My parents sent me a cast iron teapot with 2 matching cast iron cups. It’s reeeeeeeeeally cool looking, and holds a lot of tea. I guess I’ll have to expand my tea horizons beyond Oolong now. It also has a dragon on it, and since I got a dragon teapot last year for my birthday, and another dragon themed teapot a few years ago for Christmas, I guess I might as well say I’m collecting them now ^_^

I also got, from my parents, money that was specifically intended for me to buy myself a Nintendo DS. This was great, because it’s been a long time since I’ve been excited over getting a toy for a present. Plus, I haven’t had a hand-held console since the original Game Boy and the Sega Game Gear. I went to the game store with Scott, and discovered they were selling Game Cubes for $60! This was highly tempting, because I’ve always said I’d like to get a Game Cube for cheap, for the sole purpose of getting Warioware and MarioKart, which would probably be the only two games I’d play for it. Tempting, yes, but I stuck with my original plan and got a DS. I’ll need something to keep my occupied on that flight to Japan!

Today at work, the prop shop threw me a little birthday party, complete with donuts and video games at lunch time. Then the most surreal thing happened. Billy the props carp showed me this crazy game for the PS2, Katamari Damacy, which is very silly and quirky, and great fun. I thought it’d be a fun game to get, and I almost considered asking to borrow it to show Scott and Geoff at home. Well, when I got home, Geoff started leading into a story about this crraaaaaaazy game he got for PS2, and I thought “Oh man, it’s going to be the same game.” Sure enough, Katamari Damacy. I think this is an omen telling me to go out and buy it.

So we had a birthday dinner at the house, and then Carleton’s family surprised me with a gift! Not just any gift…Scott sneakily heard my temptation lament at the game store, and the whole family went out and bought me one of those $60 gamecubes, along with the my 2 coveted games. SO EXCITED!

It’s been a very long time since I’ve gotten so many fun toys for my birthday, and I don’t think I’ve been so excited about video games since that Christmas when I got my Sega Genesis. I am endlessly grateful!