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Most of my shopping wasn't for me. It was for three people who have birthdays in the next few weeks. For the record, if you have a birthday in July and want to be friends with me, I'm afraid I have no room for you in my life. Same goes for people born in February, March and December. I have met my birthday quotas for those months. If you really want to be my friend, I require that you change your birthday to a less populated month. April or August, perhaps.

My parents have insured me a lifetime of annoyance, simply by their birthdates. Mom's is two weeks before Christmas. Dad's is two weeks after Father's Day; and in an added bit of fun, three days after Kara's. Why do the people I love hate me?

So, I hit Crate & Barrel for two items I should have purchased when I was there last night. Then I went to the Galleria. Where I also went last night. Sort of takes the fun out of shopping when you keep going to the same places every 15 hours. I hit the new Urban Outfitters, because we all know how much my dad wants this shirt for his big 5-6 birthday. But I just can't quite bring myself to give my money to Urban Outfitters. On one hand, I don't like the politics and business practices of their owner, especially the owner's support of anti-gay senator Rick Santorum. But on the other hand, UO employs 1/2 of my favorite gay about-to-be committed couple. I love this couple (Yo! Big Daddy B!) and it makes me giggle that UO funds their gay, gay lifestyle. A conundrum, indeed. I wound up not buying anything.

While I thought shopping sans Clara "Pulls Clothes Off Racks" Jane would be easier, it wasn't. I missed her. I missed having her stroller to hold my bags. But mostly, I missed her. And her stroller, for holding my drink.