Misc.

Lots of thoughts on things and life and such.

Cupcakes are so fun. I spontaneously ordered some from Sibby's Cupcakery (local place near my work) yesterday as a birthday treat for myself. I think it's interesting that bakeries only making extragavant delicious cupcakes are emerging. I'll upload pics of the dozen so-cute ones I got later but here's a cupcake pic to tide you over. Lovely Jill invited me over for a chili dinner for my bday last night with her and her husband Shyam, and Esther, Nhuanh, and Sarah came too. I brought 6 of the cupcakes to share and everyone oohed and aahed over the cuteness and yummyness.

The dinner was just what I wanted - chill and easy but not me cooking! ha ha. And close enough that I could walk over with the 6 cupcakes conveniently in a muffin tin - I do so get tired of driving after my work commute. Thanks Jill for initiating and hosting :) I also got some time in with God last night to pray and reflect and be grateful for my life and this past week. I feel spoiled with love from friends and family. As Nhuanh said last night, that's the right kind of spoiled (vs. materially).

I feel full of happiness and love. And it feels like my bday week is only half over as my mom comes tonight (and we go to the circus on Sat night - super excited!).

I think what helps me manage my expectations of people (all the time but esp around my bday) is realizing the difference between what I want and what I want other ppl to give me. Like I realized I wanted to splurge on unique bakery cupcakes for my bday yesterday and I would be ok buying them myself. I didn't need someone to give them to me, my desire/need was just to have them. And it made me really happy just to see them, all cutely decorated dozen in their pink box. As I wrote to a friend yesterday:

They got good reviews on Yelp and I have been wanting to try a cupcake place. A bit expensive and I just had a lemon one which was a bit too sweet for my taste. I'm drinking water and chewing gum to desugar my mouth. But the owner Sibby was super nice. I only called this morning for an afternoon pickup which I guess is last minute notice and she was able to get me an assorted dozen (a dozen is the minimum order). She asked if I had any decoration preferences and when I said it was my birthday, she said she'd make them bday-y, and what was my fave color. I said pink but I didn't want them all pink. They came out really pretty and cute and I just took pics and sent them to you =)

I felt so spoiled that the owner specialized them, kinda last-minute, and really made an effort to coordinate them and with my fave color. That made me feel loved - I love how God works through strangers sometimes.

And lunch with Natalie yesterday at the yummy Japanese place with perfect sushi was so good. It was a good day *happy sigh*.

I think I was going to write about how this concerns me about being tracked by the govt (I know Fastrak does it too but Fastrak is just plain necessary for survival in the Bay Area imho) but maybe I'll just stay in a chilled, happy, content, cupcake-ed place.

Thank you everyone for the Facebook bday shout-outs, the emails, the voicemails, the cards and showing-up.

Thank you God, for everything, for always being there, for a lovely birthday.