When I'm Twenty-Six
Sep. 4th, 2004 10:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sun_set_bravelyBrooklyn really pulled out all the stops for my birthday this year.
I started the day by sleeping in until 10:00 a.m.
At a few minutes before 11, my dad, stepmom,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
freak1c, and I all went out for my favorite local breakfast specials at the diner/restaurant down the street. I sat by the window and ate my perfectly crispy bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese, and french toast. A little boy passed by, dressed in a knight's tunic and chain mail hood, but it wasn't real chain mail; it was some kind of sparkly black and silver fabric draped over his head. It looked like he'd just bought his costume at the store and couldn't wait to wear it. His mom looked a little embarrassed, but he was smart enough not to care what other people thought about him.
After breakfast, we walked to the farmers' market, where I was bought two bouquets of fresh cut flowers (including coxcomb, one of my favorite flowers, which I prefer to call "brain"). We sampled strawberry apple juice, white peaches, casaba melons, and canteloupe. We bought two bags of ice from the deli to make our homemade ice cream and walked back towards home.
As we walked past the grassy patch on the corner of my street, I saw a flash of yellow in the green grass. We stopped and saw a little canary, clearly scared, that looked like it had escaped from its home.
We asked the woman on the corner who was watching it if it was her bird. She said, "No, but this is the second bird I've found like this in my yard in the last two weeks. I took the other one in, but I can't keep this one." It half-hopped, half-flew out onto the sidewalk, and then into the crosswalk. Two young men waiting on an idling car blocked it from any oncoming traffic, and the young woman carefully dropped a dish towel over it, then picked it up. She held it out to us. "Do you want it?" CL and I looked at each other. "Sure."
So I took the towel-wrapped bird, promised to return the woman's towel, and we all walked home. CL just bought a pair of Merrell sandals last night, so we punched holes in the top of the box and carefully put the bird inside. My stepmom taught me how to make chirping noises to calm it down.
We debated whether we should put signs up around the neighborhood about a lost bird, and then we decided that we'd wait for someone to put up signs first. The bird's nails were really long, and, combined with the fact that another bird was found there so recently, I get the feeling that someone let them out into the wild because they didn't want them anymore.
We called a couple pet stores, and then the four of us (five, including the bird) drove out to a store in Cobble Hill where a black kid with braces no older than eighteen greeted us as soon as we walked in. I opened the box and said, "We found it." He smiled big. "You found a canary? That's lucky!" I told him that it was my birthday, and he said, "Well that's why."
This guy was incredibly knowledgeable. He went to the back of the store quickly and returned with the right seed for the bird. Then he went back and returned with the right kind of sand for the floor of the cage. He told us how to take care of the bird, and helped us pick out a cage.
The large Italian guy behind the counter opened the box and gently turned the bird over in the palm of his hand. He calmed it down by stroking its belly, and easily clipped the long nails with a orange-handled pair of scissors. As we checked out, I noticed a sign on the wall behind the man that read "Billionaire Bloomberg has plenty of money for football stadiums but none for police officers and firefighters. Call 311 and demand raises for workers." I liked this guy a lot. The pair sent us on our way with wishes for good luck and a happy birthday.
At home, we cleaned the cage, filled the food and water dishes, and made the transfer. The four of us couldn't stop staring at the little guy as he got to know his new home. Mister was pretty curious too, and a little jealous. When I chirped at the bird for too long, Mister started whining and barking at us. But I think he's getting used to the guy. Props tospicyflower for the quick tips on how to keep the bird happy and safe.
Now for a name. I looked at the shoebox lid and said, "Merrell's not a bad name." And since we don't know if it's a male or female yet, we figured Merrell could go either way. So Merrell it is.
~ ~ ~
I got lots of phone calls from my family and friends all afternoon. Cheryl joined us for lunch, where we ate delicious Tex-Mex-style enchiladas, spanish rice, awesome refried beans, and fresh guacamole.
Our homemade vanilla ice cream didn't fare too well, as my electric mixer crapped out and refused to freeze the center. But the strawberry birthday cake was awesome, and my random SpongeBob Squarepants candy decorations on the top looked too cool (I love his color scheme -- blue and yellow -- such good colors!).
mikecheck made a brief appearance for dessert, and we all started to play Cranium, but instead discovered a big mold and mildew spot in a nook in our front wall that had taken over several of our board games. Ew ew ew. My stepmom Cloroxed the wall and the most valuable game and we pitched the rest. And called our landlord, who will take care of it soon.
~ ~ ~
But that's not the end of the day.
We all went out into the park to walk Mister and Henry (Cheryl's dog). As we walked by the small playground, we noticed a group of five or six people crowded around one of the kiddie swings. A fifteen-year-old girl was stuck in the seat. We chuckled a bit and joked among ourselves about calling the fire department on her.
Fifteen minutes later, after my dad and stepmom went inside, a cop car came screaming into the park, followed by an ambulance. Then, not one, not two, but five fire engines came roaring down DeKalb and our street. By this point, we were all laughing. We stood there for ten minutes while we watched the emergency responders come up, scratch their heads, and wonder how the hell they were going to get her out of her predicament. I mean, she was really wedged in there good.
Finally, they clipped the chains on the swing, laid her on the ground, and shimmied her out of the seat. The now-large crowd burst into a round of applause when she was freed. And then we all laughed our way home.
With the week that we've all had, citizens and police-folk alike, it was a well-needed break and unifying laugh.
And nowmoriana90 has dropped by to meet Merrell, have some enchiladas, and possibly play a round of Kung Fu Samurai on Giant Robot Island.
~ ~ ~
Last thing. My dad told me a cute story about myself as a kid that I'd never heard before.
When my parents brought my sister home from the hospital and put her in her crib for the first time, I walked into the room, sat down, and stared at Brittany.
Then I said to them, "Do you love me anymore?" and burst into tears.
~ ~ ~
It was a good, good birthday. It's the first time in five years that I've been with family for my birthday, and it's a real treat.
I started the day by sleeping in until 10:00 a.m.
At a few minutes before 11, my dad, stepmom,
freak1c, and I all went out for my favorite local breakfast specials at the diner/restaurant down the street. I sat by the window and ate my perfectly crispy bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese, and french toast. A little boy passed by, dressed in a knight's tunic and chain mail hood, but it wasn't real chain mail; it was some kind of sparkly black and silver fabric draped over his head. It looked like he'd just bought his costume at the store and couldn't wait to wear it. His mom looked a little embarrassed, but he was smart enough not to care what other people thought about him.After breakfast, we walked to the farmers' market, where I was bought two bouquets of fresh cut flowers (including coxcomb, one of my favorite flowers, which I prefer to call "brain"). We sampled strawberry apple juice, white peaches, casaba melons, and canteloupe. We bought two bags of ice from the deli to make our homemade ice cream and walked back towards home.
As we walked past the grassy patch on the corner of my street, I saw a flash of yellow in the green grass. We stopped and saw a little canary, clearly scared, that looked like it had escaped from its home.
We asked the woman on the corner who was watching it if it was her bird. She said, "No, but this is the second bird I've found like this in my yard in the last two weeks. I took the other one in, but I can't keep this one." It half-hopped, half-flew out onto the sidewalk, and then into the crosswalk. Two young men waiting on an idling car blocked it from any oncoming traffic, and the young woman carefully dropped a dish towel over it, then picked it up. She held it out to us. "Do you want it?" CL and I looked at each other. "Sure."
So I took the towel-wrapped bird, promised to return the woman's towel, and we all walked home. CL just bought a pair of Merrell sandals last night, so we punched holes in the top of the box and carefully put the bird inside. My stepmom taught me how to make chirping noises to calm it down.
We debated whether we should put signs up around the neighborhood about a lost bird, and then we decided that we'd wait for someone to put up signs first. The bird's nails were really long, and, combined with the fact that another bird was found there so recently, I get the feeling that someone let them out into the wild because they didn't want them anymore.
We called a couple pet stores, and then the four of us (five, including the bird) drove out to a store in Cobble Hill where a black kid with braces no older than eighteen greeted us as soon as we walked in. I opened the box and said, "We found it." He smiled big. "You found a canary? That's lucky!" I told him that it was my birthday, and he said, "Well that's why."
This guy was incredibly knowledgeable. He went to the back of the store quickly and returned with the right seed for the bird. Then he went back and returned with the right kind of sand for the floor of the cage. He told us how to take care of the bird, and helped us pick out a cage.
The large Italian guy behind the counter opened the box and gently turned the bird over in the palm of his hand. He calmed it down by stroking its belly, and easily clipped the long nails with a orange-handled pair of scissors. As we checked out, I noticed a sign on the wall behind the man that read "Billionaire Bloomberg has plenty of money for football stadiums but none for police officers and firefighters. Call 311 and demand raises for workers." I liked this guy a lot. The pair sent us on our way with wishes for good luck and a happy birthday.
At home, we cleaned the cage, filled the food and water dishes, and made the transfer. The four of us couldn't stop staring at the little guy as he got to know his new home. Mister was pretty curious too, and a little jealous. When I chirped at the bird for too long, Mister started whining and barking at us. But I think he's getting used to the guy. Props to
spicyflower for the quick tips on how to keep the bird happy and safe.Now for a name. I looked at the shoebox lid and said, "Merrell's not a bad name." And since we don't know if it's a male or female yet, we figured Merrell could go either way. So Merrell it is.
~ ~ ~
I got lots of phone calls from my family and friends all afternoon. Cheryl joined us for lunch, where we ate delicious Tex-Mex-style enchiladas, spanish rice, awesome refried beans, and fresh guacamole.
Our homemade vanilla ice cream didn't fare too well, as my electric mixer crapped out and refused to freeze the center. But the strawberry birthday cake was awesome, and my random SpongeBob Squarepants candy decorations on the top looked too cool (I love his color scheme -- blue and yellow -- such good colors!).
mikecheck made a brief appearance for dessert, and we all started to play Cranium, but instead discovered a big mold and mildew spot in a nook in our front wall that had taken over several of our board games. Ew ew ew. My stepmom Cloroxed the wall and the most valuable game and we pitched the rest. And called our landlord, who will take care of it soon.~ ~ ~
But that's not the end of the day.
We all went out into the park to walk Mister and Henry (Cheryl's dog). As we walked by the small playground, we noticed a group of five or six people crowded around one of the kiddie swings. A fifteen-year-old girl was stuck in the seat. We chuckled a bit and joked among ourselves about calling the fire department on her.
Fifteen minutes later, after my dad and stepmom went inside, a cop car came screaming into the park, followed by an ambulance. Then, not one, not two, but five fire engines came roaring down DeKalb and our street. By this point, we were all laughing. We stood there for ten minutes while we watched the emergency responders come up, scratch their heads, and wonder how the hell they were going to get her out of her predicament. I mean, she was really wedged in there good.
Finally, they clipped the chains on the swing, laid her on the ground, and shimmied her out of the seat. The now-large crowd burst into a round of applause when she was freed. And then we all laughed our way home.
With the week that we've all had, citizens and police-folk alike, it was a well-needed break and unifying laugh.
And now
moriana90 has dropped by to meet Merrell, have some enchiladas, and possibly play a round of Kung Fu Samurai on Giant Robot Island.~ ~ ~
Last thing. My dad told me a cute story about myself as a kid that I'd never heard before.
When my parents brought my sister home from the hospital and put her in her crib for the first time, I walked into the room, sat down, and stared at Brittany.
Then I said to them, "Do you love me anymore?" and burst into tears.
~ ~ ~
It was a good, good birthday. It's the first time in five years that I've been with family for my birthday, and it's a real treat.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-09-05 03:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-05 03:02 am (UTC)late) i would have wished you one earlier, but you
never responded to my birthday alarm request. sounds
like you had a lovely day. many, many happy returns!
~paul
no subject
Date: 2004-09-05 03:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-05 03:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-05 04:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-05 05:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-05 09:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-05 12:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-05 03:08 pm (UTC):-)
no subject
Date: 2004-09-05 08:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-06 12:43 pm (UTC)Look at how much you've done this year! Recognizing you're in love,
taking a huge leap into your writing, and, if I infer correctly from your journal, kinda just figuring things all out a bit.
I'd say the canary is very much alive, and you can continue to mine for the diamonds.
I am glad you had a very happy birthday.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-06 09:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-07 02:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-07 04:44 pm (UTC)