1/9/06

Vinny T’s (I had the fettucine carbonara, which is what I always get, and which I love love LOVE) for lunch for my birthday, and gave me my birthday presents. I got money from my parents and most of the Aurora Teagarden series from my awesome sister who ROCKS. I used some of the money from my parents to buy a new Healthy Back Bag at LL Bean, this one in Green Mist.

I got it in size small. It joins the black size-small and indigo size-large (which I use for traveling) bags that I already have. I just love these bags more than any purse I’ve ever owned. I got a pretty good deal on the bag I bought, because they’re usually $59.95, but some of the bags were on sale for $39.95, including the bag I got. Score! I seriously considered buying a Paul Vose print with the rest of my birthday money – this one, to be exact – there was a display of various Paul Vose prints, matted and framed, for $60. I picked it up, I put it back, I picked it up, I put it back, I left without buying it, and then talked about how I wished I’d bought it, and actually went BACK to LL Bean a few days later, but decided that I’ve taken so many pictures of the Maine ocean and beach that I really, really like – this one, and this one, especially – that what I should do is choose one or two of them to hang on the wall, rather than paying for someone else’s art. (Har! NO, I don’t consider my pictures to be “art”, stop rolling your eyes.). Although, before I got my birthday money and before I even went to Bean’s and saw the above-linked picture, I saw this picture (well, crap. Maybe it was this one. I don’t remember!) in the mall and loved it so much that I had it matted and framed and shipped here. Chances are good that I won’t be seeing Mount Katahdin in the Fall anytime soon, so I can rationalize the purchase. Or so I’d like to think. While we were at lunch my mother said something about how I was going to be 40 soon (SOON? I’ve got two years, woman!), and that she’d have to decide whether to continue giving me a birthday gift or not. See, my older brothers are both over 40, and she decided at some point that when they turned 40 she was going to stop sending them gifts for their birthdays and scale it back to simply sending them cards, because they tend not to remember her birthday and haven’t for years, and her thinking seems to be that if they haven’t thought about sending their mother a birthday card by the time they’re 40, they’re probably not going to start. Debbie and I, on the other hand, always acknowledge her birthday and my parents’ wedding anniversary (which is coming up. Reminder to self: Buy anniversary card!), so whether we’re cut off when we’re 40 remains to be seen. Doesn’t matter to me one way or the other, I’ll still send her flowers or a gift card on her birthday whether I get anything from her on my birthday or not. Because I’m JUST that wonderful.
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So, the trip to Maine was pretty good. I don’t know that I need to keep visiting for ten days at a time, though. I think a week is sufficient, and I’m pretty sure that my parents were ready to have their house back to normal after a week. And I sure did miss my babies – and my baby – while I was gone. My father recently got back from a three(ish) month trip to Virginia, and got to have a couple of weeks off due to the comp time he’d built up. After weeks of sleeping in late and hanging around the house, he was a sad monkey the morning of January 2nd when he had to get up at 4:45. He’s retiring in March. When I first got to Maine, for the first few days, I felt like I was translating what everyone was saying to each other. For instance, the spud would say something, my mother would misunderstand what she’d said, and I’d say “No, what she meant was…” At lunch at Lonestar the day we spent all day in Portland shopping, Brian said something with his mouth full, and everyone looked at him and said “What?” “He said…” I said, and told them what he’d said. Debbie turned to me and said “Oh, do you speak full mouth?” The longer I was in Maine, the less easy it was to understand what the mumbly teenagers were saying, though, and by the end of the trip, I was saying “Is that English?” to Brian when he said something to me. I suppose the fact that I had a cold that was affecting my ears probably didn’t help matters any. We did a lot – A LOT – of shopping while I was in Maine, and went to a lot of movies, and went out to eat a lot. To me, that’s a really good vacation, so I think I’d give this one four stars. I’m not going to do a day-by-day recap of the trip (you’re welcome), but I did jot down a few random memories: * Debbie and I went into Victoria’s Secret to see what they had on sale. Debbie ended up getting a big set of exfoliant, lotion, and something else (shower gel, maybe?) in the Body by Victoria scent (which smells exactly like the So Sexy shampoo and conditioner). The set was 50% off, so she bought one set during our first trip to the mall, and during our second trip to the mall a few days later she bought another set. I bought a bottle of exfoliant because she’d tried it and raved about it, and I’ve found that we tend to agree when it comes to that sort of thing. So we were standing in line at Victoria’s Secret, and I glanced upward, behind the registers, and saw a couple of mannequins laying on a shelf. I looked them over, and before I considered how stupid it sounded, I nudged Debbie, pointed to one of the mannequins, and said “Her lips are totally fake.” Debbie smiled and said “Ya think?” Later, over lunch with my parents and Brian at Vinny T’s, I told my mother the story, and then Debbie and I talked about the cashier at Victoria’s Secret who’d tried to convince us to sign up for some card or another (the Angel card? Maybe?) that would get us savings and get us signed up to be harassed receive special offers for things like panties and bras. “Do I look like I can fit my ass into any of the panties they carry?” I said, wide-eyed, to my mother. She just smiled and shrugged and then said, intending to be comforting I suppose, “Maybe someday you’ll be able to fit into them!” “I might be able to fit into them someday,” I said, “But I’m really more of a Hanes Her Way kinda gal at heart!” *My sister’s friend, who is also named Debbie, was aghast when she found out I was going to be in Maine for ten days. “She’s going to be here THAT LONG?!”, were her exact words, I believe. Because when the spud and I are in town, we tend to take over my sister’s spare time, and she doesn’t spend much time with her friends. “Did you tell her I outrank her?” I asked my sister. “You outrank EVERYONE,” Debbie said. Damn right. Heh. * I brought some magazines and catalogues to Maine with me to look at while I blow-dried my hair (GOD, is blow-drying hair the most boring thing EVER, or what?), and I saw a t-shirt that said “Who needs a therapist? I have a sister!” AMEN TO THAT! * The movies we saw: Rumour Has It. Eh. I was really looking forward to it, but it wasn’t that good. And the more I looked at her, the funnier-looking Jennifer Aniston got. I expected a better movie from Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner (um, shut up. I LIKED Waterworld) and Shirley MacLaine. The Family Stone. Really pretty good – at one point my mother leaned over and said “Are they sure this isn’t called The Family (my maiden name)?” Rachel McAdams is so adorable I can barely stand to look at her. Syriana. Jesus Christ, this movie sucked so horribly that Debbie, the kids and I got up and walked out after an hour and a half and didn’t care at ALL how the movie ended. I would rather spend an hour and a half blow-drying hair, and y’all know how much I hate THAT shit. On a side note, when he’s all roughed up, George Clooney looks a lot like my brother Randy. They share a lot of the same mannerisms. Very odd. Fun with Dick and Jane. Kind of a let-down. Jim Carrey’s shtick is funny, but in this movie there was no real story to back up the shtick. I do like Tea Leoni an awful lot, though. Pride and Prejudice (which my mother persisted in calling “The Pride and the Prejudice”, heh). This was far and away the best movie we went to see. I’m not crazy about Keira Knightly, but she really made that role her own. (DISCLAIMER: I haven’t seen the miniseries with Colin Firth yet, though it’s in my Netflix queue. I understand there’s some scene with him in a wet shirt that will make me swallow my tongue?) We went to see this at the Eveningstar Cinema – a small, independent theater in downtown Brunswick and some time into the movie, I came to realize that I had to pee. But I didn’t want to miss anything, and I thought the movie would be over soon, so I stayed put. And stayed put. And stayed put. All the while thinking, “This is almost over!” Finally, when Elizabeth went in to speak to her father after Miiiiiister Darcy had spoken to him, and he was all “What can you be thinking, Lizzie? You hate him! He’s got a big stick up his ass!” and she went all soft-eyed and was all “I thought he had a big stick up his ass, but he doesn’t! I love him, truly I do!”, I thought “Oh, christ almighty, this is NEVER GOING TO END!”, and I got up and ran to the bathroom, and when I came back into the theater, Lizzie and Miiiiister Darcy were all snuggly and he was kissing her face, and the movie lasted approximately another thirty seconds. Which means I’ll have to rent it to see the three minutes of the movie I missed. Or maybe I’ll just go ahead and buy it, ’cause I think it’s going to end up being a favorite of mine. Annnnd… I think that’s about it. Want to see some pictures? Okay, just a few random ones. I’ll save the baby pictures and stories for tomorrow.
Every time I fly, I have to take cloud pictures. It’s the law. Debbie and I ate at Pedro O’Hara’s one evening. It’s an Irish/ Mexican restaurant. No, there were no corned beef tacos on the menu. I had a reuben, and it was goooood. Dorks. The Big Boot at Bean’s. Also, the spud. Big balls o’ light hanging from the trees near Bean’s. They were very cool. I don’t remember the name of this place, but it always cracks me up. It’s a drive-through coffee place in Brunswick, and I love the cow in the coffee cup on the top of the building. Mom and the kids at Lonestar. Does this seagull look miserably cold, or what?
More random uploaded pictures, here.
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Previously 2005: No entry. 2004: Happy birthday to me! 2003: Happy birthday to me! 2002: Oh, is it my birthday? 2001: Happy birthday to me! 2000: I have pneumonia. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!]]>

59 thoughts on “1/9/06”

  6. Happy Birth-Cake! (That’s what my older daughter always called the big day when she was little).
    Glad you’re back home safe and sound … and writing once again. Missed ya!
    Those prints you linked to are gorgeous. Wow. I can see why you would want to have them to look at. They are really nice.

  8. Happy Birthday, Robyn!!!!!
    I laughed out loud reading about Pedro O’Hara’s! Just last night we drove by a recently closed restaurant called O’Salsa Grill, and wondered aloud if they had…Corned Beef Tacos. Heh! Great minds….
    Have a fanTAStic day, birthday girl!
    xoxo
    Kathy

  11. See, I’m horrible at math, and when you said “nineteen times two,” I totally thought, “She’s only 28? I thougt she was at least my age…” and then I felt like a moron. šŸ˜›
    Happy Birthday!

  13. Robyn,
    I missed you while you were in Maine! So glad you’re back and posting again. I hope you have a fantastic birthday today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! I too, have been thinking of getting a purse like you got at L.L. Bean. I have heard lots about them but can you tell your readers what you absolutly love about this kind of purse? Which size do you prefer? I’d love to hear your comments about them. Anyway, so glad you’re back with us and I’m sure you’re kitty kids are, too!

  18. I loved the pictures you posted, and you know if you play your cards right, you can be 38 for a loooooonng time to come!! Happy Birthday to you dah–ling!! Nanamama šŸ™‚

  25. Happy birthday! The Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice is the best by a long way in my view!

  28. Happy Birthday Robyn! I’m so glad there is someone out there that I think is cool, who is a few months older than me. ‘Whew.

  29. Happy Birthday, Robyn! Happy happy happy!! :o)
    All those prints you linked to? Gorgeous! I would love to own any of them. Don’t sell yourself short. You and Fred take great pictures. That last one though, the one from Bean, made me gasp. Stunning!

  30. Happy Birthday, Robyn!!!
    (Stop the weirdness already. Not only do you & my hubby have the same bday, you’re also the same age!!)

  31. Robyn,
    Hope you have a Happy Birthday!
    Glad you’re back, was beginning to have withdrawals. Love those kitty pics.

  37. Happy Birthday Miz Robyn. Why do our elders keep wanting us to be 40 so soon? A couple of days before my 39th (last July), my aunt told my Mom how poor SHE was because her baby was soon to be 40 – no sympathy for me. šŸ™ She did it in front of me. Of course, I had a kick back that I was 3 when she married my uncle so she must be really old. šŸ™‚

  40. Happy Birthday, Robyn!! Also, a belated YAY for your safe return from Maine! The internet isn’t the same when you are gone. Hope you have a wonderful day with delicious birthday cake.

  42. Happy Birthday Robyn! Now don’t let this go to your head but three bright spots to my day are Ellen, Martha and YOU!

  43. Happy Birthday! And many more! Something cool happened today ** I received Anders3n Foster Kitties Calendar ** šŸ˜€

  44. Happy, happy birthday, and many more!!
    I have that L.L. Bean purse in black large. I love it, there are so many compartments to organize things, it’s easy to find my junk.
    I love Pedro O’Hara’sā€”a friend at work told me about it. It’s so reasonable too.
    I also disliked Syriana, though I foolishly watched the whole thing. I couldn’t figure out who was on whose side and what was George Clooney’s character doing in his last scene? (Was he setting those people up or trying to warn them? It wasn’t clear to me and that irked me a lot.)
    Where is Vinny T’s? Is that the restaurant on Main St. in Lisbon Falls? I have been there and liked it, but I’m not sure of the name. Also the Chinese restaurant on Main St. can sometimes be very good.
    I also think you and Fred take great pictures. Who’s to say your photos are not art? I think they are!

  45. Happy Birthday Robyn!!
    It made me laugh that you need distraction while you blowdry your hair.
    I think I love your vacation report entries the most of anything.

  46. Happy Birthday Robyn! I hope you had a great day!!! Glad you are back from Maine. I missed reading your journal while you were gone!

  47. Happy Birthday! (Lee had to remind me – it is a genetic defect that we males of the family have…I only remember my own birthday because it coincides with the bombing of Hiroshima). Good thing I didn’t feel the need to take pictures of clouds everytime I flew, eh?

  51. Happy happy happy happy happy happy happy birthday to you!
    Birthdays are fun, but I think once you hit 35 you should get to start going backwards.

  53. Okay in your time zone it’s not your birthday anymore but in mine it is so I hope you accept this in the spirit and time zone from which it’s offered: Happy Birthday!

  54. Hi!
    Happy Birthday! Glad you are back from Maine and writing again.
    As for P and P, don’t buy it until you’ve seen the BBC version. I just wrote what I thought about the two the other day on my (new) journal. I’ve linked to it if you are interested. (I hope it works.)
    Sharon

  55. Robyn,
    Thank you for everything. I didn’t make it through the whole post because I have the first photo shoot of my whole life coming in a little while and I think I have to mentally prepare for this (aka: drink lots of coffee)
    The first picture you showed us gave me the chills.
    Of your shots, I like the walk one. Beautiful. Fantastic.
    This Friday we are doing Stuff Portrait Friday – Friday the 13th theme. I would love for you to play!
    I’m posting about it later after the 4th cup of coffee kicks in.
    Thanks again Robyn!!

  57. hb2u. Rachel McAdams IS cute. Saw her in… uh, Wedding Crashers this weekend. That ended up being more of a love story than I expected it to be. And on Costner, did you see The Upside of Anger? REALLY good. I liked him in that – hadn’t seen him in that sort of role prior.

  58. Happy belated birthday, Robyn. I turn 40 in 3 weeks and 5 days – making hubby throw me a birthday party. Gee, hope he remembers!

  59. SheilaJane-The restaurant on Main Street in Lisbon Falls was Marios, its now little lisas or something:) Vinny T’s is by the mall in South Portland. (Robyn, I think a certain family we know might own that Little Lisas place. Remember sisters Lisa, Tammy & Karen?)

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