52, It’s Not Nice To Meet You

One year ago today, I decided to take advantage of restaurant “freebies” that are offered to customers on their birthdays (I am becoming my mother-in-law.) My plan was to go to a Mexican restaurant to eat my free birthday burrito and then hop over to an ice cream establishment to get my free sundae…because I’m me and I love food.

I was quite pleased with my grand idea and did not mind one bit that I was doing this on my own without anyone to share the experience with.  Isn’t that what blogging is for?  Some of you may remember that post detailing (TMI) how wrong the whole thing went.  Let’s just say I never made it to my free dessert location due to the fact that the burrito grounded me stuck on a white shiny porcelain fixture at the closest Target Store. Lucky for me, I was able to enjoy many other scrumptious birthday meals once I recovered.

Screen Shot 2015-09-01 at 10.47.41 PM

Although I am very tempted to give the freebies another chance (check out the personalized invite above), I think I will pass and just stick to stealing sugar packets from restaurants and consider those, my freebies.

This year, due to my ailing stomach and aging intestines, I will most likely have a less than remarkable birthday meal/s.  I have been cutting back on carbs and gluten, not necessarily by choice but out of an attempt to ease the increasing daily abdominal discomfort.  It this what 52 looks like?

Let’s see, the birth-day meal possibilities are…endless.  It will most likely consist of a small bowl of cottage cheese with a handful of blueberries as my late breakfast, a round piece of cardboard (I guess they call them rice cakes?) with peanut butter and cucumber slices on top as my snack.  A cheese stick (“I can’t wait to eat my cheese stick”, says no one ever) will be my second snack followed by a salad topped with home-grown acidic tomatoes (that hurt my stomach) from my garden, chicken or fish, more flavorless fresh cucumbers also from my garden, a handful of almonds with some type of blah dressing.  I will then eat two whole bite size dark chocolates for dessert before I begin weeping.

My point being that pretty much anything I eat these days causes me pain and bloating.  I have reluctantly called my doctor to see if we can figure out what is going on THIS TIME.  I am NOT at ALL bitter that my body keeps failing me, really – I am NOT!  What would a year be like without some kind of illness or health challenge?  I wouldn’t know.

All is not lost, however.  I am still very blessed and fortunate for what DOES work and particularly for my family and friends and all that shit…

Thanks to my little sister (who just turned 50 – Thank GOD), the month of September promises to be a month of celebrations even if no good food is to be consumed by me.  My crazy cousins and I are taking her for a girl’s weekend in a couple of weeks to celebrate her being almost as old as we are. WOOT! WOOT!  It should be a weekend filled with lot’s of laughter, happy tears, incontinence (we are old) and lot’s of celebratory liquid gold!  I will sacrifice my abdominal discomfort to make sure my sister has a great time and is as drunk as a sailor!  Did I mention she finally turned 50?

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, our dear mother surprised my sister and I for our birthdays, with a trip to Monterey, CA where she lives for half of the year.  We are leaving mid September for 12 fabulous days of complete bliss!  See how happy I am that she turned 50?  We are two years apart and our birthdays are one day apart so by default, I get to tag along and get spoiled for HER 50th celebration.

So, 52, I guess it’s a little nice to meet you. 

WARNING: This Post Contains Way TMI!

This post will come down in history as the one I will be the least proud of.

If you are sensitive-ish, skirmish, prudish or just plain sick of people telling you way too much about themselves,  do not read on.

Understanding full well that this is, without a doubt T-too M-much I-information to share with you lovely readers, I am going ahead with it because I just HAVE to.

someecards.com

someecards.com

Last week, I celebrated my birthday near the coast with my wonderful husband.  We returned from our long weekend and Mr. B went back to work the following day.  That following day was my actual birthday.

I rested all morning then decided to do something fun with just me, myself and I.  Being that I am cheaper older now and always hungry, I grabbed my laptop and searched for, Restaurant freebies on your birthday.  Because food.

To my delight, the list was extensive.  I narrowed it down to establishments in my town and saw the perfect place to get a free lunch.  I rushed over to my printer and printed the flashy freebie coupon.  I then remembered that I would need a dessert after lunch, so I looked up free desserts and printed that coupon as well.  All planets were aligned, the cows hadn’t come home yet and I was salivating.

No Vacas Allowed deporbiotica.com

No Vacas Allowed
deporbiotica.com

I arrived at the Mexican food establishment and ordered my FREE BURRITO (well, you had to order a drink in order to get the burrito, but still.)  There I sat by myself, feeling very content and proud that I had thought of this idea.  I took the obligatory pictures of my food to send to people via phone and bit into my scrumptious hearty burrito.  MMMMMmmmmm it was muy bueno.  Lot’s of guac and even free chips.

thrillist.com

thrillist.com

As I was happily munching away, my son called to wish me a happy birthday.  After learning that I was all alone eating a free burrito, he got concerned and told me that this was a rather, sad situation.  I told him that although it appeared to be a sad scenario, I was happy and having fun.

I finished every single free bite of my burrito and got ready to head to the next restaurant to cash in on my free dessert.  As I stood up to walk to my car…I felt somewhat of a rumbling coming from the direction of my very satisfied tummy.  Gggggrrrrroooooowwwwwwwllllllll! RrrrrrgggggrrrrrrrRRRRR!  GGGrrrrrbbbbsssssggggggfffffff! Brrrrggggggggttttttttmmmmmmfffffffrrrrrr!

Hmm, that’s odd, thought I.

I jumped in my car and OOOOOOOOOO  MMMMMMMMMM GGGGGGGGGG!  It was coming.  Oh my God was it coming.  Holy S*** it was coming!  Madre de Dios it was coming! Holy Guaca-explosion, it was coming!

I stepped on that gas pedal and sped out of the parking lot like there was no mañana.  I took a sharp right and into the Target parking lot.  Thank God for my handicap placard because I found the closest parking spot possible. I  got out of the car and literally sprinted (a no-no when you are handicapped)  to the Target restroom and man did I let them cows come home.

Jesús, María y José.

In the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit,

Amen.

Never, in my life…

God bless the woman in the next stall.

God bless all the women that came in after me.

God bless all women in the world.

I guess you really do get what you pay for.

*Needless to say, I did not cash in on my free birthday ice cream sundae.