Saturday, I was walking to the movie theatre and I started thinking about how nine years ago, I had exclaimed to a professor of mine, "I'm in my twenties now! I can't believe I'm no longer a teenager. I'm OLD!"
And he had laughed because he knew, as I didn't really, how ridiculous such a statement was.
And I know that in nine years, I'll look back on this, and think, "I can't believe I thought 29 was old." And I'm not old, I know, really. But for some reason 29 is hitting me a lot harder than 28.
I was kinda morose about turning 29, but I have to say that all the birthday celebrations have been pretty awesome. My birthday party we threw last Friday. We went to one of my favorite karaoke bars, I got just a little bit okay a lot tipsy on cosmopolitans (which in my defense contained tequila, a substance not normally found in cosmos.) I sang a couple songs, which apparently were very well received by the drunken hordes. The next day, I had a pretty bad hangover (though my legs inexplicably hurt way more than my head), my throat killed me, and I realized that tequila is definitely something one must give up when one hits 29.
The day after my party, I got a call at 9:00 pm from my friend Pie who had accidentally gotten the wrong date for the party. So, I met up with her for dinner, and she gave me my birthday present: a bunch of her hand-me-down clothes that she thought I'd like.
Then a few days ago, I got an email from my friend Ryl wishing me a happy birthday, since she wasn't sure she'd have email access on my actual birthday. She also told me that for my present, she wanted to give for a day in June on my behalf so I could take a little giving break which was pretty sweet.
Friday, I was feted at work. Saturday, Annie sent me a birthday email and The King called to wish me a happy birthday because he still can never figure out the time-difference between the States and India. And today I'm going to the farmers' market in the morning, and doing dinner with friends in the evening.
But since 10 days of non-stop celebrating isn't enough, next weekend I'm going to celebrate with my mom when I go home to the Bay Area. And the weekend after, Miss V and Honda are taking me to the spa as my (experiential alt-consumerist) birthday present!! So in total, I will have celebrated my birthday for one full month.
So you know, really, maybe 29 isn't so bad after all.
31 comments:
No, you don't get to complain about having a birthday if you can milk that many parties out of it!
Happy Birthday, you youngster you.
well, age is always what you feel like isn't it?
Happy Birthday! What fun to enjoy it all month long and how awesome to be surrounded by so many people who are giving you the kinds of presents and celebrations you can really embrace. Whoever said living greener didn't have a bunch of cosmos and a day at the spa. Enjoy.
You don't have to give up tequila just because you turn 29. Just like you do with the other things in your life, enjoy it in the proper quantities. :) Because there really is nothing like relaxing with a nice Margarita on the rocks after a long hot day... All the best, birthday girl.
Happy Birthday, old lady!
You can certainly drink tequila well into your 30s. Just try to remember the following chant:
Don Julio, Herradura, Patron. Don Julio, Herradura, Patron.
What you had was a Cranberry Margarita, not a Cosmo :)
Happy birthday! You are the same age as my son! It's a good age to be. (Maybe your legs were sore from dancing?)
Thanks Chile! It's true, I can't complain about my birthday when I get to celebrate for a month!!
HGG, you're right. And generally speaking I feel pretty young. Except when I attempt to drink Tequila.
GB, I know. My friends are awesome. I'm so lucky. :)
Theamaya5, you make a good point. Okay, limited quantities of tequila. But no more Cuervo.
Crunchicita, you're right. It was a cranberry margarita, but they SOLD it as a "Cosmo Monkey." I guess the tequila was the "monkey" part.
Joyce, yeah, I think you're probably right. I hope 29 is a good age! It seems pretty good so far... :)
Happy birthday!!!
A month of celebrating--sounds like the way to go =) (And yeah, 29 sounds young to me...)
yeah, the tequila issue is depressing. I've learned to allocate some more time for recovery - a cost I'm willing to pay once in a while!
Happy B'day !
(even though at some point you wanted to beat me up) :-)
No, 29 is not old. 39 isn't old either. I'm hoping 49 won't feel old as well, but I'll know in 4 years...
Happy Birthday and live it up all you can!
As one of my former students wrote in a letter many years ago,"After you turn fifteen, time seems to go so fast!" Its all relative kids, take it from a geezer. And many happy returns of the day Ms.A.
Hey, Happy Birthday! I know exactly what you mean by 29 was much different from 28 for some reason. At 28 you are still solidly in your 20's. But 29 puts you in touch with the 30's. It's a whole new decade.
I can tell you this much: I drank as much taquila as I did in my 20's :) But kids pretty much killed all that for me :)
Anyway, enjoy the last year of your 20's, you 'ole lady...
Happy First 29th Birthday, Ardous! Here's to many more to come! I, myself am on my seventh 29th birthday and feeling great! :-)
Happy birthday Arduous - I remember when I turned 30 - I was devastated. This year I turned the big 40 and welcomed it with a big smile :)
Thanks Bean-mom!
HGG, I think you're right. Once in a while it's worth it, even if it takes a day to recover.
Okham, let's be fair. I only threatened to beat you up to defend Mad Hatter's honor!! Thanks for the birthday wishes.
Thanks, Heather.
EYB, you're right. Time seemed to go so slowly as a child, and now I can't keep up with it!!
Cindy, that's exactly it. I'm not ready to be thirty!!
Burbs, haha, thanks! First 29th birthday and many more to come. :)
PD, I actually think I had so much angst about turning 29 that I might be okay with turning 30. Maybe. We'll see.
Happy (belated) birthday old lady :)
I still love being an adult, and unlike many women I am looking forward to grey hair and more wrinkles.
Happy birthday!
I turned 31 this year. 30 didn't really bother me, because I got to ski on my birthday and then have a HUGE house party. Also I got to tell my Mum "you realise I'm 30, don't you?" which is very satisfying when she forgets that I'm not actually 15 any more. It was so much more satisfying than saying 29.
But 31 was harder. I'm no longer just 30, I'm in my 30s. Yech.
Just remember though - growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional.
CAE - I had exactly the same reaction to 31.
Thanks Beany! There are many things I love about being an adult as well. Sadly many of them involve the freedoms afforded adults that you're not allowed as a child such as the freedom to eat s'mores for dinner if that's what you want. Not sure that's TERRIBLY grown up of me, but whatever!
CAE, that's what one of my friends told me. He said 29 was no big deal, 30 was no big deal, but that 31 sucks. I'm hoping I get my angst out this year, so I can be happy with 30 and 31
You know what? When it's my birthday this summer, I'm just going to skip straight to 90.
That way I can avoid all the angst of hitting 40, 50, 55, 60, 65, etc...
HAH. That's a fabulous idea!
Happy birthday, Arduous!
I think the only b-day that's ever freaked me out was this last one - 34. Not because I felt to amazingly old. But because I couldn't believe 33 had slipped by me without me even really noticing!
Thanks Natalie!
I just turned 29 a few weeks back, and your birthday sounds way more fun than mine! Hope you enjoyed it! It is a little scary to think though, that it's the end of the twenties isn't it? I know we're not old, but I relate! oh, and I also refuse to give up tequila - but I do notice it takes a lot less these days to get me tipsy!!
Melissa, I'm with you, I'm a total lightweight. Two drinks and I'm pretty durn tipsy. I used to be able to drink waaay more than that. Of course it doesn't help that I'm about 25 lbs lighter than I was in college....
29 is the best. My mom was 29 for 15 years in a row.
27 was the hardest birthday for me. I felt really, really old.
Now I'm 43-1/2. And I still love Tequila.
Happy Birthday.
Beth
I'm glad it's not just me!
Thanks Beth!
Aaarghh! I was just catching up on a couple of your posts which I'd skipped over when I was busy. And I realized I missed your birthday! :-(
Happy Belated Birthday!!! And now you should feel free to beat me up to your heart's content!
Aw, MH, I'd never beat you up for reals! Thanks for the birthday wishes. :)
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