I had a very low-key birthday yesterday, which is fine by me. My co-workers bought some cookies which we set out on my desk (but out of sight of the kids!) and I was visited by a series of people within my department over the course of the day. It's a school-wide department so they aren't people I see all the time, and it was good to catch up with them. And I got a nice card, and one co-worker gave me some chocolate.
My celebration with Dave will come later. He got me tickets to see the musical "My Neighbor Totoro" at the Barbican in December, and I'm sure we'll probably do dinner too. So last night was nothing special -- we had leftovers and I had two martinis and watched a movie ("Auntie Mame") while he did schoolwork!
I wonder what k.d. lang, Stefanie Powers and David Schwimmer did yesterday? They all have the same birthday I do. In fact, Schwimmer has the exact same birth date -- same year and everything. There's some useless trivia for you.
Storm Ciarán generated lots of rain but not much else here. Apparently we did get some wind last night, because just before I went to bed I found the Russians' weird bird-deterring beach ball thing lying on our patio outside our back door.
I guess there will be no birds in our living room today. Look at Olga's muddy paw prints on the back door rug. That will give you some idea of the conditions in the back garden.
The other day I mentioned Vladimir Putin and how he stands to gain from U.S. involvement in the Middle East. While not making a causal link as strongly as I did, a Washington Post columnist has also pointed out how Putin stands to benefit from our current geopolitical situation. As the Post put it, Putin had a very good October.
Someone else joined the exclusive November 2nd birthday club yesterday! She weighed 9lb 14oz.
ReplyDeleteThe design on the bird scarer is the same as the one I saw in a field three weeks ago. Go here:
https://beefgravy.blogspot.com/2023/10/yesterday.html
Politics. Filthy.
ReplyDeleteDo you suppose Mrs. Russia will expect you to climb a ladder and reinstall that hideous bird-deterring ball?
We were also lucky to be on the edge of the storm. Lots of wind here, but nothing more. I would have loved lots of rain.
You should get in touch with David (Schwimmer). If he knew about your shared birthday, I'm sure he'd want to celebrate with you every year. k.d. lang, too!
Happy belated birthday. I just have been catching up on all my blog reading. I noticed in one of your posts how it was getting dark before five o'clock. I forgot how the amount of daylight is different the farther north one goes.
ReplyDeleteMake that bird scare thing disappear. Let's pretend it got blown across London by the storm.
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday. Totoro sounds like a lovely choice a totally wonderful story that i have read many times and watched —for a while we had a large totoro in my grand children's house. I shall be interested to hear how you enjoy the show. Jean in. Winnipeg.
ReplyDeleteSometimes a low key birthday is just what you want-- especially if you have a good celebration in the offing (can't get much better than dinner and a show!) And Auntie Mame and martinis (Mame would approve) sounds like a delightful evening. (Have you ever read Patrick Dennis' book? It's really quite wonderful.)
ReplyDeleteLove that photo of your street!
This whole Middle East business has Putin's fingerprints all over it.
ReplyDeleteNo cake! I am so disappointed.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny that you have the same birthday as Mr. P.'s newest grandchild?
Are you going to return the bird repeller or is it going to mysteriously disappear?
I imagine the Audi owner was none to happy to come out to a car covered in wet leaves.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd tie the bird balloon to her front door! And see if she reinstates it above. Sounds like a nice birthday evening and day.
ReplyDeleteI used to have a great friend, died way too young, with a terminal unrequited crush on David Schwimmer. Poor Charlie.
Sounds like a good way to spend your birthday, Steve.
ReplyDeleteBirthday celebrations tend to get less and less as we age.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if that beach ball thing works. what predator is it supposed to mimic? you'd think the birds would get used to it never moving and just ignore it after a while.
ReplyDeletehappy birthday. our birthdays are always very low key. just another day really. we don't even get each other presents.
A low key birthday sounds good to me. I haven't heard anything about k.d.lang in ages. I always loved her music.
ReplyDeleteWas Olga startled by the beach ball thingy when you let her out? You and Dave could get out in the garden and bat it around. 😄
Many well-known people share your birthday! I can't think of anyone for mine. It sounds like just enough fuss to make you feel special but not an overwhelming amount. Perfect!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a perfect birthday to me (although I would have had to have cake - I've been known to buy my own if no one gets one for me. Ha!).
ReplyDeleteAuntie Mame is one of my favorite movies. I watch it annually on New Year's Day. Mame and martinis sounds like a festive birthday.
ReplyDeleteHappy Day, Happy Week, Happy Month to you! x0x0 N2
Will you give the Russians' beach ball back? Maybe, considering Putin, it might be good to keep a good relationship with them. 😉
ReplyDeleteI wondered if you were getting any wind from that storm but I checked the webcam twice and the trees weren't moving.
ReplyDeleteCookies and martinis sounds like a great birthday celebration.
I don't think your day would have been nearly as great if you had eaten the cookies with the martinis.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a nice day though.
That is a lovely picture of the car being blessed by nature's colours.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your birthday was pleasant. Theater tickets are a good gift. You're right about Putin, this has his finger prints all over everything.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteIn our newspaper this morning we read that Kim Jong whatever has supplied Putin with many weapons :(
I like your Jaanese (kitsui?) dolls on the glass table there.
YP: Yes! I remember when you posted that picture, and I thought, "That's just like the one the Russians have!"
ReplyDeleteMitchell: I bet k.d. lang would be fun at a party. Schwimmer, I'm not sure.
Michael: Yes! When I walk home after closing the library at 4:30 it's already getting dark.
Sabine: I should have done that. I already gave it back to her!
Jean: We've watched the movie here too, multiple times. I'm a fan of Studio Ghibli. We have a Totoro figurine in our garden!
Jeanie: I have never read the book, but we have it in the library. I should give it a try!
Bob: Yes! It definitely does!
Ms Moon: No cake! That's OK -- I can live with cookies. :) I think it's great that YP's new granddaughter and I share a special day!
Ed: Ha! I guess if you park on the street in London you learn to expect such things.
Boud: Bittersweet memory about Charlie. I used to have a crush on Tom Cruise, so there's no accounting for taste. :)
Ellen D: I thought so!
Red: I've never been a huge birthday person. Some people are very into them.
Ellen: I don't know why birds would be scared of it, or why those particular shapes and colors would work. But Mrs. Russia insists that she's seen fewer parakeets since hanging it up. (She hates the parakeets because they're noisy.)
Kelly: I think k.d. lang has basically retired, if I'm not mistaken. I seem to remember reading something about that a year or two ago.
Margaret: I'm sure there's a web site somewhere that will tell you about famous people born on your birthday. In fact, if you go to IMDB I think it lists all the stars born on any given day.
Bug: Funny! I don't know why I'm not more attached to birthday cake.
N2: Oh, that's a good New Year's tradition! We watch it whenever the mood strikes us, which is fairly often. (It's one of Dave's favorite movies.)
Catalyst: I wouldn't want them to invade our flat!
Sharon: Yeah, it really didn't seem like much here. I'm mystified about why, when it was so intense not that far away.
Debby: Sweet things and martinis do not go together. Don't even get me started on the abomination that some bars serve, called a "chocolate martini." Ugh!
Haddock: I agree! It certainly makes an everyday car look more photogenic.
Allison: And I think he invaded Crimea right around the time of the civil war in Syria, which ALSO had his fingerprints on it.
River: Thanks! Those dolls are actually from Egypt, but they do look a bit like kokeshi dolls.