Karma is an amazing equalizer.

Today was not a hard day.  It was not a particularly long day.  It was not one of those days that questioned my stamina, my strength, or my resolve.  It was not even extraordinary in the weather.  Today was a completely mediocre, nondescript, nonevent of a day if there ever was one.

And yet.

When I arrived home, I noticed a package on my doorstep, and my mailbox was bulging.

The bag on my front porch was clearly marked from The Gap, making me guffaw with surprise.  Someone, it seems, thought I deserved those pants, coupon be damned.  Someone sent me a bag full of happy, including those size 12 curvy pants that I loved so much a week ago.

I’ve often called her my own personal Mondo Beyondo, but frankly, she’s better.  Her photography just makes you realize how she can find beauty in the everyday, a skill I wish I had.  Thank you, Cass.

My mailbox held a bag with loopy cursive.  Scrawling, pretty handwriting that I don’t have and often envy.  Inside, were a pair of olive Toms shoes and a gift card to Kroger.  Someone had won the shoes, but had sent them to me instead.  Someone is a firm believer in karma.

When she won an all-expenses paid cruise last year, I told her that no one deserved it more.. and I meant it.  Samantha Jo is one of those people you want in your corner, with her sunny optimism and unfailing humor.  Thanks, Samantha Jo.

And really, although these are AMAZINGLY thoughtful, I run with an online crowd that this is not out of the ordinary for.  They believe in support from afar, proving to all of the naysayers that online relationships .. friendships.. are, in fact, real.  I know that when I have a question, complaint, or snark, I can email this bunch of women and will be safe.  I will be loved, I will be supported, and I will not be alone.

Thank you so much for being you.

I do so love the bullets.

• Today is 5 years post-Katrina. I think a lot of this goes unnoticed, but I remember my 25th birthday so vividly because it was during the absolute worst of it.  Today is the day Katrina hit ground; the levees broke not long thereafter.  A week long vigil of tears and suffering and children and dying and .. jesus, I’ve never seen anything like it on our home soil.  And here’s hoping we never will again.
• I placed our first order with a local co-op of farmers.  On Tuesday, I go pick out our loot.  We’ve got grass-fed, organic beef coming our way; we’ve got sugar-baby watermelons to look forward to; and I ordered some goat’s milk soap.  Just cause.  I’m a little crazy excited at this.  Especially since I spent way less there for the “staples” than I would’ve at a grocery store.
• We have truly entered the season of Jack’s football league.  I can tell because I lose half of our household for about six hours every Saturday.
• I had the first music rehearsal I’d been to in .. ages.  Since before Tony could walk, at the very least.  Tony went with me, asking several times if there was a stage he could dance on, and was an absolute BLESSING the entire time.  He charmed everyone, making me wonder what was up.  Nothing was up .. no onset of ear infection, no bubonic plague .. he just really, really loves being in that element.
• I finished Mockingjay early last week.  I loved reading it, but I was less than happy with the ending.  I’ll leave it at that, since I know some people are still reading.  I just think there were a lot of low blows for emotional triggers in there.
• I’m pretty much addicted to this site: it’s called Rent the Runway, and I can easily lose entire hours browsing and building my own red carpet look.  It’s pretty cost-effective, too.  I’m a fan.
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• Sometimes we earn timeouts around here and get a pretty stern talking-to from our two year old.
• If you’re in the Huntsville area and you’d like to join a team for the Liz Hurley Ribbon Run, Huntsville Adventure Bootcamp has started Team Bosom Buddies, and we’d love to have you.  This is a pretty great first 5K to start with if you’ve never run one before, and there’s also a LARGE subset of walkers for the non-running crowd out there.
• I turn 30 in four days.
• I’m TOTALLY okay with that.
• Life is pretty great.

When I turned 25, I had some ridiculously stupid list that I wanted to fulfill.  Obviously, I didn’t find it stupid at the time, but looking back, things like “Ride bareback” and “Get Kissed in the Rain” were not really important. (Although the latter? Very cool and snared me a husband.)

In two weeks, I leave my 20s behind and start a new chapter.

Somehow, at 25, this is not quite where I thought I’d be at 30.

BUT!  Hey!  It happens!  Exclamation point!

We had planned to go to New Orleans for my birthday weekend (there are luxuries afforded to being born on a three day weekend), but um, DING DONG HALLO, we have no money.  So instead, my in-laws are coming in to visit.

…

I’ll let that sink in.

No, really, I love my in-laws, I do.  And it will be nice to have extra hands around.  And it’s been since Christmas that they’ve seen the boys, and they need to know what they’re in for with the whole grown-up-grandchildren thing.

In other, sort of unrelated but maybe entirely (passive aggressively) related: would you ever tell a child .. who you’ve proclaimed as a worrier .. that a teacher “has it out for” them?  During the second week of school?  WOULD YOU DO THAT?  No you wouldn’t.  Because you’re sane.

So, back to my birthday, I am thinking that 30 has got to be stellar compared to 29.  I’m kind of hoping for a less eventful year .. decade, even .. and what will contribute to that, in large part, will be my ability to drink through the entire duration of this coming decade.

And with that, I leave you with my newest obsession: This Thing the Kids Call YouTube.