*resists singing the happy birthday song*

*quivers under the strain*

Lexa, you're going to have to find a man who can cook! I know they're out there, but I haven't met many...

Oh, and I just love what you've done with your avi, it's like completely different, but still awesome!

Hold on Berky, just a few more days!

Oh yes. Or someone who would not mind ordering food every single day of the year... [ninja]

And thank you! [=3]

My boyfriend cooks. [cool]

Well, the 4th will be the anniversary of the boyf and I's first date. So we're gonna go to this big 4th celebration in Saint Louis. Then I work the rest of the weekend. [gonk] But I'll be spending the evenings with him. I have monday off, and that night I have a little party planned. My first in 12 years! Only three people have said they're going, though... [lol] 3 "maybe"s too, so I'll take it. Just trying to get some cool people together to go for the local bowling alley's $1 Monday night special. Some arcade goodness, cheap bowling, cheap alcohol, and nachos. Sounds good to me!

Aww, enjoy your anniversary! [heart]

And I hope you have a nice party. [:)] I don't like big parties, so just a handful of people sounds like a good time! Hope you have fun!

I will! It should be lots of fun. He actually wanted to go to this particular festival last year for our first date. But I had only had my driver's license for a few days (I literally got it just so I could go on a date with him [lol]) and I wasn't comfortable driving that far, so we had to go to a festival that was closer.

Our other (and primary) anniversary, the anniversary of when we officially became a couple, is later this month. So with my birthday added in there, it's a celebration heavy month! Reminds me of a couple months ago when we had Christmas, our 6 month anniversary, and his birthday all within a week of each other. I bought so many presents...

I hope I will too! It should go well. I picked my "core" group and worked the party to fit into all their schedules. It was a giant headache, oh man. Being the age I am, everyone has part time jobs and thus works really weird hours. Except for my boyfriend, who works a full-time job, but on the late night shift (gets off somewhere between midnight and 2 am, depending on the workload that day), so nearly all days are completely impossible. It somehow worked out that my core group was all free on my actual birthday. So I could be assured that the people whose presence mattered most to me would all be there. So even if no one else shows up at all, it will still be fun!


Anyone else have any fun weekend/4th of July plans?

Today a coworker asked me "It's Independence Day, isn't it?" and I said "Huh?" and she was like "Wait... aren't you American?" and I said "Oh... well it's not the 4th in America yet so I didn't really notice." [:|]

I think that's about the most 4th of July will impact my life this year. [lol] Honestly, I usually don't notice American holidays until people start posting things on Facebook. But I loved the 4th when I was growing up! My dad would always buy us fireworks and we'd spend all day outdoors doing barbeque and blowing stuff up. It's the 'Murikan way. [cool]

I love glowy things, so I'm all about fireworks!

Any weekend plans, at least?

Cherry: Same here - just spending a lot of time with my daughter and husband (when he's not at work). :)

Thank you!! I got the dress through the genie during the event, and someone who I don't even know gifted me the Space Explorer. :] It just all worked out! :)

Happy Early Birthday! :)

My fourth of July plans include going to a BBQ at my in-laws with my hubby and daughter. :)

I do, but they're not super exciting. [lol] We asked for a trial fitting for the kimono I'm renting so it's scheduled to be delivered on Saturday. So on Sunday we'll take it to the beautician we hired for our wedding and she'll do a trial makeup/hair session to see if we like everything.

Aside from that, it's just packing, packing, and more packing. [gonk] With some cleaning in there too. I need to throw out the gross chair my predecessor left me and finish washing my winter clothes so I can pack them away smelling fresh and clean. But I feel like I'm making progress even if it looks like a tornado hit my apartment. [lol] I know more or less what I want to keep, it's just a matter of sticking it in boxes and moving it to my in-laws' place for safe keeping.

Ferra, I hope you got some pictures from the fitting! If you did, I'd love to see!


My birthday weekend went great! [boogie] The boyf got off work early on Thursday night, so I headed over there and spent the night with him. Got off work early on the 4th, and we headed to the big Saint Louis fireworks show. It was really nice! Saturday I discovered the magical, wondrous land that is Trader Joe's, and we went to a favorite restaurant of mine that I hadn't been to in quite a while. Sunday we stayed in and chilled, and then Monday was my birthday! Boyf took me out for crepes in the morning, then to the Science Museum, then we got bubble tea (my first time!), and then we went to my party! Arcade, bowling, and drinks with a few of my friends. [boogie] I worked Friday-Sunday, but it was still a great weekend. [:D] Hope you all had as much fun!

Aww, that sounds like a great time! [heart] I really miss bubble tea and the science museum sounds fun. I'm sure the fireworks were awesome too. And i miss real crepes too. [drool] I'm so jealous.

I did get some pictures, but it turned out that we didn't do the hair and makeup that day so I look like a mess. [lol] Instead I'm scheduled to have that done a few weeks before the actual wedding. The kimono looks really pretty! The pics on my phone didn't show the gradation properly for some reason (instead it looks all blue, probably due to the angle/lighting) but I'm sure the professional pics will be fine. I need to get the pics off of my fiance's phone since his turned out better. I'll put some on Facebook when I get the chance. [:)]

The bubble tea was amazing! I got a honeydew milk tea. It was... wow. [drool] Such a nice, refreshing, light drink for summer. Melony, but not too much, creamy but not too much, sweet but not too much. I miss it already. [drool] The place I got it at isn't far from my boyf's place, so he'll be hard pressed to keep me from going there every single weekend. [lol] Part of me wants to try all their flavors, while the other part wants to just get the honeydew forever.

Oh, this crepes place is amazing. Their apple crepe is literally THE best apple-related thing I've ever had. It's just absolutely delicious. I'd say you should go there if you're ever in Missouri, but I can't imagine why you ever would be. [lol] Just try to get an apple crepe if you ever are somewhere that serves crepes. Man.

I look forward to seeing the pictures, even if they don't do the kimono justice! I know I'll see it much better when you have actual wedding photos to share, but, what can I say, I'm impatient. [lol]

Apple crepes...

Wedding ceremonies...

[gonk]

I really need to get out more...

Mmm... I want some! There is a place that does bubble tea in my city, but it's not that great. It kind of tastes watered down, but I guess it's better than nothing. The best bubble tea I've had was in Hong Kong! I drank so much bubble tea there that I skipped a few meals. [oops]

Mmm... apple crepes sound delicious too. [drool] For whatever reason the Japanese taste is that crispy baked goods/dough = bad, super soft stuff = good. So all crepes are super doughy and soft. They don't taste bad, but I miss the taste and texture of proper crepes.

Did you check the FB pics I posted? It looks all blue but it's really blue & purple. I keep forgetting to ask my fiance for his pics.
Do you mean kimono? [lol] I'll be wearing a kimono only. We're doing an after party too with friends and family so I'll change into a dress then, but I wasn't planning to wear anything fancy.
What makes you say that? [lol]

I've not been to a wedding, nor had apple crepes, in... oh god, like years.

Not that I'd ever get married myself, but it's really super-nice to be a part of someone's hugely special day like that, and well, desserts of all kinds are definitely something worth getting out of the house for, if only to walk off the extra calories...

I feel sometimes like a sort of social cretin, really, holed up in my darkened cave, eating whatever comes to hand, like the creature of the night my avi is currently representing.

I just think it's been too long since I've really participated in real life beyond tending to necessities.

Ah, well truth be told very few people are invited to my actual wedding. It's going to be family only and then the party afterward is going to be pretty informal. It's probably going to be kind of awkward since we'll be mixing Japanese coworkers with foreign English teachers with family from both sides. So I'm not even sure which language we'll use for most of the announcements or if we're even going to bother to do toasts/speeches. [sweat] But we'll definitely go someplace where alcohol is served, so that should help! [lol]

I've been pretty antisocial myself this year outside of work functions and occasionally playing boardgames. Planning moves, weddings, and vacations takes a lot of time...

It's pretty solid motivation, though, isn't it? And when you've got that much going on, it's hard to be bored!

And if I didn't say so before, congratulations on your engagement! I hope it's the prelude to the happiest marriage in history!

*is really excited for you*

Congratulations on you getting married, Ferra, you must be very very excited [squee]

*bounces on the blanket fort, because everyone's asleep*

Thank you, and yes I am! I got good news today too. I finally confirmed my appointment to get the documents I need from the US consulate, so I'm one step closer to legally tying the knot! (I have to get a notarized document stating I don't have any secret husbands back in the US. [lol])

Oh no, all your Las Vegas marriages are about to come to to light! [:o]

The only time I've been to Vegas I went with my fiance. So maybe we're already married and I forgot about it! [:o]

Or you forgot about all the other times you were in Vegas...

Hey now, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...

XD