Apparently, I am an enormous nerd.: seanan

Apparently, I am an enormous nerd.

Since it's a "talking about birthdays" kind of a day, here's my own (belated) birthday report:

Last Wednesday was my birthday, and it was, quite frankly, pretty miserable. I had gone home from work early on Tuesday, suffering from a nasty cold. It had mostly cleared up by Wednesday morning, which was awesome, although there was still some, well, let's call it "blockage." The "blockage" continued to reduce over the course of the day, until somewhere around noon, when I sneezed, knocking the last of it free...

...and unleashing the GALLONS OF BLOOD I had apparently been storing in my sinuses, courtesy of an unnoticed six-hour-long nosebleed. I managed to burst a blood vessel deep inside my head with all the sneezing and misery of Tuesday, and then, well. Bleeding! Like it was an Olympic sport! Accompanied by dizziness from, you know, LOSS OF BLOOD. I managed to make it to the bathroom (barely), where I passed out on the floor, and was later found by a co-worker unconscious in a pool of my own blood. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.

(Yes, I have seen my doctor; no, it was not an aneurysm; it was really and truly just a burst blood vessel, and I am now fine. There have been no repeats of the "massive bleeding followed by passing out" party-time fun.)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I was sent home from work after turning the bathroom into my own private horror movie, and—after medical what-not and transit—met up with my mother and youngest sister for our usual Wednesday errands. We actually put off going to the comic book store in order to drive to Berkeley and eat Indian food for dinner, because it made sense from a traffic perspective. I complained a few times about the lack of cake, but not with any real passion, as I was a) tired, and b) still a little out of it. We ate. We drove back to Concord. We went to the comic book store.

Upon entry, I declared happily, "It's my BIRTHDAY!", since it's awesome when your birthday corresponds to new comic book day. The staff looked theatrically shocked...probably because that was about when Libby (the owner's wife) emerged from the office with a cake.

Yes. A cake.

MY COMIC STORE GOT ME A BIRTHDAY CAKE.

Did you ever need proof that I was an enormous nerd? Because if you did, here it is: my comic book store GOT ME A BIRTHDAY CAKE. That is how much time I spend there. BUYING ME A CAKE amounts of time.

I love my life. Medical emergencies and all.

dawn_metcalf

January 12 2011, 21:41:09 UTC 6 years ago

New comment

It's never just "okay" with you, Mrs. Gallons O'Blood, is it? ;-)

Well, happy birthday and enjoy your cake!

seanan_mcguire

January 12 2011, 21:49:44 UTC 6 years ago

I'm not good at neutral joy. It sorta sucks.

Deleted comment

Re: An AU theory on your nosebleed ...

January 12 2011, 21:49:56 UTC 6 years ago

Yay pandemic time!

yellowblackhaze

January 12 2011, 21:49:17 UTC 6 years ago

My sympathy about the nosebleed. I freak out when I get one that goes for longer than 5 minutes. But getting the cake from your comic shop, that's not nerdy, that is awesomely cool!

January 12 2011, 21:50:08 UTC 6 years ago

I love my comic book store so hard.

hms42

January 12 2011, 21:54:01 UTC 6 years ago

Music:The concert playback from Gafilk.

Thank you for letting me record your concert.

January 12 2011, 22:14:44 UTC 6 years ago

You're welcome.

katiebabs

January 12 2011, 22:15:20 UTC 6 years ago

((HUGS)) At least no alien tore out of your nose ala Alien.

Must feel good after everything to be turning 21. ;P

January 12 2011, 22:32:28 UTC 6 years ago

No aliens! Just gore!

phoenixrave

January 12 2011, 22:42:25 UTC 6 years ago

No more bleeding Seanan...No, not even if they do make it an Olympic sport. You have the tiara. No Gold Medal for bleeding! Feel better. Glad that you made it safely from GAFilk as well.

January 13 2011, 15:33:02 UTC 6 years ago

Thanks!

kitrinlu

January 12 2011, 23:54:48 UTC 6 years ago

Somehow this seems like a strangely appropriate way for you to spend your birthday - gory drama + geeky cake.

Really glad you're okay, and if you could see your way to not doing it ever again, I'm sure we'd all be grateful :)

The cake thing though - if you weren't my number one idol of geekery already, this would definitely have moved you into the top slot XD

January 13 2011, 15:33:11 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

calico_reaction

January 13 2011, 00:15:07 UTC 6 years ago

Epic nosebleed? Not awesome.

Comic book store buying you a birthday cake? TOTALLY AWESOME!

What titles do you follow?

January 13 2011, 15:35:15 UTC 6 years ago

In monthly, The Boys, Hack/Slash, and...um. Okay, that's currently it, for monthly (Lilly eats comic books).

In trade, Proof, Unwritten, House of Secrets, Madame Xanadu, all the X-titles, Dynamo 5, Invincible, Irredeemable, Incorruptible, Creepy, Eerie, Mercy Sparx, Fables, Jack of Fables, and probably something I'm forgetting.

6 years ago

rhoda_rants

January 13 2011, 00:24:41 UTC 6 years ago

Wow--sounds like you went from SUCK to FAB at whiplash speed. I dunno if I'd suffer a nosebleed for it, but I would be floored if my library bought me a cake!

(I don't frequent a comic book store.... But I do hit up the library quite a bit.)

January 13 2011, 15:35:27 UTC 6 years ago

Libraries are awesome!

concerned face

snowcoma

January 13 2011, 01:37:07 UTC 6 years ago

Sweetie, I really worry about you passing out (not just this instance). It seems to happen a lot when you're sick, as in more than the three specific occasions I can remember.

It might just be paranoia on my part. None of my other (bonanza full of serious health issues) friends pass out, and Momma only passes out when she has a grand-mal seizure. And now I ask the stupid question, have you told your doctor about passing out multiple times?

I like my Seanans like I like my petri dishes: healthy and teeming with life.

*hugs tight*

Re: concerned face

January 13 2011, 15:35:51 UTC 6 years ago

I promise I am communicative of my medical issues with my relevant medical professionals.

Birthday

hvideo

January 13 2011, 01:52:06 UTC 6 years ago

Hooray for awesomeness of the comic store. Of course, now you need to proceed to the next step:

You need your cake to buy you a comic store. How awesome would THAT be?!

(Much gladness that you are now fine medically.)

Re: Birthday

January 13 2011, 15:36:04 UTC 6 years ago

Awesome, and sort of scary.

admnaismith

January 13 2011, 01:56:03 UTC 6 years ago

That reminds me...I still owe you an October Daye cocktail, or the beverage of your choice. I'm still amazed and chagrined that our paths during OryCon crossed so seldomly...perhaps during ConFlikt I can bring you something from the hotel bar and call it a belated birthday present or something.

January 13 2011, 15:36:14 UTC 6 years ago

Sadly, I will not be there. :(

tygerversionx

January 13 2011, 02:22:54 UTC 6 years ago

Yay! Cake (but hopefully no Death)!

Someday I hope to get into some kind of huge debate with you about who would kick ass more, George or Jean Grey. ;)

In a comic book store, of course, with poseable action figures.

Happy birthday!

January 13 2011, 15:36:26 UTC 6 years ago

Oh, my.

That will be EPIC.

dormouse_in_tea

January 13 2011, 03:27:24 UTC 6 years ago

*horrified inarticulate hand flappings at you*

Perhaps it is not too late for a new year's resolution? I am thinking along the lines of "I will not pass out this year ANY MORE."

I hope collapsing like that didn't fuck over your back too badly. :(

Yay for cake, though. That is wicked cool.

January 13 2011, 15:36:41 UTC 6 years ago

It did not! My back is good.

I like that resolution.

hoppytoad79

January 13 2011, 07:25:38 UTC 6 years ago

Glad you're okay. Passing out and lots of blood=Very Not Cool. Your comic store getting you a cake? Very, Very Cool. That's their way of thanking you for spending so much money there. ;D

January 13 2011, 15:36:51 UTC 6 years ago

Well, yes.

danjite

January 13 2011, 09:06:01 UTC 6 years ago

OK.. I will admit that this made me tear up just the littlest bit...

January 13 2011, 15:37:10 UTC 6 years ago

I've been going to this store since I was seven. The owner, Joe, is a miracle among comic retailers.

keristor

January 13 2011, 09:19:25 UTC 6 years ago

"Apparently, I am an enormous nerd"

Oh, you're not that big, actually you are rather cute *g*.

I do think that it is very 'you' to both stage your own (involuntary) horror movie AND get bought cake by the comic store on your birthday. Because you are awesome and these things happen to you.

I'm glad you survived both.

January 13 2011, 15:37:16 UTC 6 years ago

Me, too.

fayanora

January 13 2011, 10:57:50 UTC 6 years ago

Happy belated womb escape day!

January 13 2011, 15:37:23 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you!

tintiger

January 13 2011, 16:47:51 UTC 6 years ago

Definitely no more nose bleeds of epic proportions :-(

If you wanted to donate blood, just go along and do it the regular way, please!

Glad you finally got some cake on your birthday :-)

January 19 2011, 20:39:31 UTC 6 years ago

They won't let me, actually. Too much time spent in England. I could be a mad cow.

glam_k

January 13 2011, 23:02:58 UTC 6 years ago

May we never live in a world where CAKE is a bad thing. ;)

January 19 2011, 22:14:04 UTC 6 years ago

Word.

vincentursus

January 14 2011, 02:13:14 UTC 6 years ago

Happy Belated Birthday, and my compliments to your comic book store on their ability to recognize your awesomeness.

January 19 2011, 20:36:54 UTC 6 years ago

I think they recognize my loyalty even more.

groblek

January 14 2011, 04:15:38 UTC 6 years ago

Yipe on the nosebleed - glad you're OK!

Having your comic book store buy you a birthday cake is amazingly cool. It's good to know they appreciate you. :)

January 19 2011, 20:37:25 UTC 6 years ago

I appreciate them, too. :)

birthdays are good for you.

the_liz666

January 18 2011, 05:51:01 UTC 6 years ago

While I'm sure passing out in your own blood was not at all fun, I'm the ghoulish sort that would stage something like that as a prank on a friend.
Then again... You're probably good you aren't prone to pranks like that, or people wouldn't be as sympathetic when it happens.
Glad you are okay, and that you got at least a partial sick day for it.

Also so awesome that your comic book store got you cake! Hope you got to celebrate a little more when you're not under the weather.