May 3 – From midnight to 7am

I wasn’t supposed to be working last night (Wednesday May 2) but unless I did I would have had to work tonight – on my birthday – and there was no way in hell that was gonna happen! Anyway, I worked a “close” shift at Maccas from 9pm-1am last night/this morning. It was… both good and bad. Word had got around that my birthday was tomorrow (starting at midnight) and for the whole night the other crew were offering to bring me drinks or cook me food while I was out the back doing wash-up. It was really nice of them all: Tanya, Jess, Lucas and even the Nazi-like manager lady known as Simone.

At midnight (pretty much on the dot) they came out the back to where I was hastily washing stuff. They presented me with a donut from McCafe. It was a very “sweet” gesture. I really appreciated it. At the end of the shift Nazi-Simone gave me two apple pies to take home which was also kinda nice. During the shift I also:

• Burnt all of the finger-tips on my right hand removing chicken patties from the deep-frier thingo. The pain was quite excruciating, and I still have the burn marks to show for it if you want proof!
• Got some kind of disgusting rubbish sludge all down the right side of my body when I was throwing the black plastic garbage bags in the dumpster just before it was time to go home.
• Somehow managed to bang my shin into a wall leaving a nasty bruise.

So I was slipping ice blocks down into my right hand glove, trying in vain to get the right side of my body clean, and limping slightly, but I didn’t care because it was my birthday!

After getting changed and dropping Lucas at a friends house where he said he would “get drunk in my honour”, I made it home and proceeded to wash myself further. After the said self-cleaning, I got my first and so far favourite birthday phone call (from Nathan). Then I hopped into bed at 2.30ish, knowing that I would be woken in a mere four hours…

Three knocks at my door disrupt the silence of my room, and as it slowly opens the light scares away some of the darkness. I hear a chorus of “Happy Birthday Dale!” – it’s Dad followed by Mum followed by Mark. I slowly rise out of my slumber and smile. Turning on my light I’m patted on the shoulder/hugged/punched playfully. Gifts and cards are thrust upon me by my loving family. I open the cards which were hilarious this year – Mark always makes me laugh with the messages he writes in his. This year it was: “Daley boy, Have a happy, happy day. From your superior, Mark.” It was damn funny. :)

I open cards from Grandparents and other extended family members and mum stands all the cards up on my desk. 6:55 comes – Dad has to go to work and Mark to school athletics. They wish me a great day once more and leave my room. Mum, still in her dressing gown, does the same shortly after, leaving me sitting up in bed appreciating how awesome that all was and how much I love my family. About ten seconds later I’m asleep again.

Dale