Thursday, March 26, 2009

Another Birthday in the Life of Bullet Hole

My birthday was Tuesday. Now, I usually try to put my head down and stoically bulldog my way through the day. Little fanfare. Little fuss. That’s the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it.

Oh, I appreciate the emails and cards and best wishes, but for the most part I just want to get it behind me with as little emotional trauma and morbid thoughts of mortality as possible. But one does hope for some decent luck and a bit of cheer on one’s special day.
So let me tell you about my birthday.

Thunderboomers, lightning, heavy rain and battering winds woke me around one A.M. And those of you who recall my annual spring fling history of wading in basement water knee-deep will understand my inability to get back to sleep as I lie there listening to buckets of rain dumping on already saturated ground. At half past three I give up, check the basement again, and stumble to my office and read about other people’s sleep disorders in my Abnormal Psych textbook.

By 5:30 I’m on my way to work. It’s still pouring and some moron is riding the Jimmy’s tail with his or her bright lights on, literally obliterating any sign of the road ahead of me. I finally reduce my speed to a crawl and the dummy goes around me. And yes. For just a teensy moment, I was tempted to speed up, click my brights on and return the favor. But since I really didn’t want to risk a case of road rage on my ‘special day’, I resisted the urge.

I arrive at work. It’s still dark. It’s still pouring. The wind is still ripping away. I grab my umbrella, exit the car, and realize I’ve left my thermos of coffee at home. I can’t stress the importance of my coffee thermos filled with my lovely dark, strong, black with no cream or sugar caffeinated beverage. It’s the difference between a semi -comatose state and the ability to recognize a security threat when I see it—which, of course requires eyes that are open. And focusing.

So, I grumbled a bit (cheapskate that I am) resigned to the fact that I would have to purchase my caffeine fix from the cafeteria. It’s not as strong as mine, but better than nothing. I exit my vehicle in the monsoon-like rain and head in the direction of the closest entrance. I got about ten meters when the wind caught my umbrella. You know what happened next. Yep. My umbrella did one of those embarrassing inside out moves. I could only be thankful it was still dark and no one was around to laugh at the spectacle I made. I ended up running to the entrance, my bag held overhead as a makeshift umbrella.

I get inside and shake off like a mongrel (and probably smelling like one) to begin a ten hour shift. I’d decided that it might be nice to have a few hours of unstructured time to relax and vej out to celebrate my birthday. We had sufficient staff. Why not take off a couple hours early? I report to my work station, go 10-41--and find out we’re short due to illness and expect a huge number of folks through security. My free time fantasy went poof!

The day is busy, but uneventful. Until my sister comes to have lunch with me on my birthday and bearing a big tray of cupcakes for me to hand out. I was touched. It was so thoughtful. My sister and I are both incredibly busy people and rarely have opportunities to see each other so this was truly a gift.

I’m relieved for lunch at my work station. I grab the plastic tray of cupcakes to take them to the security break area. I’m eating with my sister and happen to look down at my uniform and discover somehow I’ve gotten white cupcake frosting up one sleeve and down the front of my dress uniform. Even my breast patch is covered with gooey frosting. I stare at my sister. She stares back.

“How did you manage that?” she asked.

I shook my head.

“It’s another gift that keeps on giving,” I replied with a wince.

Fortunately, for some bizarre reason I a spare jacket in my vehicle. So, with borrowed umbrella in hand, I ran out to switch uniforms.

It’s still pouring.

At the end of my shift, I hit the door running.

I get home. The basement is still dry. I change out of my uniform into comfy sweats and collapse onto the couch.

My daughter calls from work.

“Anything you need me to pick up on my way home?” she asks.

I don’t miss a beat.

“Chocolate,” I responded. “Lots and lots of chocolate.”

Hmm. Maybe next year I’ll take the day off.

In advance.

Any less than stellar birthday memories (besides the reality of getting another year older) you’d like to share? How about best birthdays? Do you make a big deal out of the anniversary of your birth or, like me, do you basically let it pass without much hoopla?

~Bullet Hole who is such a party animal she’s celebrating with a trip to the dentist later today~

25 comments:

Angie Fox said...

Is there nothing that chocolate can't fix? Thanks for the laugh and I'm sorry you had such a crazy birthday.

As for me, I always face birthdays with the expectation of cake and dinner out. Anything else is a bonus. :)

Bookmobiler said...

"celebrating with a trip to the dentist later today~"

Hmmm. might be wise not to tell the dentist about the cup cakes....or the chocolate!

Have a Happy Un-Birthday! (After all you get 364 more of those than you do birthdays.)

Gemma Halliday said...

Oh, what a bummer birthday! Sorry. :( But at least you got cupcakes!

Unfortunately, the last two years, someone has died on my birthday. If it happens again this year, I'm gonna feel like a total jinx. But, yeah, totally puts a damper on the celebrations.

~Gemma

Terri Osburn said...

Bummer about the B-day mess. But, at least the basement was dry. :)

My birthday is New Years Eve so it never gets celebrated. At least not in several years. No cake, no cupcakes, rarely even a card or two. I can't remember the last time someone bought me a cake or sang the Happy B-day song. Not that I should need either at my age, but still.

There was the one year a friend took me to Memphis to spend the evening on Biell (sp?) Street. Though not perfect, it was a really good time.

Ian said...

Do you have a dog by any chance?

Anonymous said...

Well my birthday is 2 days before Christmas so it's a "non-event". However, my husband does take me out to eat. His is New years day. As I get older I just as well forgot the birthdays anyways. Hope you enjoyed your chocolate. Happy belated birthday.

Linda

Kathy Bacus said...

Yeah, any time I can get out of cooking is a gift, Angie!

~Bullet Hole~

Kathy Bacus said...

Actually, I ended up giving away all but three of the cupcakes, Bookmobiler, and those went to the kids. So, I was a good girl, I was. Of course, they were white rather than chocolate.

Had they been chocolate, it would have been an entirely different matter.


~Bullet Hole back from the dentist with flouride-coated teeth and tongue~

Kathy Bacus said...

OMG, that totally sucks, Gemma! Now when was your birthday again...?

~Bullet Hole who will take extra care on that day~

Kathy Bacus said...

My triplets have a January 2 birthday, Terrio, so falling so closely on the heels of Christmas, they've gotten the raw end of the deal.

I did buy myself a birthday present, however: a snowblower for NEXT winter! Now that's the gift that keeps on giving each and and every winter. (Now watch. We won't get any snow this coming winter.)

~Bullet Hole~

Kathy Bacus said...

No dog at the present time, Ian. I'm still holding out for a horse...

~Bullet Hole~

Kathy Bacus said...

We ended up celebrating the triplets' 'half-birthday' in July in some years, Linda, and tried to do something special then. Maybe you and your dh should consider doing that since your birthdays fall so close to the holidays, as well.

~Bullet Hole~

Christie Craig said...

Happy Birthday. I'm sorry about the day. It sounds like something that would happen to me. I hope that chocolate was good, soothed the sting, and here's to better days and lots more chocolate.

CC

LuAnn said...

My husband's birthday is March 29 and my son's is March 27. I take them out for a family birthday dinner each year and I try to do that on March 28.

Kathy Bacus said...

Thanks, Christie. I just remind myself that a semi-crappy birthday is still preferable to the alternative--NO birthday.

~Bullet Hole~

Kathy Bacus said...

That works out very well, LuAnn. Very convenient!

~Bullet Holel~

Ian said...

Colt, filly or gelding? But, seriously, I noticed that you make a lot of references to dogs in your writing. Have you ever mentioned a cat I wonder?

Kathy Bacus said...

Big dog lover here, Ian, but unfortunately there were allergy issues with the younguns. Now that they are older, I'm conflicted. I would love a pet, but I also like the idea of being able to travel without worrying about finding a dogsitter or kenneling the pooch.

~Bullet Hole~

Estella said...

There is no way my birthday passes without notice. It is so close to(sometimes on) Thanksgiving.

Refhater said...

Sorry to hear that you had a crazy birthday! Just be carefull not to stick your fingers in that birthday snowblower while it's running. (My uncle did that this winter and it wasn't pretty.)

We always attempt to make a big deal about birthdays here. Mine falls on June 13th. (Insert Friday the 13th joke here.) This year my family is celebrating a 30th and a 60th B-Day.

My worst birthday was the one that my cake caught on fire. (I only get cake once a year due to celiac disease and the price of gluten free products.) The truely sad part of that birthday was that my mother frosted the charred cake and gave it to me anyway.

The best birthday was the one that the Red Wings (My favorite NHL team) won the Stanley cup on my birthday.

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Kathy Bacus said...

No one could let your birthday pass unnoticed despite the day falls, Estella.

~Bullet Hole~

Kathy Bacus said...

LOL Refhater on the charred cake and hugs on dealing with Celiac Disease. I know you have to watch what you eat so carefully. I did see where they are making more gluten-free products including a cheese crust pizza so, hopefully, there will be more to choose from down the line.

~Bullet Hole~

Unknown said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Bullet Hole. I have a birthday coming up in April and don't even want to think about it!

Have a good one!

Anonymous said...

Oh, what a birthday! Fun, fun, fun! I can totally relate when it comes to your food problem though: I always seem to make a mess of myself, regardless of what I'm eating!

I hope you at least got something nice for your birthday.