I’m Older!

Hi! I hope that you had a nice weekend. I certainly did.

Because it was my birthday and oh, I love my birthday. I’m one of those rare people who doesn’t bemoan aging, I welcome it. Probably because I’m so old and don’t understand what’s going on, but still. I love it because of the gifts and the adulation and the gifts. Also the gifts. And that whole being alive and family, etc.

But this year was different.

Because my thirteen year old daughter, the eye-rolling teenager, planned everything for my birthday.

She planned the gift. A MacBook Air (I’m BLOGGING ON IT RIGHT NOW, HOW DOES IT LOOK?!) and she planned a surprise party in the evening.

It was supposed to be the seven of us going out to my daughter’s favorite restaurant (she’s no fool. If she’s planning the event, she’s getting the meal she likes.) But you know, me, Husbandrinka, my two kids and stepson and Mama and Papa. Lucky seven. Perfect.

I got an inkling that something may be going on when one of my bestest friends called me in the morning. “Happy birthday,” she said. “What are you doing tonight? I ask because I myself have plans. I will go to see a movie. I haven’t decided which one, but definitely not The Hunger Games, I want to read the book first. What? You’re going out to dinner? Well, have fun! I will be, as previously stated, at the movies.”

But I didn’t really focus on it. It’s not unusual for my friends to tell me where they will be, probably because every second away from me feels punitive.

Until we got to the restaurant and I saw that the table was set for fourteen. Which is more than seven.

“Huh,” I said to Young Ladrinka. “What’s going on?”

“This is the first I’m hearing of any of this,” he shrugged. And then he asked me that since I have a laptop now, maybe the iMac in the living room that I’ve been using can be his and out of respect for everyone else he can move it to his room so as to free some space for the rest of us, or at least delete my account.

And then my friends started to arrive. I was very surprised to see some people and a little *sniff* not to see others, friends I’d have loved to see. (And receive presents from. Kidding. Mostly.)

It was festive and lovely. Papa made a toast that included the phrase “son of a bitch”. Twice. The kids were delighted.

And after dinner was over, some of my girlfriends and I went to have nightcaps and we talked and laughed and I felt so grateful to have such wonderful family and friends and a MacBook Air.

It was a great birthday.

I’m so happy to be 45.

One year ago ...

• We Weekly Chat: Reese Gets Married - 2011