I just get finer with age

You can read in my previous post some of what I was up to yesterday, but I was also celebrating my 31st birthday. :) Thank you very much, by the way, to all of you who sent cards or emailed or Facebooked me! I felt loved.

My family and I had tea at the tea house in Huntington Gardens-- best tea I've ever had, by the way, because they have lots of different delicious sandwiches and it's all-you-can-eat! Huntington was a rich guy a century ago who amassed lots of art and built a gorgeous estate to house it in, so we toured that. At tea I was given many gifts, as follows:

From my mom, a balloon. Not a new balloon, but the same one she gave to my older brother for his birthday three months ago. She spent fifty-nine cents to have it refilled with helium at Party City.

From my older brother, a little plastic Spock that says "Live long and prosper," when you press a button. He got it as a prize at Burger King.

From my younger brother, a lollipop he picked up at the bank.

Also from my younger brother, the bubbles that were a favor at the wedding for which he was best man last weekend.

I love my family. They give me such great stuff! :)

I did also get weightier presents from my parents. There was an automatic toothbrush, to which I'm already addicted. It was so tiring to have to move my hand so much while brushing my teeth manually-- can I get an Amen? :) I also got thirty-one dollars in cash, because my mom has kept up all the excellent customs established when we kids were kids: stockings at Christmas, baskets for Easter, and on our birthdays, as many dollars as we are years old. And I got money to buy some sandals at the Sketchers store my younger brother manages-- I'm looking forward to that.