the epic birthday 25

Hello, bloggies! Long time no see! You will be so proud of me. I have been neglecting my little blog for very good reasons you will find out soon. I have been using my creative computer time very wisely, making lots of my 25 for 25 happen. There are lots of wheels turning in my mind, new projects getting some lovin', including my Christian chick lit storyline I've been dying to develop to completion. Well you will be proud to know that with the inspiration of my writer friend and coworker, Amanda, there is a notebook in my purse that has probably 95% of my manuscript outlined in extreme detail with little post-it notes (transportable because I know how often my mind changes as a story progresses). So that and a few other things are what I've been up to!

But I just had to make time this morning to tell you about a birthday so epic that it's gonna need two posts. That's right, two posts! I will squeeze two of the events into this one to let you know just how awesome the people in my life are.

Let's start with my actual birthday:

I arrived at work to find my office in this condition.

To this day, almost a month later (gulp), there are still a few floating around that my ornery boss has not popped. They have been so much fun to kick around. I think they help me concentrate, really.

Then the very same Amanda from before walked in with this gorgeous torte she'd made. 

From scratch.

Rich, butter cake with raspberry jam and cream cheese frosting: it was divine. She promises to get me the recipe, which I will share, so don't dismay! It was a thoughtful (and dangerous) gesture that made me smile every time I saw it on my desk. And every time I took a delicious swipe of frosting, which I was given permission to do because it was my birthday!

That Friday, my boss took my coworkers and I to this awesome new place on the river called The Grille. We sat outside and the weather was so beautiful it was almost like we were on vacation.

Even though we could see our office from where we sat, 

it felt like vacation.

(See the office in the horizon?) 

Then I got smoked at Shuffleboard. 

Apparently my recreational sporting skills have gone out the window! (Along with my iPhone's ability to capture images in very poor lighting.)

So I changed my mind. This birthday will just have to be described in three posts! Keep on the lookout for part two, which will be posted very shortly!