Gifts

Yesterday was my birthday and we had a weekend long celebration. When I arrived home on Friday night we attended our company's Munich office Christmas party. M. arranged for a champagne toast at midnight with the friends we spent the evening with. We don't go out that much together anymore because we tend to be homebodies over the weekend to recover from the week so it was great to get out and have a dinner and dance the night away with M. and some friends. We didn't make it home until 3:30!

On Saturday, M. went out for the breakfast food and came back home with an amarylis plant. Flowers get me everytime; I really love them. I guess I can stop singing You Don't Bring Me Flowers Anymore to him for awhile. Hope the flower opens up soon!

We had our friends over for a toast on Saturday evening before going out to dinner at a Tapas restaurant. I was really touched that they had organized some gifts for me - a salad fork and spoon set made out of some animal horns, 8 exotic spices from a store opened by a famous German chef, including curry that smells like the good stuff, a heart-shaped amber pendant and a beautiful white scarf. We went out to dinner and chased most of the other patrons out with our general silliness and loudness but we, at least, had a great time.

Today M. gave me his gift. We had an appointment at a spa for an Indian massage package. The spa was absoultely adorable and we were the only two guests. The ayurveda massage was 90 minutes and I skated on the edge of semi-consciousness the whole time. So many random thoughts and feelings came to me, people, places and times I had long forgotten about. We were at the spa for 4 hours and it was the first time in so long that I had so much quiet introspection. It was just what I needed as I am facing a particularly stressful period at work and having some doubts in my career right now after the ups and downs of the last year.

All in all it was a good birthday, although my age is starting to spook me a little. Life just keeps going faster and faster. Sometimes I wish I could just visit a day here and there in my past now that I could appreciate them better. Now that would be an incredible gift.

Posted from Munich