Another year older...

"Birthday, it's your birthday; One year closer to death!"

This is a song one of my college "friends" used to sing. It's quite funny if you know the tune. There's more, but I don't remember it all. It's kind of how I feel this year. People who are older than me, including my husband, think turning 26 is nothing. However, I disagree. I would rather stay 25. It is my "Golden" birthday, which was supposed to be a big deal when I had someone to share it with, but my kindred birthday spirit moved to Ohio. Ew. Ohio. But being "closer to death" is going to be okay...

Anyway, I am 26 today. Actually, I will be in four hours. I was born at 5:05 A.M. I am home now from a dazzling night at Suzanne's house discussing Harry Potter among eight dozen other things. Good times had by all. I wanted birthday sex early, but alas, my husband sleeps. So, I blog.

Because I suffer deeply from parasocial relationships, I feel the need to reference "Friends". Recently, I watched "The One Where Everyone Turns Thirty". Although I'm not yet to that milestone, I think of Phoebe above all others in her thirty-year-old plot. Phoebe had goals for turning thirty, one of which was to do a mile on a hippity-hop, which is a little outside my own goals, but I digress. I am a very goal-oriented person. In my previous life (which is how I refer to life before Patrick), I had my whole life set out for me: marriage at 23, first child at 25, second at 27, etc. At 26, having just married a month ago, I'm a little behind that schedule. Of course, that schedule no longer exists. My mother always laughed at my "goals", because she said that no matter what I planned, it wouldn't happen that way. She was right, of course. Damn mothers and their being right. This is now sage advice I try to pass on. I try to plan as little as possible now, especially because that is how my husband prefers to live our life. I am learning. Phoebe finds out that she isn't thirty, but is instead 31. A whole year of her life lost! She hasn't done any of the things she wanted to do by the time she was thirty (have the perfect kiss, meet a Portugese person, go to sniper school), and gets quite depressed. This also makes me think of my best friend Jen, who isn't 100% sure how old she is, as her birth certificate says one thing, and the rest of her life and her driver's license says another.

I think, if I woke up tomorrow (that's assuming I'll actually fall asleep at some point tonight), and found out I was 27 instead of 26, I'd be okay with it (despite being even still closer to death :-)). Here's why:
1. A little under a month ago, I married the most perfect man in the world. I enjoy the proof of this (my wedding album) at least twice a day. I can't think of anything that makes me happier than my husband. He is everything I ever wanted, and so much more.

That's it. I lecture my students on having a 1 without a 2, but despite the other blessings in my life, he is the thing that makes being 26 fine. I love my family, my friends are an absolute dream, and my job is, for the most part, fulfilling. But having him makes life everything I want it to be. It's a little ridiculous, actually, how one aspect of my life can make me so happy.

I recently blogged about HP. Still no spoilers, but ultimately, the message one should glean from Harry is love conquers all. It's crazy how true that is. I really feel like everything else in the world could be toppling in on top of me, and having Patrick would make it all okay. As much as I was eager to get married, I know that I would've waited forever for Pat. He's that wonderful.

My thoughts are random and disconnected because a) it's almost 2 and b) I'm slightly inebriated.

Those are my thoughts on my current state of being. Here are some thoughts about how much I love the other people in my life, and how I plan to spend my birthday:
1. My sister sent my first birthday card. It came on Monday, which is 4 days early, because she didn't want it to be late, and mail from Little Rock has been known to take up to ten days. I know this, because we chatted online for about an hour, then spoke on the phone for over two. A day well-spent.
2. I got two birthday cards today (yesterday) from my in-laws (which was signed "Love Mom and Dad" and included a nice check...yay for being married) and from my Molly (which included a whole package, consisting of a beautiful paperweight and an "E" stamp; plus the most perfect card ever: yada, yada...Happy Birthday, Your Highness!!!...get it?)
3. Angie is here. She came for HP discussion and for my birthday. She baked me a cake. A yummy one with Bailey's and nuts and chocolate and all sorts of goodness. We are going to eat it for breakfast.
4. Husband bought me a pink iPod with my name engraved on it. It hasn't come yet, but he has a knack for telling me what he's bought me for gifts before I get them. I've very excited to finally jump on the iPod bandwagon, and only slightly embarassed that my niece will have to teach me how to use it.
Aside: No matter how blaze' (sp?) one pretends to be about her birthday, getting cards and gifts is just special.

I invited peoples to come bowling tonight in honor of this day. Friends, beer, heavy balls. Sounds like a celebration. I'm sure I will feel the need to blog about it tomorrow.

(I recognize that this is a terrible sample of writing, but I will embrace it for what it is.)

Happy Birthday to Me. A pinch to grow an inch...