what a day!

started off fairly easy, kinda quiet. then i got to the base. and EVERYBODY, even the guards who i don't know for shit, was wishing me happy birthday. WTF?! how do these people know?

i did some work in the morning, and got some things sorted out. i was sitting in my office, when the door opened and i heard a loud bang - j-girl walked in with a giant bunch of balloons and sparklers, and topped it off with a styling card and a huge piece of candy.

she sat with me for a short while, then ran off as it was her last day in the army - so she had lots to do, people to see...

i ate the candy. t'was great. until she came back and was shocked that i ate something decorative. how the hell was i supposed to know it's not for eating? if it's not for eating, make it inedible!!

we went off to the finals of the volleyball tournament. we should have won. we sucked the big one. everyone had a really bad day - all at the same time. so that was VERY disappointing.

i went home and showered, then met j-girl at the central train station, and we took a bus to jerusalem. met her parents, and some of her siblings, and then we went to a nice coffee shop / restaurant for a good dinner. we then went to see the corpse bride... AWESOME movie. i fsckin' loved it. very arty, very slick, extremely entertaining. even j-girl enjoyed it, and she doesn't like "animation". blehh.

she gave me a ride to ru55's, and i'm about to go to bed. after i finish my beer ;) INCREDIBLE bloody place - enormous apartment with the feel of a well-put-together mansion (and some help from an interior decorator, it appears). i'm well impressed.

and in about 4 or 5 hours i'm going to crawl out of bed and make my way to the base. but the birthday itself was the shit.

ps. before i get any apologies from anyone who forgot - REALLY, it's okay. i'm not one for remembering birthdays, and this year (not that i don't appreciate it!) was WAY more than i'm used to...

pps. 15 days till i get on that plane! FIFTEEN DAYS!! wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!