Monday, March 19, 2007

33rd and 2nd

As you may recall, yesterday was my birthday. It was also Queen Latifah's birthday and Dane Cook's birthday and Bonnie Blair's birthday as well. I don't know any of them, however, so let's just focus on me. Unless you'd rather focus on gay prom* star Brandon Lee, with whom Wikipedia tells me I also share my day. If you'd rather focus on him, however, then frankly this probably isn't the blog for you, so move along then; on your way.

My birthday wasn't all that different from any other Sunday... I slept in, fed my Internet addiction for a while, took a walk, did some laundry... you know, the usual. Unlike the average Sunday, however, I ended the day by rounding up ten friends for dinner. If you're surprised I managed to rally that large a group on a Sunday night (particularly the Sunday immediately following St. Patrick's Day), then you're not alone. I was pretty surprised by the turnout myself. Unfortunately, although I had my camera with me, I entirely forgot to remove it from my purse, so you'll just have to take my word on this even without any photodocumentation.

Despite the indisputable fact that birthdays get less and less eventful every year, I still had a fine evening and received some lovely gifts. (Note to the "real-lifers" reading: Big thank you to everyone who attended for your company and for all the fun treats, cards, and presents you brought.) As suspected, I got a new printer/scanner contraption from my family, which means that on the rare occasion that I decide to print something at home, I can now do so in presumably true-to-life, non-distorted colors and without unpredictable streaks across each page. More important, with my new scanner, I can maybe start posting fun and revealing things like embarrassing photos from my youth--something that seems to be popular around the blogosphere. Really you can't wait, I'm sure.

From my good friend Jamie, I received a Choose Your Own Adventure book that for some reason apparently made her think of me. I didn't even know anyone was still publishing Choose Your Own Adventure books; did you? But look! Here it is. Who knew.

24 different endings!

Jamie also took the hints I blatantly dropped and got me an adorable little Unazukin doll just like the one pictured here...

Cuter than a Magic 8 ball

She may be less reliable than The Google, but she's certainly cuter as well. I've named her Clara, mainly because she said she didn't like my first suggestion (Brigita) nor my second one (Annika), but when I asked if she'd like to be called Clara, she nodded twice enthusiastically. OK then, little one. Clara it is.

Frankly I think I'm going to like having Clara around. She's already helping me make some all-important life decisions. She decided, for example, that I should have a baked potato for dinner tonight, but more notably, she provided her obviously sage insight on a little dilemma I've had stewing in my brain...**

Me: Does [redacted] still like me?
Clara: [nods twice]
Me: Really? Even though I acted like an idiot yesterday?
Clara: [nods once]
Me: Does [redacted #2] still like me?
Clara: [nods twice]
Me: You're saying they both like me?
Clara: [nods]
Me: Should I date [redacted]?
Clara: [nods]
Me: Should I date [redacted #2]?
Clara: [nods]
Me: You're saying I should date both of them?
Clara: [nods twice]
Me: Well, OK then...

I realize that is a suspicious amount of nodding, so you are right to suspect that perhaps all Clara can do is agree. To test her further, however, I asked if I should have gone out with "Med" one more time, and I got a resolute double head shake on that. So nope; she's working. And she's got some interesting advice.

Anyway, all in all it was a fine birthday. While I'm not crazy about the knowledge that I'm quickly approaching middle age, I actually feel better and happier than I did last year at this time, or the year before that as well, so I really can't complain too much.

While doing my laundry yesterday, I popped in my well-worn VHS of Bridget Jones's Diary. I remembered that when I first saw that movie (and when I first read the book), I was years younger than Bridget, and I took some small comfort in the thought that I had plenty of time before I would be deemed a "tragic spinster" like her. Yesterday, as I waited for the scene where a depressed and down-trodden Bridget recites her birthday entry ("Weight: 135 pounds***. Birthday: 33"), I fully expected to feel depressed along with her for a bit. But you know what? I didn't. Life's more or less pretty good. In the past year, I have made some excellent new friends (and held on to plenty of fabulous old ones as well). I finally let go of and made peace with some things I should have let go of and made peace with a long, long time ago. I've learned a lot. I've laughed a lot. And, if I am to believe Clara, I have two boys who like me. Maybe I'm just catching the unexpected optimism spreading around the Internet, but really, at the moment, I am feeling finally more than just OK.

I said in my New Year's entry that I wished the new year would start in the spring, when it's easier to think of a better life and new beginnings because we're not trapped in the gray bleakness of January. It didn't occur to me at the time, I guess, that my birthday starts a new year, too. So happy new year to me. Here's hoping 33 has all sorts of good things in store.

Know who else has a birthday this week (today, actually, if my post-dating and record-keeping can be deemed reliable)? My blog. Yep, Stefanie Says turned two today. Like any two-year-old, she throws the occasional tantrum (which, frankly, could have more to do with being hosted on Blogger than with being two years old) and like any two-year-old, she's occasionally silent and occasionally rambles on and on nonsensically for her own amusement. I could take this analogy further, but Red already did that a few months back, and did so in more clever words than mine. So I'll just stop here and say thanks for reading and thanks for all your support and fun comments the past year. As always, you guys are the best.



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* Code word to deter unscrupulous Googlers. Thanks, Metalia.

** Intentionally cryptic conversation. Sorry, but at the moment you'll get no more details from me than this.

*** This may be the wrong number, as despite how many times I've seen this movie, I'll admit I don't have the full text committed to memory. But I'm far too lazy to fast forward through the tape again to ensure full accuracy here.


24 comments:

Anniina said...

Congratulations on 33rd and 2nd! In case you didn't know, in Tolkien's Middle Earth Hobbits become adults at 33. Glad you had a good birthday.

Bridget Jones for me is that movie I watch when I'm feeling down that is guaranteed to make me feel great. I love that movie (^.^)/

Anyway, enough of my blabber, here's to many happy returns on birthdays and blog years!

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Happy Birthday to you and to Stefanie Says! Not to put pressure on the year, but I often here that the 33rd is often life-changing...the whole Jesus reference. Of course, his changed in a not-so-good way in his 33rd year, but you see my point. I hope. Um, all the best for this year and many more :)

3carnations said...

Happy birthday! We are no longer the same age (at least not until summer), so I really don't feel as though we have much in common anymore...:)

Actually, I'm a little concerned that you won't solicit us for advice anymore, now that Clara can help you with all your decisions, and with a lot less commentary!

Sounds like a great birthday! I didn't know they still published Choose Your Own Adventure books, and I never knew there was one about the night of a thousand boyfriends!

Noelle said...

Happy birthday and blogiversary! If I was a "real lifer" I think I would have the perfect present (it's grammar related...) I'll hold on to it for the next time I'm in Minneapolis!

Anonymous said...

Yay! Happy birthday, blog! You too, Stefanie!

You know, I think that's another thing that differentiates men from women. A lot of women see something like Bridget Jones or read a book or watch an episode of “Oprah” and take what they’ve seen to heart. They take whatever the message is and make it this sort of litmus test for their own lives.

Guys don’t really do that. About the only thing we use as a map for our own lives is what we saw in The Godfather and not too much of that is applicable.

lizgwiz said...

Happy birthday and blogiversary! I've still got my eye out for a Chia pet...

Clara is so cute! And wise, it seems.

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday(s)! It sounds like it was fantastic. Clara is the cutest.

-R- said...

Happy belated birthday! I agree with the others that Clara is adorable! It sounds like you had a fun day.

shelleycoughlin said...

Why, happy birth-aversary!

Poppy said...

YAR, Stef is a playa!!!!! hehehehehehe


Happy day of the birth of yourself and your blog! If I had been paying better attention I would have given you a gift. Bad Poppy. OHHH, but I just found your Amazon wishlist! WOOT! :) :)

Paisley said...

Happy Birthday!!!!

Clara is adorable. I love her.

Stefanie said...

Anniina--Really? Adults at 33? In that case, what have I been doing paying bills all these years?? Oh. Right. I'm not a Hobbit. ;-) (I have a friend who we call one, though...)

Sognatrice--Oh wow. Yeah, if I'm to draw any correlations to Jesus, I think I'll need to reconsider a whole lot of how I live my life. ;-)

3Cs--Never fear; I'm sure I'll still solicit advice from the Internets just as usual. Clara's only good for yes/no questions, after all.

Noelle--Oh, awesome. Anyone bearing gifts slides on over to "real lifer" category, as far as I'm concerned. ;-)

Darren--A fine point, except that you forget how many men are still using Swingers as a map for their lives...

Liz--Anniina found Chia Pets online, and there are WAAAY more varieties of them than I ever imagined. I still want just the elephant, though. :-) Maybe the Chia Ferral Cat is the best one for you?

Nabb, R, and Paisley--Thanks! And indeed, she's adorable. I want to keep her in my pocket she's so cute. (And helpful, too!)

NPW--Thanks!

Poppy--Heh. I love that you're the first one to go that route with your comment. And argh--my wish list! Why am I always embarrassed when people locate that? Oh. Right. Because I've included three seasons of Dawson's Creek as well as the series finale. That could have something to do with it. ;-)

don't call me MA'AM said...

Happy B-day/Blog-Day! (one day late)

Here's my present to you: Grammar Girl.

Not that I think you need her... I don't think that at all. I am also a grammar/usage freak and love to listen to or read anything that deals with the topic. Hope you enjoy!

Oh, and if you already know about her, then I've got nothing. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

Happy belated birthday! I couldn't even get that many friends together for my 30th birthday. And it was on a Friday night!

You must be very special:-)

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday Stefanie!

I'm glad you had a great time. You need to let us know how you made the book end for yourself :)

metalia said...

Happy birthday, Stefanie (and Stefanie Says too, of course)!

I adore Clara...she's so wee! And helpful!

(Also, I am so pleased that "prom star" has made it into the Stefanie Says lexicon.)

Stefanie said...

DCMM--OK, you are the fourth person to direct me to Grammar Girl. Apparently it is high time I finally follow one of those links and check her out!

Single Jen--I didn't have that many people at my 30th, either. And that party was on a Friday as well. Maybe it's actually easier to rally people on a night when not much else is going on?

LC--Thanks. And will do. :-)

Metalia--Indeed... wee and helpful! You want one, don't you? :-) As for the code words, you are changing the Internet lexicon all the time these days. Don't you feel so very influential??

Mair said...

Happy birthday! It sounds like a nice one. I hope this is a wonderful year for you.

Anonymous said...

Happy Belated Birthday!

3carnations said...

Bloglines showed you as having a new post about movies, I clicked on it so I could comment, and it was gone...

L Sass said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

(and I'll be interested to see if you end up getting any hits from "gay prom")

Stefanie said...

Malia, Cupcake, and L Sass--Thanks for the birthday greetings! :-)

3Cs--Weird. I don't know why it disappeared, but it wasn't really a "new" post anyway... I just updated my "Movies I've seen in 2007" list is all. If you really want to get back to it, you can get there from my sidebar (under Lists).

Anonymous said...

Yay for happy birthdays! Also, now I TOTALLY want one of those unazukin dolls - wherever did your friend find one, or did she order it online?

And - happy birthday to Stefanie-Says!

Stefanie said...

Thanks, GG.

She ordered it online (from the site I linked to). Apparently the shipping was about as much as the item itself, but if you ask me, it was totally worth it. :-)