… well actually debt is one problem that I don’t have. My health is good as well, and I’m very grateful to Jay Lake and others for reminding me how lucky I am about that. If I wiggle my nose hard enough, maybe some of the good wishes I’m getting today will go to help my friends who are sick.
The trouble is that when you start getting on in years birthdays cease to be a time of celebration and instead become and excuse to wonder whether there is any point in carrying on living. That’s a particularly daft thing to so on such a beautiful day as today, but of course the fabulous nature of the weather only serves to remind me of where I had intended to spend today, and who I had intended to spend it with.
Even more annoyingly, if I was in California I would be facing the very real possibility that I’d be stuck there for the foreseeable future. The flight I had been intended to catch back to the UK has almost certainly been canceled by now.
However, life happens, and you get to contemplate other things. In my case right now that’s mostly an exercise in frustration. I can’t do anything much about the future until I’ve actually moved into the cottage. I have another week of chewing my nails to go yet. After that I can just let the nesting instinct take over and I’ll have a bunch of projects to concentrate on.
Meanwhile, of course, I continue to contemplate online stuff, because that’s the only way I’ll get to interact with most of you from now on. I won’t be able to go to the US, and once I’m paying rent I won’t be able to afford to travel much (this year aside, as I’ve made commitments that I don’t want to back out of, even if it does mean eating into savings).
One thing I have noticed is that I’ve had more birthday greetings than ever before. That’s mainly though Facebook, but also through Twitter as well. I have finally found something that Facebook is good for. Of course now I’m feeling guilty that I don’t send birthday greetings through Facebook myself, but with the number of “friends” I have I’d be sending out 2-3 messages a day, mostly to people I’ve never met. That, again, is Facebook for you.
Anyway, thank you for all of the kind messages. In two weeks time, when I’m settled into a place of my own, I shall get around to celebrating, and probably having a little shopping spree for kitchen gadgets. Until then, it is back to worrying about the future.
Happy birthday Cheryl! We live in strange times (empty skies, talk of a LibDem government, revelation that Churchill knew the Daleks) so I think there’s every reason to be optimistic.
Happy, Happy, HAPPY of course .. though I can tell you that past ^) you don’t care to be reminded that you are One Year Nearer DEATH!!
On ‘ and probably having a little shopping spree for kitchen gadgets ‘ I think that I’ve probably successfully translated my Birthday Fruit Cake recipe/formula from Fahrenheit to Centigrade and allowed for a Newish Fan Assisted Electric Oven in my newish fitted kitchen that I specified when I extended my ‘unble home 18 months ago .. at least it looks all right now that it is done and is busily absorbing more brandy … but, SHE informs me that I should have made it a Surprise Birthday Present!
WHY was this when I HAD to ask if SHE wanted Horrible Icing Sugar on the Cake … as is Disapproved of as Marring the Pristine Perfection of Fruit/Birthday Cake as it is Destined to Be MADE in the Philosophical Design of the The Secret Masters Of Fruit Cake who Dwell in Their Hidden Valley in the Him-all-ayas.
Why are women so Cruel To Me? And this when i am so cute and lovable?
Happy Birthday – and as much good wishes as you can handle for things to be different (in a GOOD way) by next birthday.
We’re gonna miss you out here (tho I continue to hope this mess gets cleared up in some fashion)!
Oh.
Happy birthday – which is ‘Happy my birthday plus 1’, and therefore feels like a more justified message than (as you say) ‘happy birthday to someone I’ve never met’.
I hope that in a year’s time some of your problems will have been resolved, and that we’ll both be celebrating the next birthday in the place and with the friends of our own choosing!
Whenever you end up celebrating, make it a good one. And may your next birthday happen whereever you want it too.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, Cheryl! All best wishes to you, even though we’ve never met.
Happy belated birthday! (Since it’s just past midnight BST as I write this.)
Happy birthday and best wishes for the coming year.
A day late, but Happy Birthday from P and me.
Happy Birthday a day late from me to you. I hope this year is better than the last.
Another belated Happy Birthday here. The SF Bay Area is a lot lonelier without your presence.
belated. Thank you for everything.