representing

He must, I think he represents many things, because he's not truly available to me. He's potential that I feel I no longer have, he's all the admiration that people are heaping upon him that (they aren't for me), he's the result of what happens with really hard concentration and work, he's dedication, he's talent, he's unexpected humor, he's loyalty (sometimes to a fault), he's a certain kind of focused selfishness, he's youth, he's the ability to meet new people (and impress them) despite being painfully shy, he's study (and more study), he's deferring to those more experienced...

I know all the parameters and restrictions, but that face.

eating the garnish

Birthday over. Officially even older than before, dammit. And though I did get things I don't want or need, I also got:

- flowers
- fruit
- gift certificate for a pedicure
- nice friends took me to dinner*

and my sister? well, I'll be horseback riding in Malibu in a few weeks. That is pretty awesome.

[a bunch of stuff redacted. maybe I'll post more later]

*one of whom told this fantastic story about being in Tokyo recently visiting her fiance's parents, and they were at a dinner, and she could not identify this...thing on her plate/tray/whatever. So, not wanting to be rude and ask, and being culinarily game, she ate it...at the same time as her fiance asked his mom what it was. Turns out he didn't know either. "It's paper", she said. SHE ATE A PAPER GARNISH. Oh how I love that story.