Awesomeness

OK, well, remembering my mother's birthday is not necessarily awesome, just necessary. But this year I went for a plant in lieu of flowers, one of those "lucky bamboo" things that isn't actually bamboo, but is incredibly hard to kill, witness Exhibit A, flourishing on my stairwell for almost two years without dying. Of all the green things my mother has made grow over the years, this was one she'd never even seen before.

It turns out the Sweet Young Thing from An Tir had his birthday on the same day. A running trope of his FB is the phrase "based on Actual Japanese History." He was lamenting the fact that he could not celebrate his birthday based on Actual Japanese History because historically the Japanese (a) consider a child one year old as of their birth, then (b) count additional years as of the Lunar New Year, so everyone technically had the same birthday. I (c) outgeeked the boy and (b) made his day by suggesting he could simply find a traditional holiday around the same time of year and use that as his birthday celebration. Turning to my trusty copy of The World of the Shining Prince: "Toyoakari no Sechie is in the Eleventh Month* and it's a celebration of the harvest, with a banquet and the performance of the Gosechi dances. Or is that too kuge for you?" (*Lunar calendar, remember? Chinese New Year is usually around the end of January-early February.)   While it can't possibly be the best birthday present ever, he did appreciate it.

And the predicted EMAIL! with LOTS!!!! of EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!! arrived this afternoon, notifying me better than any delivery confirmation from the USPS that JAF received his Box Of Kosode.

Thanks, Universe. I needed that.