A Tale of Two Monday's

The weird thing about last week is that I was off on Wednesday for my Birthday, back to work on Thursday and then our office was closed on Friday.  It was like having two Monday's and two Friday's.  It was a three day week that felt like forever and I didn't feel rested at all but that's what I get for being that weird person who insists on hoarding vacation days. 

The older I get the less significant my birthday feels and I was totally prepared to hate it this year. I even started a diet two days before that cuts out sugar among other things and hid my birth date on Facebook.  I don't know.  Maybe it's because it's the first year my parents are gone or because it was on a Wednesday.  Maybe it's just because I've had so darn many.  After a while it's just like, oh this again? This year when I thought about my Birthday instead of cake or festivities the only significance that crossed my mind is that I'm another year closer to my imminent demise. Totally morbid I know, but that's all I thought of and not in a bad way if such a thing could not be thought of in a bad way.  It was more of a calculated assessment of time.  I wasn't necessarily sad about my Birthday, just blah about it.  Maybe I was bummed by the general lack of interest in my day of birth more than anything else. 

The only thing on my Birthday agenda was to take that day off and get a facial.  I knew that even if I didn't have the birthday blues being at work would surely push me over the edge and I just couldn't bring myself to go there.  I'm pretty sure I would have spent the day laying in bed alternating between staring at the ceiling pondering the meaning of life and reading but my husband intervened.  I said he didn't have to, but he took the day off anyway and made plans.  After my facial I came home, ate breakfast and relaxed with a book for a while before we headed downtown for a movie and dinner.  I was amazed at how different downtown looks during the middle of the day.  It was fun trying to identify the tourists; and I think that's all there was because it was a random Wednesday afternoon and everyone else was at work.  What wasn't fun is watching MJ eat an ice cream cone and not having have one for myself myself.  The streets were deserted and so was the movie theater.  There was one other person besides us at the 2:10pm showing of Insurgent and I didn't see a single customer on our way in or out.  The movie was really good and after that we walked over to Rei do Gado Brazilian Steakhouse.  I'm on a meat kick and we've already been to Fogo De Chao so I wanted to give it a try.  It looks like an overly ornate hotel restaurant from the 90's but the food was really good.  I ate so much meat I was still full the next morning.  
The lone Birthday Pic
I even tried to skip out on the annual friends Birthday dinner.  I didn't not want to do a birthday dinner nor did I want to but I threw it together at the last minute anyway after one of my girl friends asked me about it.  When I said, not this year she said YES-we should.  We met up at Yard House on Thursday after work.  One of my friends just had a baby and it was her first time drinking wine in a year so if nothing else, I'm really glad to have been a part of breaking her wine fast and the six of us had a really fun time.  It's the 3rd year in a row and I'm so glad I allowed myself to be convinced that we should do it again.

If it's your Birthday and there is no official picture to commemorate it, did your Birthday still happen?  The answer is yes, because social media be damned if we could stop aging by forgoing photo ops none of us would be any older than thirty.  It's also still your Birthday even if you didn't eat cake.  Both are new revelations for me.  My husband is not a picture taker.  He didn't offer that day and I didn't ask because of the whole blah about my birthday thing and there were none at the girls dinner although they did sing Happy Birthday which was awkward and awesome all at the same time.  The only picture I got to commemorate my Birthday was a picture of the free restaurant dessert that I didn't even eat.  I don't think I've gone a single Birthday without an official "It's my Birthday!!" pic so it bummed me out for about five minutes.  I only drooled over the cake for five seconds before I slid it down the table for someone else to eat.  I got over it and fun was had by all.
  
MJ started asking what I wanted and what I wanted to do over a month ago.  My answer was always nothing or I don't know.  Usually, I can come up with something but I wouldn't give him anything.  I had no ideas for my mom or sister either.  I didn't want anything to do with with my Birthday this year and I really can't pinpoint why, but instead of giving me the nothing that I asked for he gave me everything.  He made it special even if I didn't want it to be.   He gave me himself that day (along with an Amazon gift card) and that matters much more than having a picture of any it.  

8 comments

  1. One of my girlfriends was feeling the same way about her birthday, but I force fed birthday innuendo down her throat instead of respecting her wishes lol she probably sent me the scowling iPhone emoticon a million times but in the end she was happy to be amongst friends and to acknowledge another year that is never really promised to any of us. I need a facial and day off from work so bad. That's sounds like the greatest gift ever. Forget the hoorah. Just let me not have to be in my office!!!!

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  2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I feel pretty much the same way about birthdays now that I'm an old lady. And when I was working I ALWAYS took my bday off for the very same reason. Either way, it sounds like you ended up having an awesome day even with the low expectations! Xoxo

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  3. Happy Belated Birthday!!! A day off and a facial is good day to me! Plus being able to sleep in.

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  4. Happy Belated Birthday!! I do think that its something about getting older, that makes you see birthdays diffrently, weather you celebrate them more or you feel less enthused to celebrate them.

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  5. I know what you mean about the blah birthdays. Some people love to go all out, but it seems like a whole lot of work sometimes trying to make your birthday feel "special." It's nice that you just took off work and took it easy, and so sweet of your man to make the extra effort :)

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  6. I don't really celebrate my birthday much, because it wasn't something I grew up doing. I am always grateful for another year, but it is always a reminder I lived longer than my mother. So I always post a new picture on fb and a post on my blog just to show the universe I am thankful. I have already warned my family do ever try to surprise me for my birthday because I will embarrass you. Happy Belated Birthday! You are so right it is still a birthday whether there is a picture or cake to document it.

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  7. Happy belated birthday CeCe!! And of course your birthday happened even if there were no pictures.

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  8. Happy Belated!! I just realized tonight that I'm going to start celebrating CQB's birthday instead of my own. Seems way more significant to celebrate pushing a basketball out of your whooha than your own birth ;)

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