Adventures in Birthdaydom

Today is my birthday. I usually do it up big. Or, as big as I can on a limited budget. It's the only time of the year I really try to do something nice for myself. This year I bought a Kindle, which I love, so I didn't really make any plans. I may go sing Saturday, and that's about it. I will be wearing my favorite red dress today, though!

Oh, and I baked a cheesecake. I love cheesecake.

I think I need to get a really nice journal strictly for writing down the things I do on my birthday. I can't remember them all!! (Insert old joke here! :P) But here are a few of the ones I do remember.

(If you were there for any of them, feel free to chime in and remind me of others!! LOL)

When I was 19, I spent the week leading up to the day shopping for a new outfit. I bought a really pretty white tank dress with silver beads on the front, new shoes, new hose, new jewerly, new nail polish. I got up early and started dressing out at 10 a.m., beginning with coloring my hair. Then I met my best friend for lunch at Applebee's. We had a really cute waiter who was kind enough not to sing happy birthday to me, but offered to buy me a drink if I would meet him at his second job later that evening at cafe downtown. I should have. But instead, I went out with my boyfriend to the Olive Garden for dinner, because that was the one thing I wanted all week. (I am always, always up for Olive Garden on my birthday! Or a Tuesday, for that matter! :) )

When I was...older (I don't remember the age), I took off for Louisville for a few hours. Naughty me didn't tell anybody where I was going. We finally had a car...if only for a few days...that the wheels wouldn't fall off of if I drove it 60 miles. I had a couple of bucks for gas, Christopher was in school, so me and Catie (who was 3 or 4) went joyriding! That may not sound like much to you, but at a time where I felt I had a 50/50 shot of getting in trouble for being late coming back from the store, it was quite liberating!

The last few years, my birthday seems to have gotten lost in bigger events. Four years ago this month my ex-husband vanished. I was graduating college and preparing for a cruise...the biggest vacation I'd ever had until last last year. I couldn't tell you what I did for my birthday.

Three years ago, I bought a new dress, got a few friends together (and my sister) and went to Logan's for dinner.

Two years ago, I was in Charlotte for my brother's wedding. That was a fantastic weekend.

Last year wasn't fun at all. I'd just gone through a breakup the week before. But my best friend took me out to karaoke, baked me a cake and did her level best to make it a good one despite how rotten I felt.

So this year...I may not do much. Then again...who knows what wild hair will find me. The day is still young!