Happy Birthday to Me!

You didn't think I thought so little of myself not to post something on my birthday, did you???

Here's the thing:  For my birthday, I was going to give myself a nice, long night of sleep, but one thing led to another, and I find myself listening to music.  Really, really good music.  The only thing that would make this late night complete would be to bake something.  I'm not going to do that, though; I might later.  I'm thinking of no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies, or as my family calls them -- Mudballs.  (Clever, no?)

Anyway, here I am on my birthday, and I thought I'd share some things with the world.  Things like this:

• My sister and I are the same age for two days every year.
• When you're in your 30's, you feel more confident about yourself and your instincts.  You also feel really dumb when you make mistakes because you feel like you're too old to be making them.  Mistakes are for teenagers and twentysomethings.
• I really don't like birthday cake.  Unless it's homemade.  Or includes ice cream in the middle.  (But you have to scrape the icing off because icing doesn't go with ice cream.)
• I like birthday pie.  Or birthday Mudballs.  Or birthday anything-that's-homemade.
• Big parties used to be more fun.
• I look like I just turned 21.  Maybe I'll try to get into a bar today, buy an R-rated movie, or purchase spray paint, just to see if I'd get carded.

None of the things on that list are very important, but this one is important:

• I know a LOT of people, and I have a LOT of friends -- not just sort-of friends, but extremely close friends.  The kind of friends I could call up anytime and talk to just because.  It's a good feeling, and it's the thing I'm most proud of.  I do a lot of really dumb things, but making lasting friendships -- that's something that's not dumb.  I used to be such a wallflower; I barely said hello to anyone outside of my family.  Near the end of high school, though, I worked to overcome that, and over time, I did.  (Now, people are fairly hard-pressed to get me to shut up!)
  
  It has been the greatest accomplishment of my 31 years because without it, my life would be quiet and dull and lonely.  So to you, dear friends, thank you for letting me get to know you.  It's a happy birthday, indeed, when you have a life filled with people you care about.

And now, a love song.*  It's the best one I've ever heard in my life.



*It's my birthday, after all.  I can post whatever song I want!