I’m having the best birthday EVER. GC delivered fabulous presents to me in bed at 7:30 this morning. Boxed sets of David Attenborough documentaries – Planet Earth, and The Life of Birds! And an iPhone docking station, and a digital art magazine! We’re going out for dinner tonight at my favourite restaurant – The Savanna Cafe.
Then I came downstairs and discovered all kinds of happy birthday greetings on Facebook and in email and on my favourite online discussion group.
It’s garbage day, which means Duncan gets to hang out outside while I make multiple trips in and out of the house. He loves that. Usually when I’m done taking everything out, he makes me chase him down the street to get him back in the house, but today he didn’t, because it was my birthday. He just cheerfully walked up the steps and through the open door when I called him.
Then I cleaned the bird cage. I change the paper every day, but today I took it apart and cleaned and disinfected everything in the bathtub. The birds were fascinated. They all perched on my head and watched me work. I think I’m going to have to be Oboe’s girlfriend, by the way. It looks like Banjo and Piccolo have paired up, and poor little Oboe is the odd man out. The other two sleep snuggled up together on a perch, and he has to sleep by himself at the other end of the perch. Piccolo sometimes snaps at him and bites his toes if he tries to eat at the same time as them, or if he tries to play with them. It’s so sad. I’m trying to make it up to him with extra love and affection. I’m a little worried about mating season though.
Back to birthdays. I was thinking about the fact that I remember very few of my own birthdays. Here are a few that I do have memories of:
Age 7: I got two budgies from my mother’s boyfriend, Skipper. My upstairs neighbours, Heather and John Akin (parents of journalist David Akin, who was a little boy at the time) gave me a 3-quart jug of 2% milk with a big red bow on it. That’s because we could only afford powdered milk, and I hated powdered milk. My sister and I were thrilled. Budgies and real milk! What more could we want?
Age 8: I woke up early in the morning and opened my presents before anyone else got up. I rationalized it by saying I was born at 6:10 am, therefore it was officially time to open presents. I got a Bunnykins ornament. And I got sent to my room for a few hours. But then the mail was delivered, and there was a parcel from my grandfather, and in it was a Winnie-the-Pooh smock top and some coloured pencils and other things.
Age 16: I was in the ROH adolescent unit then, and I cut my cake with a plastic knife.
Age 18: My sister took me to the liquor store and told them to check my ID. (Back then the drinking age was 18.)
Age 10,000 days: I had a party.
So what about you? What was your most memorable birthday? Which one stands out, and why?
You could always buy Oboe a girlfriend? Poor little guy!
Most memorable was the surprise party Bonnie through for me…can’t even remember how old I was…early twenties, I think. You and Mom had me over for dinner first and faked a fight so that I would have to go home in time for my party. I hadn’t a clue about the party waiting for me.
You should have kept only an even number of birds. But do you actually know whether they are male or female?
Happy Birthday!
Murt, I think this is how people end up becoming crazy bird people – by buying girlfriends for their birds.
Deb, I don’t even remember that! Where did we have you over for dinner? What did Mom and I pretend to fight about?
Lucy, I don’t know for sure what sex they are. But I’m pretty sure Banjo’s a girl, based on certain behaviour (she shreds paper and tucks it into her tail – definitely a female lovebird nesting behaviour). I think the other two are boys, because they’re grumpy.
Just kidding. I do think they’re boys though, because of the rivalry between them.
Many happy returns of the day, ma’am, on behalf of the Elgin Street Irregulars!
I’m glad GC has things so well covered. Not that we don’t want to, but it seems to be getting harder and harder to get all of us herded into the same place, at the same time, even for such important events as Emergency Birthday Parties…
Happiest of Birthdays Zoom-
So sorry you were sent to your room at an age when that was not great like it would be now.
I have sent myself to my room many times since I grew up.
I often think of what you said on my birthday this year and shall offer it in return-
Happy Birthday to my favorite friend I have never met!
many happy returns of this particular birthday
Patti
Happy Birthday Zoom!
I’m not a big fan of my own birthday, and since it falls in the summer, for the last several years I have planned our cottage getaway to fall during my birthday week. I’m away from everyone, with just my little family. I sit near water and read my book and drink cocktails. It is just the most perfect day.
Happy belated birthday, Zoom!
What a special day it was for you.
Best wishes, Shannon
One of the most memorable (read: scarring) was when I was about 7, I was stuck at a cottage I hated. Every morning I woke up and found my half of the room was covered in spiders, including the ceiling and floor, while my half-sister’s side had a few scattered, but most congregated on my half of the room. Talk about traumatic for a girl who was afraid of all creepy crawlies already. I used to have yell until my father would wake up to come and pick me up and carry me out of that room in the mornings. Anyways, for my birthday We played this game where we collected pieces of toilet paper stashed about and whoever gathered the most won. Only, it rained between the time of setting the TP out, and the game time. Then later, after opening my presents, I went back to my room and all of a sudden a spider crawled up one leg, through my shorts, down the other.
I’m not sure what my best birthday was, though this year’s was quite nice, bringing a few of my closest friends up to the cottage, and having two beautiful days of sunshine and delicious food (plus yarn! lots of yarn!)
Coyote, I know, we all live such virtual lives now. Next year maybe I’ll have a virtual birthday party. I’ll book facebook or something. (Thanks for the birthday wishes.)
Patti, thank you! I know exactly what you mean. Getting sent to your room is yet another pleasure wasted on the young, who can’t yet appreciate it. It’s right up there with looking younger than your age. Young people always want to look older, and old people always want to look younger. (Maybe we should get to go through life twice, the second time with the benefit of experience, so we can relish things like time in our rooms and looking 12 when we’re 14.)
Finola, that sounds like a lovely way to spend your birthday. Is it the same as every cottage day, or is it somehow different because it’s your birthday?
Thanks Shannon. How’s Oscar doing?
Arden, that sounds AWFUL. Poor little you! (Who thought up the toilet paper game anyway? That’s kind of weird.)
No, it feels special but in a quiet way. Tony and the kids bake me a cake and spoil me with good food and drink all day long. Heavenly!
Happy Birthday Zoom. It sounds like you had a nice day.
happy belated bd! I was behind in reading or I would have wished you so less belatedly.
my own birthdays always miss the radar with me. quiet.
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