Birthday Recap

My birthday just ended so now I can properly recap it. I'm really not a big birthday celebrator, so I don't really like much of a fuss. Or any fuss, actually. I just don't like being the center of attention. That being said...

I thought about taking today off of work since it was my birthday, but I decided against it. I've got the foot doctor on Monday and taking a four day weekend was too decadent (so I'm doing that next weekend instead!) I'd mentioned that my birthday was coming to one or two people at work, people I knew would be quiet and not let it get around. So when today came, I didn't care who knew anymore because it was too late to do anything about it. Or so I thought. Jaymi and Denise gave me a card and some candy first thing in the morning and I thought that was great. End of celebration. Or so I thought. At 10 o'clock, I'm at my desk, listening to a podcast (where they were talking about my birthday, in fact), when my boss Jeanne came over to my desk and said she needed a hand with something. No problem I said, until I glanced at the clock and saw what time it was. I instantly knew that something was up. I stood up and I saw half the office gathered in THE SPOT. The spot where the cake is cut when we celebrate someone's birthday. I really, really, really hate the spotlight on me, but I had no choice. And I made those fuckers sing "Happy Birthday" to me. I thought that if I didn't mention it was my birthday until it was my birthday, no one would have time to do anything. But I was wrong. Someone got sent out to get a birthday cake and candles. I had fun and that's all that counts, right?

After work, Ken and I went to dinner. We went to the place we go every Friday night after work, MJ's. We actually were there the night before and I mentioned to MaryJo that Friday was my birthday, not thinking that this would come back to haunt me. We get there and are brought downstairs to our booth only to find it adorned with balloons, streamers and a "Happy Birthday" sign hanging over the booth. Oh, and a big birthday hat and lei. I was blown away. I didn't plan on having dessert because I was really full from dinner, but she made me. And the whole staff came down and sang "Happy Birthday" to me. What's odd is I've never seen that happen in the place ever. Not once. It's nice being a V.I.P.

All I asked Ken for for my birthday was that would he please do the laundry and dishes for me. He never does them and I thought that would be an awesome treat. And he did. Almost. I told him he has to put the laundry away, too, but he hasn't gotten that far yet. We'll see if it happens.

The other awesome gift I got was learning a co-worker is going to be on vacation. Read into that all you want!

I went online a couple hours ago and was just blown away by all the birthday wishes, either via e-mail, message boards or even podcasts. I was really humbled. Forty-one isn't a significant birthday in general, but forty-one was probably in my top five best birthdays ever.