Hey.

Emma's birthday has come and gone, and we've found the gift that keep on giving for her "main" present. (We let her pick out one big thing and then she gets a few smaller things for her birthday every year, the smaller things being surprises.) Emma has requested a friend for Trixie the stripper cockatiel. And since she's an only child and I'm incapable of telling those big brown eyes anything close to the opposite of YES we are currently waiting for her baby hand-fed pied cockatiel "Phoebe" to finish learning to eat only seed and come home to us. I've purchased a bird from this particular store before, and unfortunately when I walked into the back room where are the babies are, where all the half-bald little heads poke up over the top of their tupperware containers and beg for food, I spotted the EXACT same breed and color of lovebird I had and adored when I was married to the first husband. The exact same kind of bird that used to chase my ex-husband's feet around the living room with his little beak wide open, threatening to bite his evil toes.

Sammy was a lovebird but still a little bit of a hater.

So when I picked up the tiny little blue and black look-alike and he peered up at me with his white-ringed eye and snuggled into my hand? It was over. I put a deposit on him, too. He should be home in about a week, too. His name is Joey. (Notice the "Friend's" references here?)

So Chad took THAT well.

And THEN last night we had all of Chad's side of the family over for dinner and cheesecake ( I can't seem to keep shoveling the leftovers of it into my mouth, but hey, that's better than the foot I'm usually shoving in there!) and Emma struck pay dirt in the way of presents. $70 in cash and gift cards! Today we drove to Wal-Mart, with the windows open to air out the car due to all the money BURNING A HOLE IN HER POCKET, and she picked out Super Mario Brothers for Wii.

And now I've got the beginnings of a blister on my left thumb from playing it for four hours tonight instead of going to the gym as planned.

A productive week!