My birthday (observed)

 My birthday is Monday, but since (like nearly every other adult I've met) I need to work that day, I'm doing the birthday thing - as much as I ever do - tomorrow.

At least, if the weather's okay. It's supposed to get close to freezing overnight and be raining so I might have to wait a bit to leave. 

I'm going to Whitesboro, to the yarn shop. There's also a quilt shop there, and it seems that Lovejoy's is serving lunch - so that part is sorted. There's no yarn I really *need* though I did buy Rachel Coopey's e-book of Discworld sock patterns, and I want to make the one called "Octarine" - which is described in the books as a "greenish yellow purple" (it is not a color that exists in this world, and I suspect our cones wouldn't be able to perceive it anyway). But I'm thinking if I can find a dark-background (black or charcoal) sockyarn with sort of "iridescent" color highlights, that would work. (Or dark purple as the background, I don't know). I'm also going to look at their books and pamphlets and see if there are any I want...On the way back home I need to go grocery shopping but I will have to decide if I want to swing by Ulta. I don't know if they still do birthday-month freebees or not, I've not received an ad for one, but I could also use a new thing of the powder I use. 

However, also, some of the roads in and around Sherman are in perma-construction mode, and I have to see if it would be easy enough to get there from Whitesboro (I think I will go over to Pottsboro to go there, and take 289 down instead of 82, which apparently has some pretty gnarly construction on it right now). 

I do have some gifts to open - a box came from Adagio teas today, and there are several Amazon packages I know I did not order, and my mom sent a couple things. 

 I will get lunch at Lovejoy's, probably a dessert (despite saying I 'gave up' sweets for Lent - really, it's more "cut way back"). Not sure what I'll do for dinner *on* the day - I might get barbecue carry out if the good place is open on Mondays (often the nicer restaurants aren't). Failing that, I *might* have time to make cheese enchiladas - I have a good recipe and the sauce doesn't take too long to make, and I have cheese and tortillas and shallots and chili powder so I think I have everything. 

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I did a few things today (other than giving an exam). Worked a bit on the Rosidae lectures, though I am a little burnt out and didn't get as much done as I'd like. Graded the exam and the labs from this week. 

I also gathered up all the tax paperwork and dropped it off. Given that I redeemed some investments to pay for the work on the house I expect I'll be paying this year and I really hope that it's not more than I can comfortably do (I have sources of money if I *can't,* but I'd rather not dip into the retirement income)

And I had PT. The woman who usually works with me said I seemed less stiff and like I was able to do some of the tougher things more easily, so maybe I am making some progress.

I also went through a car wash (the "disco car wash" that has neon lights in it and tries to make it more of an "experience" - it's a little dumb but I enjoy that more than feeding quarters into the water-and-soap sprayers and doing it myself (and it was cold today and I didn't want to) and it's worth the five extra bucks or whatever for that tiny bit of entertainment. 

Apparently some birds coming through (when I was at work, they roosted in the tree where I parked over there) had eaten mistletoe, which has the WORSE stickiest seeds ever (the family name is Viscaceae, and I wonder if it's derived from "viscous" because the seeds are coated in a gluey goop). I didn't want to leave them - it was gross and I was afraid it would damage the finish. But they're so gluey that the car wash didn't take them off so once I got home I had to take soapy water and paper towels, and then a bucke of plain water, and wash the residue off.