It was an extremely busy week! I started off on Monday by having lunch with my old friend, Jack. We have known each other since I was 19 and he was 21. We had lunch @ a Japanese restaurant, in downtown L.A. We hadn't seen each other for almost a year! It was time for me to get his Christmas, birthday, and Valentine's Day gifts out of the closet. Ridiculous - you would think we live in different countries! Since Monday was a pupil-free day, it afforded me a rarity and luxury, an hour lunch, something that I never have during my work week. On Wednesday, February 6, was my birthday. My best friend, Sergio, took me out to a very nice restaurant, in Pasadena. We had a GREAT time, but then, we always do. Sergio gave me a beautiful pair of earrings. They are mother of pearl hearts with marcasites. They are stunning. I got home about 9 and my husband and I got a chance to spend some time together. On Thursday, I spent the evening with 14 women! 2 friends have their birthdays the day after mine, so we all got together to celebrate our birthdays at a restaurant in San Gabriel. The women all worked with me @ Garfield. They left work around 4 and got massages before joining me for dinner. I was the acting principal from Wednesday-Friday, so there was no way I was going to be able to join them for a massage! God knows, I could have used at least 1. I got home @ 10! And I paid the price the next day! That's what 3 late nights will do to you! On my birthday, I arrived to work to a BIG ass arrangement of flowers! I arrived @ 7:20 and was making my way across the parking lot to the main entrance. I was stopped several times by people wishing me 'happy birthday'! Well, the weird part was that none of the people who wished me 'happy birthday' could have known it was my birthday! Having been @ Wilson for only 6 months would have made it almost impossible for most people to know it was my birthday. When I got to the last person outside, I asked, "How do you know it is my birthday?" Rosie told me, "You'll see when you get inside." When I walked into the main office, it still hadn't dawned on me. I was pretty loaded up with several bags. I made my way to the administration's cards, which are located in the middle of the long counter, to sign-in. I noticed a big basket in the way, so I pushed the tray of cards over so I could initial my card. After I signed in, I walked away. More people wished me happy birthday, then someone said, "Hey Roseann, don't forget your flowers." Then, I saw the flowers! There was a large sign in front of the flowers that read: 'Happy birthday Roseann Cazares, from Garfield'. A teacher quipped, "What are we? Chopped liver?" The flowers were so beautiful - the arrangement is HUGE. I have never seen so many flowers in 1 vase! They are on top of my file cabinet, in my office @ work. In my next post, I will get to the BIG story of the week!