It was my birthday, bitches.

SO,  Of course, I wore this shirt.

 
 This was the 12th year of giving myself a birthday party. Sure, the hubby helps with some of the details, and ideas... and he does has the final say on the cost, but mostly, I think about a party I'd like to get invited to and then I make that happen for my friends. If you don't get my annual newsletter, you may have read about some of these past parties here or here or seen a video here, or just stalked the pictures on one of my Facebook pages. It's ok. Everyone has a secret.

I figured there was no better way to turn 51, than to make sure a great deal of beer was involved. Enter the date selection of MARCH 15. The closest Saturday to the biggest green beer holiday in the USA.

 So, of course,we rented a bus. Not the big charter thing that took us to the Sweetwater Festival and the comedy club a few years back, but a super cool party bus for 40. Check it out.

We picked up some leprechauns, loaded up a bucket of beers, filled the coolers with booze and  donned the green.

The entrance fee for the party bus was a bottle of vodka per couple. Some people thought that was too much vodka. Some people don't know Linda very well yet. This is me mixing up the first lemon drop shots.

                                           Happy smiling people.

 We went off searching for this. The elusive layered jello shot of Ireland.

Getting closer.

 Here we are, arriving at Mac McGee's where the doorman assured us he needed no ID or cover charge. "Not if you're pulling up in that!" he said.

 We took our green decor seriously, even the bus laser light show cooperated.

We danced a jig  as the Highlanders played, or wait, something smelled funny.

These guys cut a wide path through the bar

especially with the slam banging drummer with his big guns... and gut. ;)

 Back in the bus. The stickers say, "It's all about Linda." The hubster's idea.

 Cheese!

Wait.  Is that an empty cup? GARCON!

                       Our bus was famous. Look! It's Lady Gaga and George Clooney!

This dude really wanted a ride. We wanted to know what was under his kilt.

This might be direction giving, or dollar drying, or dance instructions...

      Lots of people stopped me to read my shirt. I met an awful lot of Teds.

On our way to the next stop, things got a little blurry.

       Kinda like this guy's fashion sense. But he sure pulled the ladies.

We met a few dogs. This one had 4 legs. Very long legs.

Our new gal pal was not shy about showing off her large assets.

Somewhere along the way, I needed to be fed. Swear that was a french fry.

                                      Photo op!  I have missed these girls.

                               
                                       Why yes, there was dancing.

                           
                                   And for once, I was glad to see the cops.

This is what happens when the big dog leaves, and we miss him.

Surgeon General reports excessive partying may cause orange beard growth.

 Right on time, the bus arrives to scoop us up.

                Here we are moments later, sounding off  for a head count.

Oops. We left one behind. Time to initiate Mission Saving Private Barry.

The entertaining of the troops.

                                                            'Nuf said.

Back home, we had a birthday tart.

With all these... tarts!

There was also cake.

Glad the number of candles wasn't exact...

                      What a fun day. Thanks to all my old and new friends.

                                     Now, let's have a little karaoke time.

Oh yes, we did.

If I was going to sum up the 51st birthday in one picture.

It would have to be this.

                                                Until next year, bitches.

Welcome to 2014

I used to get reminders from BlogHer when I didn't post anything for a two week span. It helped, those reminders, sort of like a homework assignment, or a work deadline.
 Left to my own devices, I was probably spending way too much time skimming pages on Pinterest for decor ideas, or sending away for land brochures and bookmarking fashion pages for shit I don't need or can't afford.
 Or maybe I was doing this.

 There were those chunks of days I dedicated to writing, and even bigger day chunks spent editing, submitting, revising ... so, that's something, because it's all about the AMOUNT of creative work you produce over your lifetime that will lead to greatest success ... according to a recent NPR episode that I chose to listen to rather than study my Spanish lesson.
 At least I wasn't doing this.

 So, that's something.

I have managed to corrupt, I mean entertain, a whole new group of players by starting a monthly Girls Night Out. I love these ladies. We laugh. A lot.
 There's also Book Club and Bunco, Poker for the boys and of course, a regular schedule of yoga and weight training, because some days I need to go out in the world and eavesdrop to get the perfect combination of imagination, dreamland and reality into a scene.
On that note, things are progressing with the pitching of the book/s. All good news and all very exciting. I've got the right people around me and the cards are finally in place.
 And I've got a bunch more flash fiction in the stack, now that I've decided once and for all to write without the self-editing/inhibiting questions of what would that person think or how would that group of people feel... 

 I encourage you to go out there and attack life this year. Find your passion. Seek what fuels you. Enjoy life, don't merely go through the motions. Dump negativity and surround yourself with people and things- if that's your kick- that make you feel good.

I'll be back in a few. Stay out of trouble. Dance. A lot. And eat healthy.

Maybe get a Roomba.

Girlfriends

Urban Dictionary: girlfriend

mystical creature whose known powers range from clairvoyancy to being able to bleed for a week without dying. a person to have on your side

.... especially on Haunted House night.

http://linda-sands.com

If you came to this page because you're a guy googling the phrase, "how to find a girlfriend," you should probably stop here. If you're a mean girl looking for revenge, or trying to steal a guy from his girlfriend, you might want to watch this video.

If you're an adult female who enjoys the company of like-minded women and the occasional night out, read on. You're in the right place.

You know how you have friends for certain evenings? There's the smart girl you take to trivia night. The shopaholic you take to the midnight sales, the gourmand you make sure is on the list when you're headed to a new restaurant... well, my friends are like all of them rolled into one package. And one thing we do well, is our annual drinks and haunted house night, usually followed by more drinks, and sometimes, a massage.

There's usually props.

 and sometimes our hot dates  dress up real pretty for us

 We always scream - which not only makes the rest of us laugh, but tends to scare  large German men- Scheiße!

One year one of us ran from the chainsaw man, slipped, fell, got bumped and bruised and made all the monsters come out of character. The words,  "You okay, Ma'am?" coming out of a hairy, bloody creepy werewolf's mouth are a bit disconcerting... just sayin'

We had a wonderful time as always, even in our seventh consecutive year.

Enjoyed the amazing effects at the houses, the fun banter before, during and after, the singalong car ride, the search for an open bar in a sleepy hamlet. The idea that there's always one who gets drunk, one who gets bruised and at least one inside joke made. 

That's girlfriend time.