Here's A Plant

The plant looked exactly like this.

On my official birthday, which was yesterday, in case you missed the press release, I regaled hubby and the eldest with tales of birthdays past.  Not that they asked, but on my b'day, I get to talk about whatever I want, dammit, hopefully without having to say, "Can I just get through this story?  It's my eff'n b'day!" more than once.  So, whether they wanted to hear about it or not, I told them the moving story of my miserable 15th birthday, when it rained, torrentially, and one of my closet friends surprised me at school with a very large plant.  I believe her direct words were, "Here's a plant, happy birthday."

Correction.  It looked exactly like this.

I couldn't put it in my locker.  It would've died.  So I had to schlep the big-ass plant around all day in the rain, which made it impossible to carry an umbrella.  I'm not that good at juggling.  So I spent the day sopping wet, hugging a plant, and getting weird stares and comments.  "Carol, why did you bring a plant to class today?" asked every one of my teachers.  "What plant?" I said, as it dripped water and dirt onto the floor.  By the time I got on the crowded bus, I'd had it with the plant, and my birthday.  When I got home, I found my parents, trying to salvage the family room, which was completely flooded.  "Happy birthday, grab a mop."   Fast forward 40 years to this:

The Polo Lounge, where I lunched with the lovely Carla and Cami.  Let me just say, it was divine in every way.  A Hollywood producer came up to me, and said, "Excuse me, are you the SJG I've heard tell of?" And I said, "Duh!"  He signed me to a three-picture deal, right then and there.  Look for "Flying Down To Rio:  The SJG Story" coming soon to a theater near you, or maybe not at all.  Hollywood types can be so flighty.