Feeling The Love On My Birthday (From The Oddest Places)

So it was my birthday. It still is. I celebrate all month. I love life. I love having been born. I love celebrating the month in which I was born. I love everything about it.

I love free stuff, as we all know, so free birthday stuff is simply over the top joy.

I got a free Baskin Robbins soft serve cone. Eddie ate most of it. Sometimes a simple vanilla soft serve cone can make two people even happier than they thought they could be.

I got a coupon for Red Lobster. It was $5 off two entrees. Um, no.

I got a coupon from Cold Stone. It was buy one, get one. No, that's not free either.

I got two Happy Birthday emails from PLJ radio, one that had a code for bonus points. I hoard points and rarely use them on their site, but it was a fun bonus anyway.

CVS sent me a $3 coupon. Yeah, that's right. Cheaper shampoo is cheaper shampoo, you get me?

Jet Blue sent an email that told me to have a Truly Amazing Day. I'm part of their True Blue program.


Sephora kind of wished me a happy birthday. They sent out an email telling me what the free birthday product is this year. They didn't say Happy Birthday. They also didn't tell me to print out the email and bring it to the store to pick up my free stuff like they normally do. I emailed and asked if I needed an email to bring to the store, and they responded that I could check out online and enter my birthday code. Someone at Sephora needs to take a reading comprehension class. Still, I plan to go there anyway. S told me to go in and just tell them my email and say it's my birthday and they'll hand me a bag of stuff. Last time, I got sucky stuff because I didn't go to one in the city. But if I go to the one in the city, I'll spend money on the train, which defeats the purpose of getting free stuff even though it will prove some sort of point somewhere in the universe.

MyPoints sent me a birthday bonus email but not much came out of the bonus other than advertisements for things I do not want. They also sent me a birthday gift card from Lancome which was not a gift card at all but was an advertisement for Lancome.

I got a text message from my eye doctor's new automated appointment reminder system. It said Happy Birthday. And then I got an email that said the same thing. My eye doctor is very happy about my birthday.

Acuvue also sent me an email to say Happy Birthday even though I don't get contacts from them. Maybe my eye doctor gets them from there and then sends them onto me (perhaps at an inflated price considering the last time I was there, I went broke).

Advantage Toyota sent me a Happy Birthday email and said they hoped I'm enjoying my 2009 Scion. I own a 2011 Toyota Yaris, but we'll get to Toyota and their emails at a later time. Because it's just that strange.

Though I have not been to a heated yoga class in Long Beach since my Groupon expired, they sent me a complimentary class. Score! That? Is good business. I'm a cheap bastard and won't pay for more classes as the promotion intends to get me to do, but still, good business model.

CareCredit, the credit line that I used for laser stuff, sent me a happy birthday email. I haven't used that credit card in years, but they still love me.

I got a coupon in the mail from Aveda. I have never been there. They have beauty products that are really expensive, and for my birthday, I get a personalized product for free. That will be the only time I ever go into that store unless they continue to send me birthday coupons.


Finally, I got a coupon from Moe's Southwest Grill. One free entree, except for fajitas. I could live with that. And that's the story of how I wound up at Moe's for my birthday dinner with Eddie. He says I'm a pretty cheap date. Yes, yes I am.

Eddie also hosted a birthday party for me. After the wedding, I wanted to not plan anything. I was fine with not having a party, especially since I was receiving all of this birthday love in my inbox and mailbox. He threw a party anyway. It was not a surprise, but if anyone asked me about it, I directed them to him. I was not part of the planning. It did confuse my friends who were unclear as to why I did not mention my party, but then they got it. He was the host. He was in charge. He was it. That in itself was a great present.