And now I am 30. Plus 25 hours.

[bironic]

Thank you again to those of you who sent cards and postcards! And if there are more in the mail, thank you in advance. Maybe it's silly, but they've really helped make this month happier. Here is everything hanging from twine that I put up today because there are not enough horizontal surfaces in my apartment. Stuff from you is in the top row:

 

(click for bigger)

Anyhow, my birthday was really nice yesterday. One of my coworkers brought in bagels from this place in Clarendon that makes them like in New York, and I made and brought in a little album with one photo of me from each year of my life so far, which went over well. Some friends came with me for dinner at an Indian place in Tenleytown that was delicious, and then I spent some time on the phone with each parent/significant other while opening the boxes they'd mailed. Nice conversations. Eye-opening, too. I hadn't quite realized that I was 5 and my sister was 3 when my mom turned 30.

Here are some fannish-type things my sister sent because she is amazing at finding offbeat gifts:

   

(Yep: That's a cotton scarf with tentacles, a crocheted cephalopod, and a set of Star Trek insignia coasters.)

Then I was going to be all nostalgic for preadolescence by watching the Deep Space Nine episode from season one where Bashir ages in a vision because an alien attacks him on his thirtieth birthday, but I was too tired, so that is something to look forward to someday soon.

.

Today involved not going to work (yay) and instead prepping a bunch of stuff for a party tomorrow night. I am excited to show you all the pictures! <-- exclamation mark = excitement indicator