The birthday came and went. I don't feel much different, I have to say. Although it is sort of strange to be 25. You wouldn't think so, but it feels much closer to thirty than 24 did. Clearly, it is technically closer, but I just mean mentally. I feel like any day now I'm going to be issued a cane and a subscription to the AARP magazine.

No, no. I exaggerate. But 25 appears to be a big birthday for many women. I've been told by at least 3 women that they had mild nervous breakdowns on that birthday and all of these women are over the age of 30, which I find interesting. You would think that 30 would freak you out. But I guess not. I will discover this for myself one day.

It actually turned out really well. Some of the ladies I work with gave me gifts and brought in lunch, and my nephew brought me not only a Happy Birthday balloon but slippers as well. He apparently thought this up on his own. Adorable.

Side note-- there is a conspiracy to keep me addicted to sweet carbohydrates. There was, of course, the mandatory birthday cake, and lady at work made me gigantic cookies (which I still have yet to finish), my sister-in-law sent me some cookies in the mail (delicious), and the kicker--the security officer at work bought me a German chocolate cake from a heaven sent bakery that is probably made directly out of lard. Delicious lard, though.

To combat all these triglycerides, another lady at work gave me gardening supplies. I have been told that when done right, gardening is actually a pretty good workout. Never mind that I don't have a yard. I have a balcony. I could probably plant things on it.

So I bring all this home to show to Brian. He is perusing the gifts while I'm making dinner when I hear, "Well, we're throwing this away."

I wonder to myself, what could he possibly want to throw away? Is he looking out for my health? Trying to rid me of some of these delicious, yet artery clogging, treats? No. He is holding the gardening hand rake thingy and shovel.

On the back of these tools there is a warning: California Health Warning--this product contains chemicals known to California to cause cancer, birth defects, and to cause reproductive problems.

Excuse me?

So we threw them away. I don't know why California is in the know and the rest of the 49 states are left in the dark, but we listened to them anyway.

We kept the cookies.