Happy Birthday to me, Part 1!!

I'm sure all your readers know that March is a super exciting month for yours truly.  And if you don't then we need to have a little talk and you need to re-read my phamplet o'fun facts I hand out to all my new friends.  Its my birthday month!  Its also my mom's birthday month!  And its my new friend Ginni's birthday month!  Well, she's not my "new" friend in that I've known her for a while now, but its my first March birthday month to know her.  Remember Ginni?  You met her here.  She's a fun girl.  And her birthday was this past Monday.  And mine is next Saturday.  We're practically twins, you know.

Yesterday, I got to work and there was a table with a tablecloth in the middle of the little trailer I share with Cassandra and Jerome and a crockpot with something yummy inside.  I asked Cassandra about it and she denied all knowledge of this, but with a hint of a wicked smile.  Later on the morning, I went over to the other trailer to do some work.  Or, hang out and talk to Ginni.  Something like that.  We were then called back to my area and lo and behold, it was a birthday party for both of us!!!!

 The decorated table!  See the little flower pots on the edges?  I found those at Dollar Tree and bought everyone one-- they are solar-powered and wave their little leaves and flowers.  Its so cute!!!

 Ginni eyeing the food.  I'm not sure what Marietta or Doretha are doing. 

 In this picture, you can barely see Valerie, sitting so lady-like in her pretty turquoise and black and white dress, and Vanessa in the back.  Vanessa is so picture-shy- she never wants me to take her picture!  I don't know why!  She's so pretty and I love Vanessa!!!

 Me and the other birthday girl, Ginni Mitchell!  I love this supervisor!!  She's my favorite!

 Me and Doretha-- she was amazed at how my camera phone showed you the picture while you were taking it-- right before this she was all fixing her hair and stuff!!!

 Jerome's absolutely fantastic salad-- craisins, strawberries, mixed greens cause thats what Ginni likes, cucumbers, almonds-- it was great!! Jerome is officially in charge of making our salads from now on at all office functions!

 I shoulda known something was up when this little toaster oven showed up in our office yesterday and Vanessa waved it off and said something like, "oh I have to take it back"!  She used it to toast us some garlic bread!  Yum!!!
 

 Ginni looks awfully guilty tasting those cupcakes!!!

 My card and the best gift you can give someone who spends all day in her office-- office supplies!!  Ginni got some too and she also got the largest jar of pickles I've ever seen.  She's obsessed with pickles. 

And then, the best part- my legal clerk, Cassandra, whom I adore, got me and Ginni

these pretty potted plants!! 

 Ginni is attempting to hide behind the plant so she won't have to do anymore work.  Nice try...

This was a fantastic birthday lunch!  It made my day, it really did!  I've worked with some really great people in my life and enjoyed them so very much.  But this group is absolutely the best group I've ever worked with entirely.  I love them all!  I'm so happy to have a job where I really, really love going to work.  Oh this job drives me crazy sometimes, it really does.  But rarely do these co-workers drive me crazy!  Its usually more like the clients!  We have so much fun laughing and cutting up about the most random things and we really band together when we have to deal with some crazy folks!  Its nice to have people who know what you are dealing with and help you when you have bad days and such.

I'm really blessed to have a job I love so much, especially after my last job, wherein that boss was just awful!  I'm a lucky girl to have co-workers who love me enough to have a birthday party for me!  They just really make my heart happy!  Thank you to Vanessa, Jerome, Doretha, Marietta, and Cassandra, and the newest addition to the group, Valerie!  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!

Pizza, Tennis and Draw Something....

Last night, my friend Jennifer and I went to watch her husband, Cliff, and our friend Paul, play tennis in a local tennis league.  We cheered super loud, made all sorts of Rodick/Nadal/Williams catcalls, and then left when it got a little bit cold.  I've never been accused of anything other than being a fair-weather fan.  We then headed over to our friend Andrews house for an impromptu pizza party.  I've fallen into a pretty great group of friends here in Cleveland, and thus far, they continue to let me hang out with them, and, usually, sit at the same table in public. 

Anyway, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing and I don't really know where the idea originated, but it was a great idea!  Joannah made some yummy pizza dough and everyone had individual pizzas with their own choice of toppings- chicken, cheeses, pepperoni, tomatoes.  Another part of the evening was my new favorite game- Draw Something!  I've seen a lot of people on facebook talking about this new game and yesterday, a friend of mine introduced me.  I've spent entirely too much time playing it since then.  And last night, everyone saw me playing it and downloaded it themselves, and we spend a good portion of the evening playing it amongst ourselves with each other, saying things like "what in the world were you thinking when you drew that?" or "how could you not see that was a grandma?  Are you blind!??" or "hurry up and play your turn!".  Its addictive and also quite humbling when you realize you cannot draw a dolphin or a duck.  Its a whole lot of fun.  And once you readers download it, let's play!

Here are some pictures from the night:

 From l-r, Laura Beth, yours truly, Corley, Joannah and Andrew the host

 Here they are cooking up a storm.  I also love this picture cause Jennifer doesn't look posed at all-- this is actually how she cooks, people.  With a pretty smile and her arm picking up the cheese.  For no apparent reason. 

 Doesn't Andrew sorta look like a cooking show host?  Thats like posing with some fans or something?!

 My pizza.  What it lacked in symmetry, it made up for in good, old-fashioned taste!!

Me taking a picture of Corley taking a picture of the group.  Spooky, right?