happy birthday to the special humans in our lives. Well, in response to that I say . . . " Inside: "Isn't it time for someone to feed me?" How appropriate.

I played dress-up and wore my red BCBG dress (from my favorite retailer, eBay). It felt good to change out of my requisite yoga pants and tank tops for awhile.

In conclusion: At one point, the table o' English grad students was cutting up and doing something or the other. Our student-on-stage said something, and the Spanish student said, "Hey, they're you're friends." That was for all of you who spent time calling me a freak. See? We're all cool here! Really. I promise.

Elvisette philosophized at 12:17 PM