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Happy Birthday to Meeeeeeeeee

We interrupt my existential crisis to reflect on the actual birthday celebrating festivities and eat figurative cake and put up streamers and all of those sorts of things tomorrow.

Happy Birthday to Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Since my birthday falls between two weekends this year, I decided to claim both for my own.  This past weekend, we went to the aquarium sans kids and contemplated the jellyfish.  They just float through the water trailing gossamer tentacles, not concerned about paying the mortgage or procreating or growing old.  As far as I understand, based on information from the elderly aquarium volunteer, jellyfish do not have midlife crises.

They don’t check themselves in the mirror, fretting about grey tentacles.

Josh gave me the best birthday gift of all.  I’ve had a burning question that I’ve always wanted to ask, but didn’t want to be the one doing the asking.  On this visit, Josh allowed me to save face and took one for the team in honour of my birthday.  He marched up to the information desk and inquired if anyone had ever fallen or jumped into the stingray pool.

“No,” the aquarium volunteer informed him.  “I mean, there have been other things that have fallen in — cameras, cell phones.  But never a person.”

I’ve got to say that not only was the answer anti-climatic (I was assuming that the aquarium averages 2 or 3 stingray- or shark-inflicted deaths per year), but I didn’t really believe him.  People die every so often at the zoo when they climb into the lion enclosure and that takes actual skill to scale the wall.  Falling into the stingray pool is so simple that I contemplated showing him just how simple it would be by taking a running leap over the low railing (until I remembered that the pool is filled with stingrays and sharks).

Please don’t get me wrong — I’m thrilled that everyone is exiting the aquarium alive.  The answer just seemed suspect.

On that dark note, let’s go back to celebrating my birthday!  With cake!  And streamers!  And fish!

And more fish!

And turtles!

Josh took a picture of me by the bubble chambers.  He told me that I didn’t look happy.

Perhaps I looked a bit wan.

This was the picture that he told me was perfect; squinty eyes and all.

That is perhaps closer to how I feel despite my existential crisis.  That underneath all those layers of angst, there is a girl with an enormous fork, about to dive into a chocolate cake with birthday candles on it.

I am trying to come up with something fabulous for this upcoming weekend since I get a second birthday weekend.  Ice cream — definitely.  And force the family to listen to Green Day on continual play.  And perhaps purchase my first electric guitar.  And a splash park if it’s hot enough.  I’m open to any other ideas as well.

Perhaps we’ll just take a long drive, make a wrong turn, and see where it takes us.

71 comments

1 serenity { 06.01.11 at 11:39 am }

Happy Birthday, Mel!!! I love that Josh made you take a second picture because you didn’t look happy enough.

And I, too, wonder about the statistics of the shark/stingray deaths on an annual basis.

xoxo

2 jodifur { 06.01.11 at 11:40 am }

Happy, Happy B-day my dear! Perhaps 36 is existential crises year? Because I feel like I’m in one too.

3 May { 06.01.11 at 11:43 am }

Happy birthday. You look adorable.

And I so, so love aquariums. (Aquaria? That’s going to bug me for weeks).

4 Sharon { 06.01.11 at 11:46 am }

Happy Birthday! I love aquariums, BTW. . . . great choice! 🙂

5 N { 06.01.11 at 11:48 am }

Love the ice cream and splash park ideas!

6 twangy { 06.01.11 at 11:56 am }

Great smile, Mel! Have a very happy birthday.

7 Rebecca { 06.01.11 at 12:09 pm }

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

8 Esperanza { 06.01.11 at 12:12 pm }

!Feliz cumpleaños a ti! Espero que tengas un buen día.

Happy birthday to you. I hope you have a great day.

9 Manapan { 06.01.11 at 12:37 pm }

Happy birthday!

10 Heather { 06.01.11 at 1:05 pm }

Yeah!!! Happy Birthday!!! And as I said before, no crisis is needed. I’m 40 this year and darn proud of it! We get wisdom from these years that we would never want to give up!

11 Nancy { 06.01.11 at 1:06 pm }

Happy Birthday!!! My birthday is in 24 days and I am a full decade older than you so I hear ya about the agnst!! Enjoy and celebrate the time will march on either way!!

12 Katie { 06.01.11 at 1:15 pm }

Happy birthday, Mel. May you have an absolutely wonderful year.

xo

13 Seriously?! { 06.01.11 at 1:16 pm }

Happy Birthday Mel!!! Hope you have a great day today!

14 JJ { 06.01.11 at 1:17 pm }

Happy Birthday hugs and high fives to an amazing gift to this earth!

15 Lut C { 06.01.11 at 1:35 pm }

Happy birthday!!

16 Elizabeth { 06.01.11 at 1:51 pm }

You make this world a better place; the whole earth should be celebrating your birthday together in one big huge ginormous kumbaya lovefest with FREE IVF for anyone who needs it!

17 Elizabeth { 06.01.11 at 1:53 pm }

And lifeguards for the stingray tank 😉

18 Searching for Serenity { 06.01.11 at 1:53 pm }

Happy Birthday! I hope you spend all week doing whatever makes you most happy.

19 Tigger { 06.01.11 at 1:53 pm }

I hope you have a wonderfully fabulous birthday, whatever you decide to do. 🙂 And I must say, you don’t look 37. I’d peg you at about my age, which is almost 34.

20 a { 06.01.11 at 2:05 pm }

Happy Birthday to youuuuuuuu!!!!

A splash park and ice cream sound wonderful – but what about one of your island trips? Is that feasible? Hope you have a wonderful time, whatever you do!

(You could always join me in Chicago, when I attend my niece’s 8th grade graduation. And I’ll be meeting up with people from elementary school – if that doesn’t give me a mid-life crisis, nothing will!)

21 a { 06.01.11 at 2:08 pm }

Also, there is a windows sample picture of a jellyfish. Every time our very expensive printer (at work) loses operation ability, the tech support guy prints the jellyfish picture as a test. I think we have enough to wallpaper the room now…

22 Sarah { 06.01.11 at 2:15 pm }

Happy Birthday!

23 LJ { 06.01.11 at 2:26 pm }

Happy birthday, gorgeous, even if you do show scary things on your blog.

24 Astral { 06.01.11 at 3:02 pm }

Happy birthday to you!!!! I think you look great!!! Best wishes to you on your special day 😉

25 Kristin { 06.01.11 at 3:04 pm }

Hippo Birdie 2 Ewe
Hippo Birdie 2 Ewe
Hippo Birdie Deer Mel
Hippo Birdie 2 Ewe

Happy Birthday Beautiful. We have a kick ass aquarium in North Carolina. You should come visit.

26 Lynn { 06.01.11 at 3:11 pm }

Happy Happy Birthday Mel! Everyone deserves a good stingray death fantasy on their birthday, lol! Just as long as you don’t have to witness it =D

27 nh { 06.01.11 at 3:17 pm }

Happy Birthday. Hope you manage to find something amazing to do this coming weekend!

28 Meim { 06.01.11 at 3:18 pm }

You have perfect skin. Did you know?

29 magpie { 06.01.11 at 3:23 pm }

left, right, left, right = how to get lost.

have fun and happy birthday!

30 Tarable { 06.01.11 at 3:29 pm }

You look beautiful! Happy Birthday!

31 Meredith { 06.01.11 at 3:38 pm }

Happy birthday dear Mel! You look beautiful and you are so loved!

32 Baby Smiling In Back Seat { 06.01.11 at 4:12 pm }
33 A.M.S { 06.01.11 at 4:21 pm }

The most happiest of birthdays to you, dear friend. I vote for both a drive to get lost and see what you can find AND a trip to a water park. With a sno-cone. Blue, so it stains your lips. 🙂

34 Kymberli { 06.01.11 at 4:38 pm }

Happy birthday, Mel! I’m totally using the bookend weekend ploy for my birthday next year.

35 Dora { 06.01.11 at 4:40 pm }

Happy, happy birthday! Hope the chocolate cake was awesome!

36 Denver Laura { 06.01.11 at 4:46 pm }

There are people who pay to dive with sharks in Denver.
http://www.divedowntown.com/programs/dive-with-the-sharks.shtml

Happy birthday! I love that you’re celebrating it on 2 weekends.

37 Tireegal { 06.01.11 at 5:00 pm }

Happy happy skippity hoppity plippity ploppity jive jump and jiggle giggle birthday to you, Mel! You are so cool I can’t believe you are having a midlife crisis – well I believe you, but it’s odd how we perceive each others’ lives as meaningful and fun and cha cha cha and yet they aren’t necessarily all we think them to be. I have been having a mud life ( ha ha! ) mid life crisis for about 8 years! Finally having my wonderful babe has really dammed the flow, but I know it’s there lurking somewhere! I think if I could have a career as a jazz / lounge / cabaret singer and alternate that with musical theater and serious drama I might get over it, but I’m not sure. So weird. Anyway, I’m so glad that you had fun at the aquarium and that Josh took two pictures of you, because the first one looks sad, not that you have no right to be sad, but I’m glad to see you smiling also in the crinkly eyed photo. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your endless birthday week bookended between weekends and find lots of joy, hope and fulfilment on your way:) (( hugs !))

38 Lori Lavender Luz { 06.01.11 at 5:59 pm }

Happy happy birthday, my sweet jellyfish. Weren’t you the one to tell ME not to worry about aging!?

Hope you’ve received something from me by now. If not, lemme know.

39 BigP's Heather { 06.01.11 at 6:07 pm }

Happy Birthday!!

Wrong turn your way to Arkansas!!!

40 Pundelina { 06.01.11 at 7:29 pm }

Happy Birthday Mel! I, too, got older recently and crisis-ed around for a while. I’ve since decided that it’s (body) only going to get worse so I shall embrace the stage I’m in now. And after seeing your cute happy-girl pic I think you are too!

🙂 Enjoy x

41 TasIVFer { 06.01.11 at 7:39 pm }

I usually sing the ‘Hippo Birdie, Two Ewes’ song, but someone beat me to it. so I’ll have to send you a virtual cake – it’s quite insame. It’s a chocolate cake. Instead of making icing, I just use chocolate mousse. And serve it with salted caramel, just to make certain there’s enough sugar to last the year.

Happy birthday to you, and many HAPPY returns. (PS I’ll be FOURTY ONE

42 TasIVFer { 06.01.11 at 7:42 pm }

I usually sing the ‘Hippo Birdie, Two Ewes’ song, but someone beat me to it. so I’ll have to send you a virtual cake – it’s quite insane. It’s a chocolate cake. Instead of making icing, I just use chocolate mousse. And serve it with salted caramel, just to make certain there’s enough sugar to last the year. And just think, because it’s a virtual cake this is all yours to eat and to share (it serves as many as would like some) WITH NO CALORIES.

Happy birthday to you, and many HAPPY returns. (PS I’ll be FOURTY ONE on the 29th, which is CRAZY old. If I wasn’t so decrepit, I’d be shaking my walking frame at that spring chicken Mel who is having a whinge about her age despite still being so young. 😉 )

43 luna { 06.01.11 at 7:54 pm }

wishing you a wonderful birthday celebration! hope this year brings you much love, laughter and joy. xo

I love that you are claiming both weekends, btw — that’s what we’re doing for baby J too (hers was yesterday). on sunday at her (2nd) party, I will toast you with a big fat piece of my best carrot cake, or a vanilla cupcake with berry whipped cream frosting, your choice.

44 HereWeGoAJen { 06.01.11 at 7:58 pm }

Hey, I am going to the aquarium this weekend for MY birthday. It just proves that all people born on June 2nd are awesome.

45 jjiraffe { 06.01.11 at 8:35 pm }

Happy Birthday! You don’t look a day over 29 in those photos…

You have accomplished more in 36 years than most people do in their lifetimes. So I can’t to see what’s next 😉

46 Willow { 06.01.11 at 8:59 pm }

Happy birthday! Love that you laid claim to two weekends to celebrate you!

47 Justine { 06.01.11 at 9:22 pm }

OH, yeah. Chocolate cake. 🙂 And Josh is right … the second picture is much better. 😉

48 Rebecca { 06.01.11 at 9:28 pm }

Happy Birthday fabulous Mel!!! Thank you for making this world a better place & all that you do for all of us in the IF community, we are all better for having known you! Heres to many, many more fantastic Birthday celebrations for you ((hugs))

49 Kathy { 06.01.11 at 10:05 pm }

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Mel, happy birthday to you! 🙂

I LOVE the squinty happy picture that Josh took of you!!!

50 Kacey { 06.02.11 at 1:32 am }

Happy birthday to you!! (and me!) (and several others! according to the LFCA, seems to be a popular date)

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