Today is my 31st birthday.

For years, I had a little daydream: it would be really fun to go into a Baskin-Robbins on my 31st birthday and sample each flavor of ice cream.  So on Monday, I went to my local store and asked to speak to the manager.  I spoke to a woman who said she was a manager, and she thought my idea was wonderful.  She brought out the Baskin-Robbins corporate magazine and showed me a photo of a couple eating ice cream on their 31st wedding anniversary.  She said it was fine to come in on Sunday as long as I “didn’t bring 20 friends with me,” and I laughed and said of course not, just my husband.

So today, I was excited.  I stopped by the web site to check which flavors I was allergic to, and made a list of all the ones I wanted to try.  I went to Baskin-Robbins and explained everything to the man behind the counter, who seemed to understand.  I’d had three samples when he frowned and said I couldn’t have any more. He said people were limited to three samples per person.  I told him it was my 31st birthday and I had special permission from the manager.  He said he was the owner and he wouldn’t give me any more samples.  I showed him my ID, and at that point he said I was supposed to sign up for their Birthday Club and get the free certificate in the mail, but he’d give me a free ice cream cone anyway.

So I got an ice cream cone… but that wasn’t the point.  I didn’t want ice cream–I wanted an experience.  The amount of ice cream he gave me ended up being more food than the samples would have been, so it’s not even like he saved any money.  Mostly, though, I’m just disappointed.  I’d been looking forward to this for a few years–not my life’s dream, certainly, but it would have been fun.

Guess I’ll be going to Cold Stone Creamery next time.

Purple Envy sounds like someone’s sex toy.

500 words about an 80’s nostalgia BDSM party.  Very silly and fun to write.

750 words about indigo wrath, martial arts, and a huge mistake.

650 words about bluegreed algae.  Yes, really.

I’m a bit worried about the final two weeks of the project. I’m doing these story-starts for the first 4 weeks, and then in the last 2 weeks, I’ll finish at least 2 of them.  Problem is, those last 2 weeks are really more like .75 week due to prior commitment.  So now I’m wondering how on earth I can do this.  Maybe next week, I’ll commit to story starts AND continuing some of the better ones, so I don’t get screwed up at the end… but man, that sounds like a ton of creative energy.  We’ll see how I feel.

500 words about green sloth, drugs, and videogames.

Yellow lust!  (Green clovers!  Blue diamonds!  And purple horseshoes!)

700 words about a pleasure planet and a very short summer romance.

I’m really having fun with these themes.  I’m thinking about next week.  What are there seven of?  I’ve thought of continents already–that may be part of it–and I won’t do the Seven Dwarves.  Other ideas?  Or something there’s three of, plus something else there’s four of.

850 words about orange pride etching building metamorphosing mammals.  Well, more specifically, some creatures with shriveled wings cleaning the sacred relics of their past.

Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to comment in my blog.  It really helps me to know that you guys are counting on me to finish this project.  You rock.

Just for fun, I’m doing seven themed story-starts this week. I’m doing the colors of the rainbow plus the seven deadly sins. The colors are in rainbow order, and I’m drawing the sins from a teacup.

So today I wrote about Red Gluttony. Actually, a medieval feast with court intrigue and an assassination plot. 600 words.

Also, I have a nasty sinus infection or some other illness, which is making this writing project tougher.  I still plan to complete it.

Dinner Made Willing is up at The Town Drunk this month. It’s a story from last year’s Write-a-Thon, so I like the timing.

500 words about a road trip through the Southwest.  And now I’m off to Westercon!