Tag Archives: birthday

Dear Dad

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Dear Dad,

This will be my first birthday without you. You always sent me a sweet card in the mail and called to sing me the birthday song first thing in the morning. How I will miss that.

When I think about you that way, my heart aches. It’s better if I try to think about all of the wonderful birthdays you, Mom and I spent together. I am going to need every last one of those happy memories to get me through.

My 29th birthday

As the day approaches, I keep remembering your version of the story of my arrival. You used to tell anyone who would listen what it was like for you the day I was born, and it never failed to make me smile. Continue reading →

I survived the mother-daughter weekend!

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I had a mother-daughter weekend in the DC area. A cousin got married and Mom asked me to be her date. Dad is doing pretty well, but his health ups and downs mean he’s less likely to enjoy all of the standing around a wedding reception can entail, or a four-hour car ride.

I was [mostly] happy to step in, for the chance to see relatives and to try to see old friends in DC, time permitting.

And to see my mother too, yes. So long as she didn’t comment on my weight, hairstyle, lack of boyfriend and/or failure to visit.

The wedding was lovely.

Flowers

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Happy birthday, Nana

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My maternal grandmother would have been 106 years old today.

She loved crossword puzzles. (side note: I loved my Cabana East Motel t-shirt, and my mother loved having my hair cut short like a boy’s)

Side note: I loved my Cabana East Motel t-shirt, and my mother loved having my hair cut short like a boy’s, but those are stories for another blog post.

Birthday treats

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My birthday, as you already know, was last week. I may not dance on table tops to celebrate [anymore] but I still like to have a good time.

This year, I was showered with treats by family, friends and colleagues. It was…sweet!

I’ll be posting about one of the meals soon. Bottega in Yountville deserves its own entry (and then some).

 

Greetings from Scranton

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Northern Lights Coffee Shop - Scranton, PA

If you follow me on Twitter, then you already know that I arrived in The Motherland last night via Martz Bus. If you’re a hater, then you’re mucho jealous of my tres glam life right now.

I’m in Scranton because tomorrow is my awesome dad’s birthday (OK and also because I haven’t visited since Christmas). Dad would be chagrined to have you know it’s his 75th birthday so I won’t tell you. It will remain a secret.

For now, let’s revisit one of my favorite Dad-on-film moments.

The bellydancer

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Last Friday, after seeing Sleep No More (more on that later), I was invited to crash a party.

Does that make sense? We were definitely crashers because we didn’t know the birthday guy, but it was clear no one minded.

It was a Turkish birthday party. This means a few things.

First, the food was awesome, including the enormous birthday cake and curiously strong “Turkish martinis” that we swore were just Cosmos but which subsequently kicked our a$$es.

Second, as women, we were treated really, really well. Served first, refilled first, etc.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, there was a belly dancer. She was awesome. Yes, those candles on her head were lit.

Don’t worry – the on-the-giant-table part came after we finished eating.

Turkish custom seems to call for the men to fire off stacks of one dollar bills at the dancer like an out of control bill counting machine.

With the dancer’s encouragement, we danced with her, quickly realizing what a great workout belly dancing is. I turned to Yelp subsequently. Maybe I have a new career in my future.

(No, I don’t.)

It’s my birthday. I’ll blog-whine if I want to.

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Not today. Sunday.

someecards.com - However old you are is the new 30

There won’t be an iPad under the tree.* A Kindle would be cool.

And please don’t embarrass me by asking about my birthday plans.

The plans involve…

  • Drinks on Friday with one friend, who probably won’t know it’s my birthday until she sees it on Facebook. Until a year or so ago, she was friend-of-friend and now I live here in NYC where she also lives so we have promoted each other to friend.
  • Nothing (nothing!) on Saturday night as of now. Horrors. Ask me to drink with you. I just might.
  • A mid-afternoon meal with my visiting-for-the-day parents. And I don’t even get to pick the restaurant.

I know: world’s tiniest violins. And I’m not as bitter as I sound. Just resigned to the scatter of friends that happens when people move, get married, have kids and other things that mean no one drops everything to drink with you on your birthday like they did ten years ago.

But that’s ok because I’m happier, in general, than I was at 27. I’m steadier, and I’m smarter. The friends that I have now are in similar stages of life as me, and the ones I miss who are too busy doing other stuff will probably show up again eventually.

Life’s not the wild party it used to be. But it’s alright. Really.

*I know. Wrong holiday. But it’s MY blog!!