Happy Birthday to Me!

My niece La Liz posted this picture to me on our family's website, to wish me a happy birthday. I decided to steal it and post it here as my birthday post picture. Especially after I couldn't get the scanner to cooperate when I tried to scan a baby picture of me! (Awww, how cute ...)

Anyway, today is my very own birthday, so YAY! I love birthdays in general, and mine in particular. Because as I always tell people, the alternative is much less attractive to me. And I feel qualified to say that, having had the alternative try to sneak up on me a couple of times.

I know so many people who get really freaked out by their birthdays, and to be honest, it intrigues me. And every time someone asks me if I'm "turning 29 again" , I try to pleasantly say "yes," because of course I get the joke. (I mean, who doesn't? It's just so darn funny, isn't it?? Ouch, my side hurts!) But in my head, I'm usually thinking something much different ... and not nearly as pleasant.

I will admit though, that it is easier for me to remember my birthdate, than my age. I mean, if someone asks me my date of birth, I can rattle it off to them in record time. If someone asks me my age, I always have to stop, think of my birth date, and do the math. And I always think that it gives the impression that I'm trying to think of what I can say, that they might believe. I always say my actual age after I've figured it out, it just takes me a minute to get there ...

Anyway. Today is my 51st birthday, for those of you who may be wondering. (For the record, on the actual day of my birthday, I can always easily remember how old I am ...)

It has been a most excellent day so far. It was unusually warm here today (about 78 degrees), and really sunny. I went to the gym, and then we had sour cream pecan coffee cake from a French patisserie near our house, with some coffee. Then we drove to New Hope, which is about an hour's drive on a day like today, when there is no traffic, and it's not a weekend. It was really great to be out, just walking around for the heck of it, on such a nice day. We walked across the bridge to Lambertville, New Jersey. (Which, because I'm apparently 5 emotionally, I always think is so much fun - walking to another state and back in one day!) And I just finished my birthday dinner of vegetarian barbecue (Tim's is the best); then later, we'll have birthday cake and presents. Now, if I was ignoring my birthday, would I have had such a nice day in the middle of the week? Not very likely!

And so, I see no reason to stop celebrating birthdays. And I really don't mind getting older. Sure, I hope that I won't end up disabled, or seriously ill, and that I'll be able to be independent, etc., the older I get. But I'd much rather be where I am, and who I am, than worry about getting here in the first place.