Le't Consider This One Practice for the Real One

Soooooooo, technically, Andy had a birthday yesterday (Thursday), and maaaaaaaybeeee today, at around 2:42 PM, I might have officially started my 37th year on this planet. (That makes me 36 now, if you're as confused as I was the first time I heard that phrase.)

But I think we'll actually start celebrating and calling it official after the plague has left chez tactless and moved on to other pastures to spread it's cough and phlegm and massive headaches and exhaustion to them.

I am actually not the one trying to expel any of my innards at the moment, that would be Andy. A party was canceled and everything (he hit that 4-0 milestone, you see). Had he gone through with the party, I'm afraid everyone would end up with the coughing sickness and would no longer want to be friends...and Andy might have caught pneumonia from it all and really, not being too drama-queen about this, the man is ill. Technicolor ill if you catch my meaning.

If the symptoms I'm experiencing are going to become what he has? Yeah, let's just consider yesterday and today practice for the "real" celebrating.

Andy's "birthday" included lots of sudafed, advil, and watching of 2012 (the one with John Cusak that came and went from the theaters before I even realized it was out? Yeah that one.) Watching it made me realize that we need to get a bigger TV for 'splosion watching. That and a good dose of Nyquil before bed was the highlight of the evening. I know, we like to par-tee hard.

My birthday did have a cake, and presents (!) even, but I'll have to post about those tomorrow because the camera is far far away (possibly the living room) and my sinuses are trying to get my attention again. I will share a picture of the candle though (no, Andy would not let me put 36 candles on the cake as I am having enough problems breathing right now without trying to blow out the inferno associated with such a large number of burning sticks.
We found him in our neighborhood Bartells, or as I like to call it, meth-mart. When I was there the other night purchasing the aforementioned Nyquil I got to dodge the fellow who followed me in (by going into the feminine napkin section), try not to get run over by the red-faced guy who really needed a gatorade RIGHT NOW, man, and listen to yelling girl lose her shit with the cashier (I kid you not, I have been at this Bartells no more than 10 times, and 7 of those times yelling girl has been in their yelling at one of the cashiers).

None of these things ever happen when Andy comes with me on a meth-mart run, he is like the shiny little penny I've taken to keeping in my pocket when I go to work. I haven't shared this tidbit either, have I? Penny Man I mean?

There is this guy that stands in the doorway to an apartment building for older underprivileged men that's run by the Seattle Archdiocese (I did my research.) He is older than your average pan-handler, with shoulder-length scraggly white hair and just doesn't seem to be all there.

In this cracking LOUD voice he asks any and all passers by for a penny. As in, "'SCUSE ME, DO YOU HAVE A PENNY!??!" If I have learned anything living where I have? I don't carry an loose change whatsoever. It's just easier for me. But a penny? Really? So I found a penny and put it in my pocket and set out with the idea that I'd give him the penny that next afternoon. But he wasn't there.

Every day for three days I kept that penny in my pocket and no Penny Man. The very next day I use a different jacket and forget to switch over the penny and sure enough, he's there, asking for a penny! And I didn't have one! And sure enough, when I put the penny in my pocket the next day? No Penny Man.

My theory is that if I keep a penny on my person, I will not see him. No really. Today? One the meth-mart run looking for candles? No penny, and what did I spy as we turned the corner and walked the opposite direction of the men's hotel? Yep, white scraggly hair in the doorway. He was a street away so I couldn't hear him and we didn't pass him at all, but still, urgh, you know?!?

Wow, that all kinda got away from me...but YEAH, candle! And it's Nemo with his gimpy little right fin which I totally get with my not-working-right right arm. But those eyes. If the pictures look anything like what I could see from the LCD screen on the camera? Oh just you wait.