happy birthday
October 10, 2006, 6:43 A.M.

Well, since there isn't any length that Spouse won't go to in order to ruin my birthday, Saturday was...interesting.

First, he invited the kids for the weekend, so that I had to get up at five and start cleaning house, washing dishes, doing laundry, etc.

Then, he "requested" an orange chiffon cake--a from scratch, squeeze the oranges, beat the egg whites, sift the flour, by-gum project of a cake. So I spent my afternoon shopping and baking.

Then, round about four, Nephew and I got to hop into the car and make a trip to the hospital.

Spouse had dumped the bike.

He and Niece were in an emergency room two counties away, banged up, with serious road rash, and contusions, but otherwise safe. They had been wearing their leather jackets and helmets, and it happened in a turn where they were only doing 15 mph, so they weren't as messed up as they could have been. But it looks like Niece has a significant injury to her knee, Spouse has a pulled shoulder muscle and huge divots out of his left arm and both knees--plus a bruise on his left hip that is black.

Good thing I took this week off to rest and relax--I'm available to play nursemaid and change his bandages, fetch ice packs, wait on him hand and foot, etc.

Actually, he is trying to go to work today, but I don't know how long he'll last. He was supposed to start yet another new job yesterday, but naturally he had to stay home due to his injuries. Once again, he gets off to a bad start.

I plan to go visit my folks this week. Probably tomorrow or Thursday, even though it looks like the weather is about to turn shitty again. I still haven�t gotten a birthday gift for W., so I suppose I need to do that this afternoon. I�d take it over there tonight, but my selfish streak reminds me that it is Tuesday, which is Dead Like Me night. So I guess I�ll go to Mom & Dads on Thursday, and go see W. tomorrow.

I hate obligations. I took this week off to be selfish and take it easy, but it is just ending up being another list of stuff I have to do for others.

I did luck out yesterday, and get to do great, long chunks of reading. With Spouse out cold on vicodin, I was able to devour my book with relatively few interruptions. I read Ruth Rendell�s �The Babes in the Wood�, which is the last Wexford but one in the series. I think all her books are thundering great reads, but I started reading her with �An Unkindness of Ravens�, back in 1982, so my bond with the Inspector goes way back.