Fife, Spork, and Noon

I've finally recovered from my "lost weekend" and can tell you what I did to celebrate my birthday.  (Actually, this week is turning into the second five-day Monday in a row, so I haven't really been in the mood to do anything but laze once I get home.)

I was unable to start my weekend early, as work on Friday turned into a 14-hour day.  I won't criticize the lack of planning for the project, which ended up with us staying super late, but I will say how I suffered.  1) I left the office at 7:45 a.m.  That's the last time I had anything to drink until 2:45 p.m., when my boss called his boss and asked her to bring some water and [brand-name sports drink] to the job site.  2) I worked through lunch and dinner.  I didn't get home until almost my usual bedtime, so all I did was guzzle some more water, take a shower, and collapse into bed.  3) I helped carry and lay sod for hours, so I was sore that night and on my birthday.  :(

My birthday started early, as I didn't sleep well that night.  I woke up and discovered I was two quarters short to do a load of laundry, so that was out.  I don't remember what I did until I redeemed my first birthday coupon for a free breakfast (plus juice and tip) at a national restaurant chain.  After that, I went to the bank (for quarters) and grocery store and goofed off some more (probably reading or playing computer games; I definitely did not unpack any moving boxes, as it was my birthday and I didn't have to do anything I didn't want to) before redeeming my second birthday coupon for a free sandwich (plus chips and drink) at a national sandwich chain.  (These two coupons had to be used on my birthday.  All other coupons have a window during which I can redeem them.)

I treated myself to dinner at The White Owl.  The beer (they have a selection of bottles and on-tap from various breweries) and food were okay, if a little pricy.  The lights were dim, so it was tough to see my charming dining companion (a book), but we enjoyed each other's company.  Alas, the waitress answered my query by saying they did not have any T-shirts I could buy.  :(  However, they did sell me two (in case I break one) beer glasses, with the restaurant logo on them.  [Insert joke about "beer goggles" here.]  On the way home from dinner, I treated myself to a rather disappointing hot fudge sundae at a regional ice cream/restaurant chain.

I got three loads of laundry done on Sunday morning.  (Note to self:  do laundry before it piles up that much, as the duffle bag was quite heavy.)  Breakfast was an identical offering from a competing restaurant chain, and lunch was a free burger at a national chain which is very proud of their decor and sandwiches, judging from the prices, so I'm very glad I didn't have to pay for anything but my soda (and tip, to the friendly waitress whose birthday was just three days – and many years – after mine).  That meal filled me up, so I didn't have dinner.

I still have some birthday coupons left to use:  two for a free entree, one for a free-if-you-buy-another, and two for free dessert (if you pay for one of their overpriced entrees).  Guess which ones I plan on using.  ;)

On Sunday, since it wasn't my birthday any more, I did unpack some more boxes.  I found the cutlery tray to divide all my silverware in the utensil drawer!  When I told people that I couldn't imagine having packed it (and my napkins, tablecloth, dish towels, and aprons) in one of the "fragile" boxes, which is all that I hadn't opened yet, I didn't realize that there were three non-fragile boxes on the very bottom of the piles in the coat closet.  (This, naturally, meant removing every other box in the closet, so I could get to them.)  My jigsaw puzzles, which I had completely forgotten about, were in another box.  (Now I just have to clear off the coffee table or dining table if I want to assemble one.)

Then I decided that I might as well unpack the unfavorably shaped "fragile" boxes, so I could recycle them.  (I'm still in the process of that, as I have to flatten each piece of newspaper I used for wrapping and packing, so I can stack and bundle the paper to recycle.)  Then, since I've already unpacked some of the owl figurines from the "fragile" boxes, I might as well unpack the rest, so...

Actually, that makes me feel more productive than most of what I accomplished at work today.