So today is my 40th birthday.

I have a few other blogs in the work, but considering this Sunday fell precisely on this birthday, it didn’t feel right to write about anything else.

Holy crap. I’m 40.

I just don’t feel it, though. I remember feeling older when I turned 30 than I did for this one. Now, it just feels a bit surreal. I’ve frankly been distracted by a number of other things, and didn’t plan anything for this birthday, even if it did end in a 0.

For 30, I had this big plan. Was going to spend the day with friends and family at Incredible Pizza – namely because they have everything in the back an arcade could possibly hope to have, including go-karts, bumper cars, and laser tag. it was going to be legend- wait for it – dary.

Two weeks before this birthday, however, both my mother and sister were diagnosed with cancer. It seemed a bit trivial to be upset over turning 30, though I still was. It was the big three-oh! How could I not?? So my plans proceeded – I was going to party like… like I was ten years old. But neither here nor there. It was going to be FUN.

And then the weekend of my birthday, we got hit with an ice storm.  Not just any ice storm, but THE ice storm. Ask anyone in southwest Missouri – it was not pleasant. It knocked my power out for nearly two weeks, and others for even longer than that.

So… no epic party.

This year, the birthday snuck up on me like some crazy ninja out for vengeance. And, oh yes, the threat of yet another ice storm that has been, for the past week, been bandied about as having the potential to be as bad as the one ten years ago.

As such, I didn’t plan a blessed thing.

As such, no ice.

Well, a little bit of ice, but no SERIOUS ice.

So it became a mad scramble to do SOMETHING.  I had been informed that I was not permitted to let this birthday pass without celebration (My sister is very persuasive… and a little scary. I felt it best not to argue). Lunch with a few friends followed by play-time for a few hours at the Discovery Center (which was just awesome… that place makes me so freaking happy. For SCIENCE!!), and wrapping up the night with dinner with even more friends.  For nearly three hours.

I was surprised by the below poster that had been put together by some of them. It’s a big 2×3 poster, framed, and it made me cry.  A lot. And I’m really not the weepy type.

 

Add to this well over a hundred greetings on FaceBook, a bunch of text messages, and oh yes, a few calls with people singing poorly to me (those are my very favorite).  Even one of my friends from Korea sent a song!

I was left feeling loved.

But not 40.

I already knew this year was going to be bigger and better than last. This weekend has just firmed my resolve to live life happily.

As all of you should as well.

So be excellent to one another… and party on, dudes!*

 

*bonus points to those who get the reference