Hey, guess what? I’m 29 freakin’ years old today. In case you were wondering, we’re spending the day in Connecticut. Yes, that’s right, Connecticut. Why in the world would I agree to go to Connecticut on my birthday, you ask? Because my other choice was New Jersey, but when it came down to it I didn’t want to be in a car for a total of 8 hours just to spend some time on the beloved Jersey Shore. So instead, we’ll start at Mystic, maybe try to find a beach if the sun peeks out. Our ultimate destination is Mohegan Sun.

I hope I get a free buffet dinner or something.

I’ve never posted the same blog entry on both blogs, but this one is an exception

Here’s one way to celebrate your birthday.

It’s so nice to cruise the weblogs and see everyone wishing everyone else a happy birthday. Birthdays are very important to me. I thank my parents for that. It surprised me to find out just recently that my own mother hadn’t been given a proper birthday party until she was well into adulthood. But, I guess it all makes sense that she’d want us to have something she didn’t have, although out of spite she could have easily have denied us the pleasure and after years of therapy we would have understood why.

It’s been a freaking birthday orgie, June has. Last night, we celebrated Kelsey’s on the deck of the renovated Northampton Brewery. I can’t say that I’ve ever been to someone else’s birthday party and come away with presents for me before. How nice. I felt guilty, having forgotten my card for Kelsey, and well, being too broke to actually be able to produce a gift for my kindreds. Then my friend Ash reminded me that people don’t give gifts in order to get gifts. They give them because it makes them feel good. Yeah, I forget that sometimes. I was raised Catholic, what can I do?

I found out that Kelsey’s girlfriend Jaime’s birthday is the same day as my mother’s — September 27. It’s amazing when you discover little facts like that. It makes me like Jaime even more than I did already. But, she’s a Libra, so I should expect that.

With all the birthdays falling so heavily on one month and really, one weekend, a lot of conversations last night revolved around horoscopes. I fell into one rather excrutiating conversation about Scorpios. Scorpios are supposed to be a good match for me, but after that discussion, I think I’ll stick with an Aquarius.

Kelsey, Jennifer, Jennifer and I are all cancers. According to my only astrological book called Relationships (it was a gift, people!):

Cancer I’s [those born the week of June 25-July 2] are very reactive to the feelings of others, and their boundaries are so fluid that their partners pick up on their moods without realizing it. Consider, then, the effect of two of them in combination: each magnifies the other’s welter of feelings. The relationship becomes extremely complex emotionally.

Read: we’re a bunch of crybabies.

Alas, I will not be at Jennifer M.’s big outdoor bash on Sunday. Cheers to all the birthday ladies and I’ll be back in the blogging world on Tuesday.

My grandma Fern just called to ask if we were staying with her over the 4th of July. “Are you staying with me next weekend?” she asks. She detects hesitation in my voice and follows with, “You know, just so I can get the room ready.”

I love it when my grandma calls. It’s like when you’re a reservist and you get a call to report for active duty. It’s a rare call, but when you get it you don’t ignore it. You accept it with pride.

“Of course we’ll stay with you next weekend. That would be great.”

Hey, it’s me again! So, yeah, just so you know, you can still take that survey I’ve been blathering on about. It closes on Monday afternoon. Yes, the Monday that is my birthday.

Today at the temp job I’ve been making cold calls to ex-students. Everyone has been so nice so far, but I need to stop every once in a while so my voice doesn’t get hoarse, hence the short posts. See you in about half an hour.

TIRH just sent me an email that says, “missing you like molly misses the out of doors.”

Wow, that’s a lot!

I was in the best mood last night when I got home. I don’t know why. Maybe it was the cabernet I had just enjoyed at the Delaney House with co-workers. Who knows? I was silly as all get-out. Later, around 9:30 pm, I embodied a stereotype of women everywhere when I walked into Stop & Shop and bought tampons and a carton of Brigham’s ice cream.

1. Julia Roberts sighting in Portland.

2. I will never buy anything nice or breakable for the house again. Miles broke my coveted ceramic dish soap dispenser. It was painted green, blue and orange and sported a rooster on the front. He also dragged our curtains by the large windows in the back of the house down with his own claws. We’ve been exposed to the world (well, our landlord and his family when they walk by or go upstairs) for about a week now.

3. Confession: I sometimes use toothpaste to help rid my bastard face of acne.

4. Whatever phenomenon is waking me up at 5 am, will you please cease?

5. Does anyone know how to drill holes in a wall to put up brackets in order to hang an iron rod on which to hang curtains? TIRH and I are failing at this home interior project.

6. You remember how I lost my cell phone? Well I found it the other day. Behind a CD rack by the desk.

7. I’d like a grill. That would be nice.

8. A friend of mine has moved into a magnificent housing situation during this great month of June (the greatest month of the year!). Imagine having a pool table, a dart board, a laundry room, a workbench, a tv/playstation area, a music (!!) room, (and that’s just the basement). It’s unimaginable isn’t it? Yes, I’ve seen nirvana and it’s in South Amherst.

I’ve been discussing via email the perception of travel safety in the Middle East with my Syrian friend. I expressed to him that I felt it was a bad time to be traveling anywhere due to the Iraq War. His response:

Whatever you are told about the middle east and its unsafety, and whatever is there inside the middle east, it remains unclear why it is unsafe. I see foreigners on the street everyday. I was in a meeting with the _______________ and he confirmed that his hotel occupancy is 80%, half of which are Americans and Europeans. what is the matter with the press and foreign ministries? americans have to visit the middle east to see what is going on. there are problems but not bombs. all there is … is people who want to live and sing in peace. Come and see for yourself before it’s too late.

I think when I used to have more international friends, I was a little bit more optimistic than I am these days. It’s true that western media is fueling this perception, but there are reams of travel advisories sent out by the Department of State on a daily basis. It may be true that this has always been the case, even during the Clinton administration, but the fact that I hear about it more is certainly a recent phenomenon.

I was kind of expecting his answer to be what it was. It was a dose of reality that I know I need.

to the Smith College Museum of Art before they start charging you. At the beginning of the next fiscal year (July 1), they’ll start charging you: $5 if you’re an adult; $4 if you’re a senior; and $3 if you’re a student. Children 12 and under get in for a paltry $2.

I’m not saying that the exhibits (and artsy toilets) at the Smith Museum are not worth paying for, but it is kind of sad when art becomes even a wee bit less accessible to the masses.

OK, that’s my good deed for the day.

This is a picture of ruins in Palmyra, Syria. I am from Palmyra, Pennsylvania.

I got a lovely email from my friend Michel who lives in Damascus, Syria. He has invited TIRH and me (and *ahem* the cats) to visit him. In fact, Michel (who was studying architecture on a Fulbright scholarship the last year that I was an undergraduate at PSU) could be reading this right now!

I have always wanted to visit Syria. Here’s a simple map to show geographically-challenged Americans where the country is located. I’ve also always wanted to visit Iran (for reasons that most people know already) and I have open invitations to both places.

Unfortunately, for reasons that most people know already (um, yeah, there’s a war going on) and the fact that both Syria and Iran are ‘on the Department of State’s list of State sponsors of terrorism’ coupled with aggressive US policies against these countries (that are inhabited by some of the most wonderful people in the world) prevent me from visiting at this time.

BB (Before Bush) I more than entertained the possibility of visiting the Middle East. You could say I seriously considered it.

AB (After Bush) I think it will be many years before I entertain that notion again. I’m rather pessimistic that the damage the Bush administration has done will be fixed within 10-15 years, if at all in my lifetime.

In the immortal words of Morrissey: America your head’s too big, Because America, Your belly’s too big.