Birthday nonsense

Another birthday has come and gone. I am not one to shun the big day. I also don't have birthday overload either. I admittedly don't understand dreading a birthday since the alternative is ... well so final???

This year, it was a workday. Sometimes I try to take a day of PTO but due to hubby's gall bladder surgery earlier in the week, that wasn't an option. We were a person short in the office anyway so taking another day off the same week wasn't an option.

At the current workplace, the 'unofficial' rule is the birthday person brings treats. Sounds a bit like school days long ago -- except with a summer birthday I didn't actually get to celebrate at school.

Earlier in the week at work, there had been 'regular' cakes and then there was a patient who brought donuts as a thank you for the entire hospital staff. By the time Friday rolled around to bring treats I had to figure something out that we hadn't had all week.

I had sent younger daughter to the store on Thursday morning because I wanted to have pineapple upside down cake. I told her I needed to have pineapple cake mix, canned pineapple rings, and maraschino cherries. I had the eggs, brown sugar and oil. Unfortunately, the store didn't have the pineapple cake mix. So after work, I had to make a Wally World run. Go figure. Thankfully Duncan Hines came to the rescue this time.

I even had birthday paper plates and napkins. It took me awhile to figure out that I actually had only one package of napkins that matched the plates. It just made me giggle. Either no one noticed but me or they were polite and did not point that out. What is funnier is I apparently wasn't getting matching items but matching color schemes.

Now, no one was asking my age. Apparently the "old" rule of not asking the age of a woman with graying hair and crow's feet is still in style. I just kept telling everyone I was half way to 96. I had started that little bit when I was half way to 90 since I figured I was truly middle aged then since making it to 100 probably isn't in my genetic cards.

While we didn't go out to celebrate, there was roast beef in the crock pot served with a side of steamed veggies, salad with kiwi fruit, a Winnie-the-Pooh regular cake and a bit of pineapple cake. It was a feast fit for the half way to 96 birthday. Plus it was generic enough for the "patient" in the household who has to slowly figure out the foods that will set well.

I received birthday cards, gifts, flowers, texts, emails and Facebook messages. Plus it rained. Actually it poured. I can't remember too many birthdays when it didn't rain sometime during the day.

The day was complete - family, friends, food, rain. and pineapple upside down cake. Life is good. Now it is on to the next half way birthday.