What A Day!

Birthdays. An enigmatic day at most. Some people cannot wait for their next birthday, typically these are people who are 20 or younger. Some of those people can't wait for cake, can't wait for a day that is all about them or can't wait for presents. Gotta love those presents. Other's in that group, typically the 20 year old is counting the minutes until they can get hammered... legally.


After 21, birthdays become a little ambiguous for most. Birthday 22, birthday 26, birthday 28, just another day in paradise.

Some people, typically of the female persuasion, don't like the ages beginning with "3".  It appears that biological clocks get very loud and demanding in that decade. Unless, of course, you started your family earlier or way earlier and the biological tick-tocking of someone else's clock is something we roll our eyes at while we sit folding the 4th load of laundry we did today, at 9:30 pm, because we were busy helping with homework and baths and telling Jacob to stop looking at Sally and reminding Sally that she was the one holding her finger next to Jacob's cheek repeating, "I'm not touching you!" over and over again during dinner.

Birthdays ending in "9" can be a little troublesome for some, but it is usually that year of being the something-9 that is worse than the actual day the clock ticks twelve and the birthday flips to one ending in "0". It may be that when that happens we may not "share" our age as readily or we may find that having reached a certain decade that we want to tell everyone, "Hey, I'm ____ and look at me and the good shape I'm in!" Maybe we slip away, have a couple of wrinkles pulled or chins tucked or maybe a breast or two lifted, then we "show' everyone what good shape we're in but we still don't share the number. After all, who's business is it anyway?

So yesterday was my 62nd birthday.  It was one of the best ever. Started off with some great intellectual conversation at a great artistic coffee house (though the coffee there sucks big time). I forgot to ask if they have a policy about bringing in your own thermos or sneaking in a Kicker from Dutch Bros.

Talked myself into a visit to Barnes & Noble to gift myself some words. I love words. I especially love them when bound between two covers in a sequence that teaches, amazes or entertains. Yum!  I ordered a book and bought a book.

I came home and folded a couple of loads of laundry sitting on the couch, I know, I know, I shouldn't have been folding laundry on my birthday but the mountain of towels and sheets and miscellaneous socks was bugging me... Big Time.  I carried the towels and sheets back to the linen closet but left the socks out. One never knows when rolled up socks laying on the ottoman might inspire a Sock War. I love Sock Wars, though they may threaten any sculpture in the house, so if one spontaneously breaks out in your home, you should definitely,  while army crawling through the house loaded with your sock weapons, pull susceptible pieces down and tuck them safely behind larger items.

I didn't get a sock war yesterday but I was entertained by my grandson and his fiance. I laughed so hard and so long that I am sure it took care of any of my cardio excercises for the day. I got lots of calls from people I love, lots of fun comments and wishes on my FB page and a couple of fun visitors.  A couple of good friends =)  dropped by after walking the River Trail. They said as long as they were this close they wanted to come by and give me some birthday hugs but you and I both know that they came to give me hugs and since they were so close to the trail figured they would walk "almost to the Dam and back!" Can't fool me!

My daughter-in-law and youngest granddaughter came by. Got good hugs there. More good conversation.

My husband came home. He is so handsome and joyful.  He joined my grandson and fiance and made me laugh more. I don't think I have laughed so hard, so deep, so fully in my life and believe me, I have had some pretty big laughs in my life.  I used to think that my kids were the funniest people I ever met. Sitting around the table with them is like sitting with George Carlin, Steve Martin, Margaret Cho, Anjelah Johnson, Chris Rock and Bill Cosby, Dane Cook and depending on the company and amount of adult beverages, the funny Silverman chick. While there may be a certain amount of slapstick involved, most of it is intelligent commentary on the state of the world, the house, their mother or whatever pops into their heads. But I have to tell you, they have passed on their penchant for comedy to my grandson. All I can say is OMG!

So, to get back to point about age, sorry for the short detour.

62. Sixty two. Sixty-two. Sixty 2. X=60 +2. I kind of like the sound of this number. I have legally retired. The income, while not as nice as it would have been if I continued to slave away for someone else for 3 or 7 more years, is just under the mortgage.

I believe I am going to be here for a long while. I am not moving off of 62 until my kids start to get close. Even then, if someone asks how I can be 62 and my oldest son is 55 I can always tell people that he was from my husbands first marriage!!! Only you, me and the DMV will know the truth! Well, except for my mom and believe me, she is not going to tell!

Gratitude.
I am thankful for my Birthday Dutch Bros Kicker (sorry Cheri, better late than never!)
I am thankful for humor and laughing.
I am thankful for intelligent conversation.
I am thankful for family and friends.
I am thankful for cousins east of the Mississippi and even those south of the Mason-Dixon line.
I am thankful for love, light and life.