What Was She Thinking?!

On account of it's your birthday, on account of you're my friend, but most of all, on account of I love you!

And if that wasn't enough honey and sugar and spice for you, here's the original "Cuppycake" video by Amy Castle, who was three years old when this was made in 1994.

Cross posted to my WordPress blog.

It's a great day here in Opera Land. Over half a million users. Yep, you heard it right, folks, over 500,000 folks have signed up for an Opera blog. Fluffy Bunny recalls her first encounter with the Opera Browser and the community, admitted she would pretty much sign up for anything, and two years and one Member of the Week (December 2005) later, she's found solid footing and a loyal following here, not to mention scads of friends, near and far.

SerbianFighter came out of hiatus long enough to write this eloquent post about how much the Opera Community means to him. And he's contributed in a very large way to the OC through his Opera Blog tutorials, graphics and other goodies for everyone here to use and enjoy. That he is compelled out of hiatus today speaks volumes about this community and what it means to quite a number of us.

I also am not without quite a bit to say about this place. I'm grateful in my own way to the OC because it's put me in contact with some amazing people, some of whom have become very special and significant in my personal life. This place has the capacity to enrich us all. We just have to be selective, as in real life, and learn to separate signal from noise.

As stated in the audio portion of this post, take your mouse for a walk here, you might find some interesting things.

I'm sitting here counting my blessings this morning. I've got three really great friends.

1. One of them (the one I'm married to), I've known over half my life, known longer than I knew my mother. He has stood by me when I had my cancer and surgery in 1990, followed me to Houston because he realized, almost too late, that he couldn't live without me, showed me the ocean, taught me to love myself first. But he's sitting in his hospital room right now stewing because I fell asleep and didn't go up to see him tonight. Nevermind the fact that the three times I called him this evening, he hurried me off the phone because he was playing poker on line. He'll settle down later and I'll probaby drop by on my way to work. Tonight I'll come up and bring him his malted milk balls (or "moth balls" as we call them) and all will be forgiven. And then we can sit there and talk about the great house we are buying together. And I will love him until one of us dies.

A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be.

~~ Richard Bach (The Bridge Across Forever)

2. My other friend, my Fuzzy Bear, lives across the sea. That doesn't matter. He's always in my heart and my thoughts. I would go to the mat, the moon and back and the Earth's core for him. And he knows it. We've had some rocky times and mostly it's been me reacting badly and incorrectly to something he's said. I have a literal mind and there is a bit of a culture difference. He has a fine and brilliant mind, a gentle soul wise beyond its years, a passion that cannot be quenched, and a resoluteness that breaks my heart sometimes. The one thing I can count on from my wonderful friend is absolute and brutal honesty. But I'm hooked. As I said the other night in response to his "Just beep me if you need me or want to talk," "I always need you and want to talk to you!" And, yes, of course, I love you.

What does your sorrow do while you're sleeping? It is awake and waiting. And, when it loses patience, it wakes me up.

~~ Ivo Andric

3. Finally, there's my PLWS. My Precious Link With Sanity. The one who fields my tearful calls, who always makes me laugh through those tears. The one who shares my love, appreciation and frustration over web design and damn web standards. We cry as much over life's little setbacks as we do over why our stylesheets won't validate or why our pages won't render properly in (pick one or more) IE, Firefox and Opera. She knows what to say to make me smile and I make sure her Starbucks Gift Card never wanes. Just so you don't think it's all one-sided, she'll be the first to tell you that I've helped her work through situations and relationships, we've plotted, planned and giggled together and spend as much time on the telephone as me and Friend #2 do in chat. She is one half of the Idiot Girl's Action Adventure Club 2. And she is loved.

Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.

~~ Anne Morrow Lindberg

Whatever did I do to deserve these precious friends of mine?

I want you to know how important you are to me,
how you can be the creator of the person that is me if you choose to.
Please choose to. You alone can break down the wall
behind which I tremble, you alone can remove my mask.
You alone can release me from my shadowworld of panic and uncertainty;
From my lonely person.

~~ Jill Zevallos-Solak, 1974

On Sunday, May 28, 2006, Ivan a/k/a SerbianFighter, my friend and partner in crime and web design, is celebrating his...

21st Birthday!

Why don't you help him celebrate by having some virtual (psst! ladies, it's calorie-free!) birthday cake...

Note that there are all kinds of surprises hidden here so take your mouse for a walk, mkay?

Adriana will now recite a few birthday factoids for you. (Yeah, I know you MEN are paying close attention to the writing there, huh?!)

And help him open some of his presents...

Then why don't you click below to give the birthday boy a nice birthday kiss!

Srecan rodjendan, moj prijatelje! Happy birthday, my dear friend!

My recent post on friendship caused me to think about all the friends I've made here on the OC. Not just people who are on my "Friends" list or blogroll. But people who I can talk to, whose opinions I value, who have reached out their hand in friendship to me from the moment I landed here. To those folks, here's a little something from me to you. And if you believe, "Happy Easter!" If not, "Thanks for being a friend!"

Zenya ... your music posts inspire and calm and comfort. This song also does that for me. Hope you feel the same way.
I Am Your Angel, Celine Dion.

Scott ... you have a talent beyond measure in your artwork and in your thoughts. This song, to me, captures that spirit. Never let the flame die, friend!
What The World Needs Now, Dionne Warwick.

Ivan ... What can I say, dawg? You are the glue that holds this place together. I wish you health, happiness and love. And may the underdogs of the world, whose causes you are always tirelessly championing, prevail!
Hero, Mariah Carey.

Allan ... What a great inspiration you have been to me. Your photographs capture the soul, your words inspire, haunt, delight. You have a love for life that is contagious! This one's for you and the Missus!
True Romance, Chris Isaak.

Sarah Bell ... Fiesty, funny, thoughtful, temperamental, moody mama! Texas gal! Okay, here you go!
When I Die, Tanya Tucker.

Richard ... You've hung on through that roller coaster ride, dude. What can I say? You are truly an inspiration to me.
Life Is a Highway, Tom Cochrane.

Leazz ... Your story touched my heart the minute I first read it. You were given a special gift, in the form of a special friendship and love. It was taken from you too soon. But you've turned that tragedy around into a positve life force. I see it every day when I read your blog. Keep believing, keep loving!
I Hope You Dance, Lee Ann Womack.

Dave ... The few, the proud, the Dave. You have a finely honed awareness of others. (No one else noticed the coming and going of my photo; or at least thought to mention it.) Great blog, guy. Keep it up! Hope this song brings back good memories!
Magic Carpet Ride, Steppenwolf.

Louis ... You have been going through the same thing I have lately. Fortunately for both of us, the light at the end of the tunnel is NOT a train! Keep the faith! It will get better!
Keep On Moving, Five.