Another year older

In the grand scheme of things, I don't mind getting older. I am not one of those people who would relive my high school experience or want to stay in college forever; I definitely came into my own after those times were behind me.

I do realize that in the grand scheme of life, I am fairly young. In fact, that has always been my "thing" -- being the Young One. In my former career, I was a good 10-30 years younger than my clients and those we worked with. Among our post-college friends, I have always been the Young One. Ironically, I've always joked that I was 22-going-on-45 since I act like anything but the Young One. I can't help but feel that I blinked and suddenly find myself in my [gulp] late 20's.

This Saturday was spent in celebration of the 2nd Anniversary of My 25th Birthday. Thanks to a surprise refund from Uncle Sam that arrived on Wednesday (the government, not my actual uncle Sam) I was able to get the gift that I wanted but never thought we could actually afford right now. As if that wasn't good enough, we scored some of the most delicious Chocolate Cherry Bread from Central Market which served as the tastiest Birthday Breakfast I've had in a long time. Mr. Cupcake started the day off in one of my favorite ways -- with a schedule! In a mockery of my daily "To Do" lists, he created a schedule of the day's activities, including notated comments. There was lots of relaxing, eating the yummiest of my favorite foods and the dorkiest rendition of "Happy Birthday" via text/photo/voice message from my brother Eric.

What Mr. Cupcake's cake lacked in size, it made up in thoughtfulness.

Not a complaint to be had and it certainly beats the pants off my past few birthdays:

• Age 25 - Spent 3 days babysitting for Mr. Cupcake's supervisor's 2 small children while they were on a business trip. There were diapers. There were temper tantrums. Plus, they acted up so badly in my car that I ran a stop sign and got pulled over [no ticket -- out of the sheer pity the cop must have had for me] at 7:30am. There was not a lot of sleep nor fun for the Birthday Girl that year.
• Age 26 - Mr. Cupcake was working and I spent the day largely by myself, save for an embarrassing lunch with my friend Aimee involving a sombrero and an ice cream potato. Even afternoon tea at the Metropolitan Museum of Art could not redeem my dignity. While the Carrot Top sighting helped a little, the whole moving halfway across the country thing made the whole day more stressful.
  

Side note: The one thing I did miss was my special birthday dinner. Since turning 20, I have celebrated each birthday with dinner at a small restaurant named Bruculino's on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Last year we discovered that the owners opened a new French Bistro restaurant (Bistro Cassis) in it's place, which was incredibly tasty, but just not the same. Each year I'd await the braciola that melted in my mouth and the gnocchi that were like little potato pillows from heaven. I heard a rumor that they actually switched spots (Cassis was down on 14th street) and renamed it Pomodoro -- I may have to do some detective work when I'm back in NYC in November.

On Notice: My TiVO

Among all of the season premiers this week, there was only one that really mattered to me (OK, three if you count The Office & 30 Rock that I watch online). I settle into the couch tonight and flip on Grey's Anatomy. I am engrossed in the new story lines and trying to decide if I like Lexi or not (for the record, I'm leaning towards no... since I find her just as whiny/annoying as her half-sister). Izzy sees George at the door, and then...

Nothing.

My TiVO has taken it upon itself that I've seen enough and stopped the recording there. No ending. No previews of next week. I am not a happy camper.

TiVO, you've been warned!

Up to: 9/27/07

Finally awaking from:
My bed
The Balloon Festival was even more exhausting than we imagined!


Planning for:
A return trip to San Diego
A week and a half from now I'll be back on the West Coast. Coronado, you've been warned!


Avoiding:
Grocery shopping
Have you ever had one of those weeks when you have no desire to cook?


Doing the happy dance for:
Nikon D40x
Coming on Friday -- I've been waiting for a new digital SLR for ages now and I could not imagine a better birthday gift!

Wait... Did she just say birthday gift?! [smirk]

Show Alert: Plano Balloon Festival

Plano Balloon Festival
Friday 9/21 - Sunday 9/23
Location: Plano, TX
Event link: planoballoonfest.org


Chameleon
Pilot: Dale Tibodeau
Houston, Texas

We will be located just before the Kids Fun Zone, directly along the Launch Field. Stop by and say hello!

Up to: 9/18/07

Sewing... and sewing... and sewing...


The only daylight I've seen in the past 5 days has been through my window, which I conveniently face away from while at The Beast. It's my own fault, really, since I grossly
miscalculated the pacing of my To Do list for this weekend's show inventory and now find myself a full 4 DAYS behind schedule. Since we have to set up Friday afternoon, that pretty much leaves 2 more days to pump out 6 days worth of work. I wish myself Godspeed.

Truthfully, it is weeks like this that I wonder why I have my own business when I could very "easily" go back to a traditional 9-to-5 job (note: please don't think that I think those of you reading with said jobs have it any easier/harder than those of us who take a more non-traditional path. I've been there -- it's not). But come Saturday afternoon or, better yet, Sunday around 7pm when we start to pack up and head home I'll be reminded of why I started The Creative Cupcake. Watching people enjoy my colorful, pretty things, meeting new customers and catching up with our "regulars", and noshing on lots of terrible, fried fair food is worth every sunless minute.

Open letter to my VW:

My Dearest Helga,

Why must you be so spatially efficient? Why must you drive like a sleek car, and not the Soccer Mom Mobile that you appear to be. Your heated seats warming my buns in cold Northeast winters; your strong air conditioner cooling those very same buns in dreadful Texas summers. So strong and reliable. So German.

But today, sadly, I wish I didn't love you so.

We both know there has been some whistling. Some chirping that sounds like a cricket is stuck in your dashboard. I accidentally allowed your washer fluid reserves to get a little low, as you kindly remind me every 15 minutes with that charmingly shrill beep. But you knew I'd take care of you.

Helga, let me ask you something -- why is it that I am unable to take you to the mechanic to find out about that funny, whistling, chirping noise you've been making and discover that is a quick, $25 thing to fix. Why, oh why must it be some $1200, 2-day ordeal? Maybe it's just some bad PMS you're dealing with -- it's OK -- you can tell me.

Of course we'll have them fix you up like you've had an afternoon at Bliss -- even though it now means that my own Bliss massage/facial enjoyment will have to wait. Deep down, I still believe the sound is just you, telling me that you love me too.

Insert witty blog title here...

Lots going on in Cupcake land, hence the sporadic blog posts as of late. As I type there are 43 brand new items waiting to be photographed and listed on the site -- all of which have been patiently waiting for close to 3 weeks now. No time then and no time now, but somewhere, some way I need to make time.

Our first event of the season is coming up next weekend and I don't feel even remotely ready. They quoted about 70,000 people for last year's attendance, which means I need to have a fair amount of back stock to keep our display full. It is also a 3-day show, with three FULL days (6am - 10pm on Saturday... are you kidding me?!) so I need to have a fair amount of sleep leading up until then. I am mostly dreading Sunday night when I will undoubtedly crash into oblivion, not to be seen out of my bed until Wednesday.

I've also discovered how much joy I get in throwing things out -- which is an odd thing for me (a self-proclaimed pack rat) to type. I have a bad habit of keeping things, rationalizing that I'll find a use for them but knowing they will inevitably end up in storage. I've been forced to weed through a good deal of it lately and have admittedly found a great deal of joy in deciding to toss things I haven't used/needed/wanted in the past year. It puts me in quite a zen state, I must admit. Our clothes closet has been put on notice, because I made an appointment with a consignment store and all bets are off!