The Hangover

I turned 41 on Wednesday.

 I am considered an 'older' lady....

It's true.  I see it.

I  get called 'mam' and never 'miss' anymore.

Whatever!

I'm so over worrying about what number I'm on.

It really doesn't matter at this point.

But please don't mistake my words and think that I am giving up on myself!!!!

HELL NO!!!!

I'm just getting started with a new lease on life!!!!

There is  a lot of freedom letting go of the 'age' ties that bind a person.

My motto for 41:

~Accept what is.....

~Stay away from mirrors.....

and always have the intention of 

good times over good looks!

The day started with a birthday breakfast brought to my bed.

Hand cooked by my boys!!!!!

Riv did the eggs and toast, Jax made the 'smile' cakes.

After my delish breakfast from brotherly love,  I hurried out the door to get to my physical therapy appt by 9:15 to be fitted for what I call,

"the cast that never ends and is a torture chamber and is fug with a capitol F and makes me want to Mr. Roboto since it goes to my elbow and I have constant stiffy bent arm".

'WELCOME TO 41 BeeeeyotCH!!!!!'

I heard myself yell inside my head!

aint it great?!?!?!

reeeeeeeeal effin great!

[After spending $1600 on an MRI, we now know that I have a tear in my cartilage and ligament.  The ideal end result would be for the cast to keep me from having zero movement, which would let the injuries heal themselves.  The 'not-so' ideal result will be surgery.]

[don't worry...I was thinking the same thing!!!

"geez Jolie!!!  Why the long face!?"

apparently when you start your 40's your face turns into a horse head.

yikes!!!!]

Paula and Lola met me at The California Pizza Kitchen at 11:45 to split a yummy pear and Gorgonzola pizza.

We declined the dessert menu, but couldn't resist the free birthday sundae that was brought to the table.

Fudge, pecans, and toffee lined the serving dish with ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry to top.

YES, it was as good as it sounds!!!

Paula gave me a gift card to my fav tea store and the cutest/rockin shirt with a sequinned owl on the front for some fowl bling!!!

In the midst of my morning eat-a-thon(s), I received a text from Lisa saying,

"hey!!  let's go to Park City tonight!!!  A street band and a lot of athletes will be there for the World Cup skiing."

So I said, "OK! wahoo!"

We decided to have this event  be our annual girls night birthday celebration for Paula and I.

 (Paula's birthday is on the 6th)

Lisa arrived to my house at 7 pm to pick up me and Lyns.

She gave me a very generous gift certificate for a facial.

The shoe bag is something we have passed back and forth for each other's birthday for over 7 years!!!

It's taped, and tattered, has seen many bars, and could probably tell countless fun stories!

Lyns gave me a tea gift card and a  set of 3 oriental  tea tins.

They're gonna look spiffy on my counter!!!!

We made our way through the street crowds and a fart infested bar to grab a drink.   Because of the rank stank and lack of breathing room, we heel-toe'd outside.  It was snowing but wasn't cold. 
The large flakes and all of the happy street people
 combined with music, created a
"this is what makes Utah kick-ass!!" ambiance.

We were talking, talking, talking about everything under the sun.

It was for the most part mellow, relaxing and  a well needed girl time.

until.............

Somewhere along the way events led up to us experiencing a girls Utah version of 'The Hangover'.

Many of the deets are blurred for me as we go back and try to make sense as to 

why I had a coat and a camera of someone that I thought had left it in the bar.

Maybe this was why???

Too many drinks could have been a BIG contributing factor in my lack of sane judgement and the strange maternal instinct that kicked in.

We called  the "lost and found" coat

 the baby.

I took great care of that baby and even had people thinking I was carrying a real baby down Main Street.

After what seemed like hours, but was probably only 20 minutes, a camera dropped out of the baby.

We looked at the pics and realized that the baby belonged to a kid that was still in the bar, 

and NOT to the group of people who had left.

[which is why i had to adopt the baby!!!  

i thought it had been abandoned]

After we all had the DNA and knew who the baby's daddy was, we went back to the bar to give the dude his kid.

As Paula and I walked past the coat check, she asked the guy if the bar had a lost and found.

He said yes, but there hasn't been any lost and found action for that night.

I then proceeded to ask with a brow raised and untrust in my voice,

"exactly how does your lost and found process work?"

He looked at me like any sober person would......

like I was a total fool!!!!

He replied,  "It works like a lost and found."

I turned on my heel and said, "well I don't trust you!" and walked into the bar until I found baby daddy!

I had put all kinds of love and care into that baby and I wasn't about to hand it over to an oversized door man that wouldn't appreciate the worth of this baby!

Needless to say, 

baby had been taken, 

went on a fun adventure against my chest, 

was in many of our own personal pictures, 

was dropped a time or two

 and returned back to daddy 

without daddy even knowing his baby had been gone!!!!

The oblivious daddy was way cool about the kidnapping and thanked me for taking great care of his bastard child :)

This was one of the most unexpectedly FUN girls nights.

There were one liners bouncing off each other like a pinball machine!!!

I can NOT relay in words the amount of belly laughs and near 'pee pants' we were.

[maybe the pee pants was just me?]

The energy between the four of us was free, witty, and all about celebrating life!

There was a blip moment in the evening that I truly stopped and took in the amazing woman as friends that surround me.

I do not take for granted each one of their qualities, their morals, their beauty, their thoughts, their  joys, and their commitments that they stand strong to hold.

I always think, "birds of a feather flock together".

I am sooo proud to be a part of this gaggle.

***that energy alcohol stayed in my system for two full days!

OH NELLY!!!!

I was HUNGover!!

I don't say that to brag by any means!!

At my age, a person should really control themselves and keep to moderation.

I am recovered today and can look back with less fuzzy mind of 

'the night I found a baby in the bar'.

because it lasts for an entire month....DUH!

I can't even believe that it's been a year since my 

'30 days of love'

 birthday celebration that you all sooooo

SPOILED ME TO EXTREMES!!!!

I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that there is this abundance of love that surrounds me.

There are not enough thank you's that could ever show my gratitude for the gifts, thoughts, and sentimental words you all shared with me.

Thank you again.....

sincerely!!!!

And so here I am, another year older.....

a few aches... 

and pains.... 

and house moves.... 

and good times...

 and belly fat under my belt.

I opened the door to a FedEx package awaiting my excitement of the reveal.

If anyone knows that I selfishly celebrate my birthday for an entire month or more, it's Auntie E.

And if anyone knows my Auntie E, you know that she is the queen of early prep and gift giving!

I anxiously cut the postal tape and said outloud,

"AWWWWWWE!!!!"

with an uncontained smile.

Inside was this beautiful metal bird cage with candles.

It quickly found it's perfect 'nesting' place on my kitchen counter.

The lime green candles are beautiful accents against the yellow lemons  and oranges of my fruit plates.

In the big yellow "OMG!" bag topped with yellow tissue paper,

[yellow being my fav color!]

was an array of wonderful surprises that had "Jolie" written all over them.

Earrings, bracelet, comedic tissues,

[Auntie E knows that I'm a sap and cry at the drop of 

anything sentimental.....

or funny... 

or happy.....

or just because I'm a crier of all things.

Tissues are a MUST have in my pocket book!]

a plaque to hang above my shoe rack,

a scarfie,

a beautiful turquoise box to put special hidden treasures in,

THE cutest card,

and two hair pretties.

I love this peacock hair clip that was hand made by a lady that she knows.

It's so classy and vintage looking.

The super soft animal print scarf,  'made in Italy' has already received much use.

I tend to wear a lot of browns and blacks, so this is a perfect addition to my wardrobe!

[Because I am a year older, you will be seeing more 'lip pucker' pics since it helps in elongating the face and smooths out the wrinkles!  HELL!!!  I might just walk around like this at all times!

What's an older girl to do but look like she is constantly posing for a facebook 'self shot'????

I'm telling ya!!! 

I'm going for drastic measures these days!]

Thanks Auntie E for always finding the most amazing gifts.

You make 'having' to get older........

fun!

loves, loves loves!!!!!

What NOT to get your spouse for his 45th birthday

I guess a personal blood pressure machine isn't a real good idea to give someone turning 45.

Apparently it makes them feel even more concrete that they are 'this' close to DEAD.

DEAD!

DEAD!

DEAD!

I know, I know.

It's along the same lines of a dude giving his chick a mop for Valentine's Day.

It's offensive.

And, if you could have seen the disappointment and lack of lust in his eyes as he opened it, you would cringe with uncomfortableness.

I kind of think he was hoping is was a joke.

I feel like a total fart face right now :(

BUT!!!  

In my defense.....

come on, just hear me out.....

We have been very worried about Randy's blood pressure.

He's always been healthy and in the correct number ranges for a healthy male.

But these last months have taken a toll on him and he hasn't been feeling well.

Dizziness, passing out, vertigo, confused and weight loss.

We both had an assessment for our health insurance where they do all of the blood work and blood pressure and weight and fat % and YADA YADA YADA.

Everything came back in good range except for his blood pressure, which he was in denial about, and had the poor gal re-test it like 6 times!  Each time, the numbers climbed.  We are pretty sure it's because of his nerves, but there is still reason to be keeping an eye on his health.

HENCE THE BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR GIFT SET!!!!

It truly was a gift of love, 

but I will make up for the

 "you are 45 now, and almost dead"

 gift to Rand in someway.

I'm thinking it will  probably involve a trip to Victoria's Secret :)

Talk about raising someone's blood pressure!

HUBBA! HUBBA!

BOW CHICA WOW WOW!

See!!!!

I told you my gift is the universal gift that keeps on giving!

On this day in 1966......

Randy.

is.

forty-five.

today.

HOLY SHIT!!!!

RANDY IS 45 TODAY!!!!

FOUR TEEEE FIVE!!!

When did this happen????

ya know,.......... old.

When  did old happen??

Apparently, right before our eyes.

Right before my eyes,

 I  still see the sweetest, 

most compassionate, 

epically handsome,

truest man I know.

If this is what old looks like,

well then I am a lucky woman to wake up next to it every day :)