Friday, November 25, 2005
always grow...grow all ways
My birthday is in less than a week. 5 days to be exact. Why am I not excited? It’s really interesting that as you get older, birthdays begin to mean less, unless they are some milestone like 30, 40 and 50 (but thank goodness I’m nowhere near there!)
When we were kids I remember being excited for weeks before the day. I would have the exact same birthday party every year: go to FLC (the wave pool), then come home to make mini-pizzas, eat cake (usually mocha or black forest…my 2 favorites) and then watch a movie and have a sleepover. And I will never forget the juice – strawberry punch, w/ ginger ale (to make it fizzy) and frozen strawberries in it. In the morning we would go to Heritage Park for the 12 days of Christmas (to go to the Kid’s only store, and generally get in the Christmas spirit). Every year my mom and I would find the perfect weekend – one where she wasn’t working. Those parties were always fun, even thought after I think my 7th or 8th birthday, I stopped getting formal gifts (from my friends) unless they were homemade (Sam’s were always amazing!), and we took donations to the food bank instead. I remember being kinda angry, but looking back now it wasn’t really a big deal. Give to the unfortunate and all.
It seems like when I hit university, birthdays stopped being so exciting. I mean, you would think that I would have got pissed drunk on my 18th, but instead I went out to dinner with my parents, and my grandparents from my dad’s side (and made the mistake of telling my brother about a guy that I was interested in…he didn’t drop it for probably at least 6 months). Sure I had quite a bit to drink (daiquiri, wine and amaretto), but it was a Saturday night, and I definitely didn’t go out to the bar until sometime in January – and didn’t end up drinking all that much that night either. Living in residence this is really surprising to me…but I guess that’s what happens when your birthday is right before exams. I did end up going out the next year…but it was kinda a flop. We went for dinner (me, roommates, and friends from rez), Bellinis included (haha), and then we were going out to the bar after, but it only ended up being me Tasha and Katherine…Katherine doesn’t drink ( I think she might have had 1), and Tasha didn’t have anything until she got some guy to buy a drink for her. I hate drinking alone…even at the bar. It just doesn’t feel right. That actually did end up being a good night (we met these 3 nice guys, who ended up giving us a ride back to HUB), but still something seemed to be missing.
This year is going to be, well interesting I guess. And this is probably why I’m not all that excited. I have a group presentation on the actual day (this Wednesday), and then the day after I have an oral presentation (on my own) about a fieldwork client (I’m nervous already…possibly b/c I haven’t practiced what I’m going to say), and then Friday is an all day conference (we have a 20 minute debate, and listen to everyone else’s). So really, my birthday is not at the best time. I can’t decide if I can go out for dinner on the day (if I wasn’t presenting the next day there would be no question…but I also think it would be better to go out, than sit at home and freak out about it!). And then I don’t know who is going to want to/can go out on the weekend. And I don’t really know where, b/c apparently the Standard is too chachie (spelling? I don’t even really know what that means). It’s just so frustrating…and birthdays are supposed to be fun, not stressful right? (Well not stressful when you are young anyway).
*sigh*
When we were kids I remember being excited for weeks before the day. I would have the exact same birthday party every year: go to FLC (the wave pool), then come home to make mini-pizzas, eat cake (usually mocha or black forest…my 2 favorites) and then watch a movie and have a sleepover. And I will never forget the juice – strawberry punch, w/ ginger ale (to make it fizzy) and frozen strawberries in it. In the morning we would go to Heritage Park for the 12 days of Christmas (to go to the Kid’s only store, and generally get in the Christmas spirit). Every year my mom and I would find the perfect weekend – one where she wasn’t working. Those parties were always fun, even thought after I think my 7th or 8th birthday, I stopped getting formal gifts (from my friends) unless they were homemade (Sam’s were always amazing!), and we took donations to the food bank instead. I remember being kinda angry, but looking back now it wasn’t really a big deal. Give to the unfortunate and all.
It seems like when I hit university, birthdays stopped being so exciting. I mean, you would think that I would have got pissed drunk on my 18th, but instead I went out to dinner with my parents, and my grandparents from my dad’s side (and made the mistake of telling my brother about a guy that I was interested in…he didn’t drop it for probably at least 6 months). Sure I had quite a bit to drink (daiquiri, wine and amaretto), but it was a Saturday night, and I definitely didn’t go out to the bar until sometime in January – and didn’t end up drinking all that much that night either. Living in residence this is really surprising to me…but I guess that’s what happens when your birthday is right before exams. I did end up going out the next year…but it was kinda a flop. We went for dinner (me, roommates, and friends from rez), Bellinis included (haha), and then we were going out to the bar after, but it only ended up being me Tasha and Katherine…Katherine doesn’t drink ( I think she might have had 1), and Tasha didn’t have anything until she got some guy to buy a drink for her. I hate drinking alone…even at the bar. It just doesn’t feel right. That actually did end up being a good night (we met these 3 nice guys, who ended up giving us a ride back to HUB), but still something seemed to be missing.
This year is going to be, well interesting I guess. And this is probably why I’m not all that excited. I have a group presentation on the actual day (this Wednesday), and then the day after I have an oral presentation (on my own) about a fieldwork client (I’m nervous already…possibly b/c I haven’t practiced what I’m going to say), and then Friday is an all day conference (we have a 20 minute debate, and listen to everyone else’s). So really, my birthday is not at the best time. I can’t decide if I can go out for dinner on the day (if I wasn’t presenting the next day there would be no question…but I also think it would be better to go out, than sit at home and freak out about it!). And then I don’t know who is going to want to/can go out on the weekend. And I don’t really know where, b/c apparently the Standard is too chachie (spelling? I don’t even really know what that means). It’s just so frustrating…and birthdays are supposed to be fun, not stressful right? (Well not stressful when you are young anyway).
*sigh*
Trust is an amazing thing...
Comments:
Maybe it's because my birthday is in the summer, but I feel like I got over them a lot sooner than most people. When I was a kid I always had fun parties.. but usually 2 months before hand. I won't get into it, but I haven't had a real "fun" birthday in a while. But I think as long as you pick a day to celebrate, that's good enough. It gets annoying when your 22 year old friends want to have a party and the world to stop turning because they happen to be getting a year older. I think it's okay that we don't get as excited anymore. It's not like we are turning 7. That was a big deal.
Try something different sometime... maybe mini-golfing; force all your friends to wear funny hats and take lots of incriminating pictures. And go to a restaurant where people sing. I went to one about 3 months after my actual birthday but that's what we chose to celebrate that night. So I got sung to. Oh yah!
That was rambly. Point? Pick a night and live it up however you see fit.
And wear hats.
Carolyn
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Try something different sometime... maybe mini-golfing; force all your friends to wear funny hats and take lots of incriminating pictures. And go to a restaurant where people sing. I went to one about 3 months after my actual birthday but that's what we chose to celebrate that night. So I got sung to. Oh yah!
That was rambly. Point? Pick a night and live it up however you see fit.
And wear hats.
Carolyn
# posted by 
: 11:18 PM
: 11:18 PM
