Birthday and More

 
Image: Mason's birthday torte

Mason didn't like any of the pictures we took of him opening presents, so this is an image of the birthday torte (from Cafe Latte, for local folks) that Mason chose for himself. Yes, the candles are burning weird colors. I accidentally picked up a packet of trick candles. This is the second time I've managed to buy before reading the package. I will say that the odd little flame colors are WAY BETTER than the packet the I bought that would relight themselves. Mason was much younger when I accidentally bought those. They were not a fun surprise, as it seemed like he didn't get his birthday wish over and over (until we figured out what was going on!) 

Mason turned 20, y'all.

He's officially no longer a teenager. I don't usually get struck by the "wow, that means, I'm so much older than I think I am!" vibes, but 20 is a big number. Like, I remember being 20, you know?

He had a very low-key birthday. For some reason, Mason was not feeling this one. I'm not sure why. But, he normally has no trouble filling out his wish list and this year he was just very ?? all the way up to the end. We did go ahead and buy him things anyway, because Shawn overheard him tell one of his Discord friends that he does LIKE opening things on his birthday, but he just couldn't nail down what exactly he wanted. We got him a LEGO set, because every adult secretly wants another LEGO set, right? I got him a set of D&D dice in bisexual flag colors (as that's one of the ways in which he identifies) and a gift certificate for whatever he might like from Games by James at the Mall. We also gave him an informal note that said we'd take him book shopping to his favorite local, independent places (his preference!) and the amount that we'd be willing to cover. 

He wanted lunch from Bread & Chocolate and dinner out at Taste of India. We did both and had a marvelous time. People who are wondering what kind of person Mason is, he spent both meals when he was not chatting with us, with his nose pressed into a Terry Pratchett novel.  In fact, his big activity for his birthday seemed to be oscillating between reading and building LEGOs. So, yes, we have, in fact, raised the perfect child. :-) 

The only thing that has marred this celebration for me is that I found out that a dear friend of mine, who I'd lost touch with after she married and moved to a small, Minnesota town, died.  During the pandemic, she had a freak accident that had left her quadriplegic.  Apparently, she just slipped in her kitchen and hit a table on the way down? I guess this can happen?? But, that was sort of incredulously awful enough when it happened last year, but then I got a DM from a mutual friend on Saturday that she'd died. I don't know of what, but I presume from complications of her injury. I'm left feeling very guilty that when she sent out a plea on Facebook to reconnect with people, I... did that classic mistake... I thought I had more time!  And so I put off going to see her in the hospital, and, admittedly I was afraid of seeing her in such a different place. I have massive regret now. She'd been the kind of friend that we used to do breakfast at the Egg & I every Saturday for a few years when Shawn took Mason to his swimming lessons. And I just blanked her at the end. Fuck.
 
But, I guess I've learned an important lesson. Don't assume you have all the time in the world. And, maybe not worry so much if you're "a close enough friend" to visit. Just go.