Eep, only one week until I turn 38.5 and I’m only just starting this post about how I celebrated my birthday MONTH this year! Yeah, that’s me: unorganized. XD
But cripes,
I’m officially in my late thirties now! When I was thirty-seven, I could get
away with saying that I was in my mid-late thirties, but once you reach
thirty-eight, you’re definitely in your *late* thirties~
Forever
grateful to my Facebook friend who taught me that your birthday celebrations needn’t
be just restricted to the whole day; you’re allowed to celebrate your birthday
for the whole MONTH! ‘Twas an awesome idea that I immediately adopted and I’m
just gonna ignore the parents who sneer at me that I only want to celebrate my
birthday for the entire month since I want people to take me out for meals
because I reckon eating out and sharing a meal with someone’s a great birthday
celebration, don’t you? Obviously, my celebrations are curtailed since the
parents forbid me from contacting ANYBODY and asking are they free for a meal
out together to celebrate my birthday with so I was very grateful for a friend
who contacted me first and we enjoyed a lovely meal out together with dessert
afterwards~
Like
previous years, my first official birthday celebration began with the 3rd
edition book club ladies of the Logan North library. Book club’s held on the 2nd
Thursday of every month and near the end of the February book club one lady
said “Well Em, it’s your birthday next month; how are we gonna celebrate your
birthday with you?” I suggested dinner after book club but in the end, someone
decided dinner during book club! We met at the Springwood Tower Hotel;
the Chinese’s restaurant’s called Wong Wong. Meaning I had to share the Sum
Ting Wong joke, obviously. XD The restaurant’s a Chinese one and the owner lady
speaks Canto~ For birthday cake, someone made fat fluffy cupcakes with
chocolate icing; everyone sang me the Happy Birthday song and dear Erika did
the hiphips! For my dinner I chose this combo that was one bowl of fried rice
(I picked out the prawns XD), a little sweet and sour pork, a little honey
chicken, a little braised chicken and two spring rolls! Delicious~
But we
ended early so Catherine took me back
to Tea Station and I enjoyed an Oreo croffle! Catherine’s agency from Staffing
Options; my usual carers are from CODA South but when they’re not available
agency carers get called. She originally told me that when Staffing Options
first rang her, she was like, ugh, not another shift; I don’t wanna work
anymore tonight but when she heard I
was the client she said I’d better go! <3 Catherine’s Chinese from
Beijing~
My first
official birthday meal out (BTW, I count every meal out during March a birthday
celebration XD) wasn’t until the 2nd Tuesday of March and I actually
have Cyclone Alfred to thank for that! After mother retired from work two years
ago halfway through the year, practically the first thing she did was cancel my
Thursday lunches out. However, since Cyclone Alfred had caused some flooding in
Garbo, everything had been shut so our GCCW group at the library was cancelled!
Since Olivia still had the shift to take me, however, mother sent us grocery
shopping @ Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown and since Ho Lin Wah opens early @
11am, she even let us grab lunch out before I came home for a shower! That was my
first official birthday meal out, nearly one FORTNIGHT into my birthday month! I
had the B meal (fried chicken drumstick with rice) while Olivia had honey
chicken with rice; we ordered one HK-style milk tea and one HK-style milk tea
coffee. I told Olivia to try a spoonful of each then choose her drink first; being
a sweet tooth she went with the milk tea.
XD
One thing
that tried to blow away my month of birthday celebrations: cyclone Alfred! Since he made landfall way
further up north than where the parents and I live we weren’t actually
personally affected, but I vaguely recall dad going out and buying a big box of
bottled water just in case and mother may have filled up the bathtub with water
since the weather reports were saying power and water could potentially be cut
for days. You know the singer Ronan Keating? Mother doesn’t like him since he
cheated on his wife but I think he’s a great singer and have you heard his hit song
If Tomorrow Never Comes? My parody: if tomorrow never comes … I got blown away
by Alfred … XD For our final (I’m being melodramatic here XD) dinner together,
dad cooked fried rice for us~
Around the
time Alfred was coming, our Sunday service was only online through Zoom,
although I’ve forgotten was that was because of Alfred/COVID lockdown/whatever.
After service, several people were just chatting when suddenly Rosanna said
she’d make me some cheesecake for my birthday! My current life motto: eat more cake,
since fat people are harder to kidnap. XD Sure enough, one day she pops by and
drops off three adorable tiny little cheesecake bites! The parents and I all
enjoy one each~ Another motto I live by: CAKE for BREAKFAST CAN’T BE WRONG!! :D
XD
On the
night (well, morning the next day, but still night for me) Alfred arrived, I
originally couldn’t fall asleep since outside was so WINDY and NOISY! But at
11:55pm I relieved myself once more, said oh, stuff it. I’m going to bed and
pulled the covers over my head. Blessed sleep~ The next morning: hey, I didn’t
get blown away! XD
Turns out
Alfred brought one more benefit: he flooded UQ, meaning I got outta one session
of physio! XD Unsure did Alfred manage to
flood the actual Therapies building; I would’ve guessed that some part of UQ
was flooded and so everything was closed? Table tennis was also cancelled for
the week~ Toastmasters was cancelled also, so instead of meeting @ QUT we held a Zoom meeting instead.
However,
Albert also brought some frustration: because of his predicted landfall; my personal
care support was cancelled. Sure, I
shower everyday regardless of whether/not any carer’s here but when it’s mother
supervising my shower, I get much less help than I’m comfortable with. For
instance, the carer will usually help me rinse out my hair since I need to hold
my right eye fully shut. Unsure why when my left side’s the affected side, it’s
my RIGHT eye that doesn’t fully shut
(not enough to see fingers should you
hold them in front of me, but enough to see lightning like up the
room during storms) but I vaguely recall
some doctor explaining to me that while your right side’s controlled by the
left side of your body and vice versa,
for some reason it’s just the eyes that
are controlled by the same side of your body. The only thing my left side can
do that my right side can’t? waggle the
EYEBROW! The left one goes up and down, while the right one just stays there …
did I believe in reincarnation I’d guess maybe I was a Vulcan in a past life.
That’d explain why I’m such a Trekkie! XD
Also, when
I have a carer to assist me with personal care, they’ll help me wash my right
arm once she’s washed the rest of me. My right arm can’t wash herself, see?
Except the one time I asked mother to please help me wash my right arm, she
made my left arm do it instead! Hence why I figured out a way to wash my own
right arm with the long-handled brush I use to wash my back with. I don’t mind
my affected left arm washing my right arm since I’m seated and can fully
concentrate, but she’s unco and would take time. More time means more water
used which means higher water bills. Mother already bitches at me about enough
things; I don’t want her adding too much water usage to my list … *sigh*
Usually,
nature’s my wakeup call most mornings, but the day before Cyclone Alfred
arrived the winds heralding his arrival woke me up; gosh, weren’t they noisy!
Before
Alfred’s arrival, dad and I also indulge in some panic-buying: forty bucks’
worth of groceries! XD
Only last
year/the year before/some recent year did I realise I should Google and see what
deals were offered on your birthday and then try and get as much/many free
things as possible. Unfortunately,
mother was a TREMENDOUS PARTY POOPER and would only lemme redeem ONE! ><
Unsure why she gets such a kick outta restricting me so, but hey. *sigh*
This year,
I decided to redeem my free birthday drink from Gloria Jeans! The original
carer that was gonna take me to get it suddenly wasn’t available but a new
carer called Karen took me to Sunnybank Plaza instead.
Since I
couldn’t quite remember where Gloria Jean’s was; after Karen parked, I asked
would she please head up into the shopping centre first and find where it is
before coming back to fetch me. Karen kindly did so, but came back and nearly gave
me a HEART ATTACK when she’d reported it’d like shut down! O_o I was all for
wailing but awesome Karen immediately Googled around and drove me all the way
to Cannon Hill to get my free drink! <3 Seeing as the store was closing at
midday, I walked/hobbled/staggered/limped/you choose a verb XD as fast as I
could to order my drink before they closed for the day; a lovely old lady even
lemme push in line! When I protested, I couldn’t take her place she roared with
laughter and said go ahead; I’m not in a rush but obviously you are!
When Karen
tootled me home, I quickly sculled it all down, lest mother confiscate whatever
was left of it when I got home. Only then I got brain freeze. >< Actually, I had so much brain
surgery back in 2007, 2008 and 2009 I’m not got any brain left to freeze;
rather, I suffer from throat freeze! XD
Dad also
took me to get my free Boost juice but then I got pissed that I didn’t sip it
(what’s that sinful about taking a long slurp from your drink) nor did I share
it with him! Well, he didn’t ask me for any; how was I to know he wanted some?
XD
During my
birthday month, I also attended some Toastmasters conference at like Parliament
House and was given some star award! I’m unsure what for, since my favourite
quote about stars is: stars don’t shine without darkness. XD But for lunch, I just
Googled ‘food near me’ then Olivia and I bought lunch from Betty’s Burgers! A
fried chicken burger with chips and chocolate thick shake for me: yum! After
the conference everyone adjourns for cake and coffee (half strength mocha for
me) and actually it extends to dinner too but since Olivia’s shift ends @ 6pm
and I need a shower first I give the rest of my chips to the gentleman beside
me, say bye and enjoy!
The day
before my birthday I attend GG Bible study @ Dr. Lee’s house and feel very loved
when once Bible Study’s over, Dr. Lee brings out a Woolies chocolate mud cake
with Tim Tams stuck on top and my GG all sing me the Happy Birthday song! <3
Since Yu
Lam and I have our birthdays only two days apart (she’s such a sweetheart and
says I can say I’m just two days older than her, not TEN YEARS and two days XD)
after church on the week of our birthdays we shared lunch together at some
place called sth like Wolfissimo!
At the
beginning of the month when I’d gone to the Pinelands Bakehouse to buy my
once-weekly crunchy pork bahn mi, I’d happily burbled to Aunty Nancy (one lady
that works there) that ‘twas my BIRTHDAY on the 20th; when I come to
buy my bahn mi on the week of my birthday she asks me, “You birthday yet?” (Her
English isn’t the best but we understand each other just fine) When I excitedly
reply “This Thursday!” She instructs “Wait” and goes back behind the counter. I thought she meant wait while I heat up your
bahn mi like she usually does but then she comes back out with an ENTIRE
BIRTHDAY CAKE for me! She even proudly shows me how she’s scrawled ‘Happy
birthday darling’ on the top of the cake and refuses any payment when I try and
reach for my purse! Afterwards, my carer
and I laugh and agree she prolly scribbled Happy Birthday darling since she
couldn’t remember my name. XD
When I was first
released from the insane asylum (more commonly known to everyone else as the
Brain Injuries Rehab Unit of the Princess Alexandra hospital XD), I had to
return to the hospital every six months for an MRI to check that the idiot
tumour inside my head hadn’t done anything stupid like hit a growth spurt.
After several six-month all clears, the hospital said okay come once a year
now. After several one year all clears, the hospital said okay come for an MRI
once every two years now. Last year I was very happy to not need an MRI, since
I’m extremely hard to cannulate because I have super-wimpy veins that bolt with
terror whenever someone approaches them with a sharp needle. Meaning last year,
I didn’t need an MRI but I went for my first once-every-two-years one during my
birthday month.
When the doctor
rings with the follow-up, she immediately reassures me that there’s been no
tumour regrowth. Phew! But then she tells me I’ve somehow sprouted a huge CYST
on my brain?? Me: um, doc, sorry I know absolutely nothing about cysts; am I
like suddenly gonna explode now? The doctor roars with laughter before
reassuring me, don’t worry, cysts are usually just filled with water but come
in for a CT scan and we’ll check.
I thought
CT scans were like MRI scans but turns out you’re only inserted into the tube
up to your shoulders. After I’d been moved in and out like three times the
technician comes over and says we’re all done. I’m like umm, but you haven’t even
stuck me fully inside the tube yet; I’ve only gone into my shoulders thrice
before being slid back out? The technician laughs and replies no, that’s it! XD
But back to
cake: I see my long-lost cousin (my surname’s Chan and his is Chen; surely
billions of years ago our cousins were siblings? XD) and he gives me some cake
too! I also brought cake to share for table tennis and writers’ group; you
could probably say that I was pretty caked out after my birthday month
finished! XD
Someone
around my birthday was also the first time I’ve been lucky enough to have both
lunch and dinner out at a proper restaurant. Usually I don’t count our once-weekly
family dinner together outs a proper meal out since dad only orders two meals for
three people, takes one whole meal for his lunch the next day, eats half the
other meal for himself and leaves mother and I the other half for dinner. Guess
who gets the ‘bigger’ half? Obviously not me! >< XD
Oh! My birthday
celebrations didn’t really end until June! See, for my birthday, a church
friend offered to take me to AUSTRALIA ZOO; of course, I said yes since I’d not
visited the zoo for 1.5 DECADES! We’d originally planned to visit the zoo
around my birthday but then Cyclone Alfred blew our trip away and then her
munchkins were ill but we finally made it!
Fi picked me up early and after breakfast @
Maccas (double chicken and egg McMuffin with a hash brown and a mocha for me)
she tootled us all the way to Australia Zoo. Obviously, I used Sparkless3 (my
manual wheelchair) for the trip and lucky we grabbed a map at the entrance
since that place was HUGE! Later I asked mother was I really bad @ the Where’s
Wally books when I was a kid coz whenever we saw a new animal, Fi would spot it
immediately (I’m guessing that’s why she’s the vet, not me. XD) but I couldn’t
find it! More often than not, she’d have to describe to me where the animal was
hiding but often, she just took my arm and pointed it at the animal before I
could see it too. XD
For lunch, Fi
was healthy and ordered a salad but I went with a burger and chips. XD
Anyways, I had
a marvellous birthday this year and will settle down to living life officially
in my late thirties. XD
Next post here
… I’ve a Fifteen Years Post due from July and also a Five Years one; will see
which one I can get out first.
Until then~
Cheers,
Em. ^^
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