PDA - and I dont mean Palm's new Pre

Remember in the late 80s when it was cool for couples to walk around with their hands in each others' back pockets? And in the late 90s when it was cool for couples to hold "hands" by the pinkies?

Well, now, apparently it's "cool" for couples to grope each other in public and shove their tongues down each others' throats.

Seriously, people. I dont want to see that. Why do you want me to see that?

When I was a sophomore in college, I pledged a sorority. As part of the membership process, we had an older sister who was assigned to teach us the ways of the sorority. I remember very clearly the day she taught us what was unacceptable behavior at a sorority party. Smoking, drinking, swearing and spitting were forbidden while wearing your sorority letters. Dancing on bars (or otherwise trashily) and making out with boys in public were also unacceptable.

Sadly, many people were not so fortunate as to receive decency training from a member of the Royal Family. These are the people who have been spotted all over the globe, having private fun in public.

I'm generally pretty tolerant of tacky people: I merely jot down the activity in question and assign it to a chapter in my book ("We Don't Do Tacky: A Guide to Gentle Living", coming soon to a bookstore near you). But lately, the PDA thing has gotten out of hand. When people who aren't the bride and groom are open-mouth kissing in church (like, during the service), what is this world coming to!??!

Wafer and Shanks have both Tweeted about sickeningly displays. Makes me wish we could still "tap" people for being tacky, or write them up to the Standards committee or just say "TNT" and have it rectified.


QOD: "Do NOT be making out or messing around with your boyfriend in public. I mean, if it's that bad, just take it home." - LN, Pledge mom 2001

Old, Older, Oldest

Last week was my birthday. I turned another year older.

I loved my birthday this year. It was on Friday the 13th (which is awesome) and I got to go to work! (I love going to work on my birthday...everyone has to be nice to me!)

PattyCake wrangled a fun crew (Pickle and G-Funk and Shanks) for a birthday lunch, because she said "no one should have to eat Lean Cuisine on her birthday." We headed to Collins Pub, where my steak sandwich was fantastic, both glasses of wine were delicious and the waitress brought us a birthday dessert.

Back at the office, my Big Purple Cup was returned to me, I was toasted at our "staff meeting" and after a couple glasses of wine, PattyCake and I headed out. We got on a bus to go to my birthday party, missed our stop but managed to find our way home from wherever we got off the bus.

After changing into a Sparkly Sweater Dress, I headed to the Nabob, where Rosie, Frannie, Bullwinkle, Fritha, Conan and Pie were all waiting with gifts. I got a tape measure, a flask, a Big Fat Llama and cupcakes. Yay!

Over the course of the evening, we had a great time just mingling with each other and the other fantastic friends who joined us: Jazz Hands, Sigma, Traskinator, FrankieWayne, Pickle and Skater among others.

And since we're not spring chickens anymore, we headed home around 11:30pm and got a good night's sleep.

2009 birthday cupcake count: 9 (major improvement over 2008)

All in all, an EXCELLENT birthday.