Birthdays

Today is my birthday. This is not a post to celebrate that, but a post to recall significant events that happened on or around my birthday over the years.

When I was 9 or 10, I remember being in a McDonalds on my birthday and not being able to eat what was my chosen birthday dinner (obv. not anymore!) I felt so sick and I remember thinking 'Why does this have to happen on MY BIRTHDAY!?' Which sounds like something a kid would say at that age, or a thing I would at any age.

When I was 13(?) it was nearish to my birthday when my parents separated. I think they told me on mother's day, which always falls right before my birthday, but I could be wrong and it was father's day.

By the time I turned 14, I had come to the realization that having separated parents meant double birthday celebrations.

When I turned 16, I promptly got driven to the DMV to write my G1 driver's test, which I then promtly failed. I rewrote it a few days later with more success. (8 months later I double failed my G2 test before passing. My G test I passed in one shot, so please don't be scared if you ever have to be in a car with me...it's that one that counts the most.)

When I turned 18 I was just writing my final high school exams. Back then school was 5 years if you paced yourself and took OAC courses to go to university. I didn't pace myself and went to college instead, saving myself a year of school. Now, apparently, you can finish up in three and a half if you really work hard. How can you possibly be ready for the thing that propels you towards your life-long career at 17? But I digress.

When I turned 19, I had moved to Toronto and was attending Trebas Institute of Recording Arts. I didn't know a lot of people in the city yet, as I was a fairly new resident and spent all day in school or the studio, mostly. My dad and sister took me out to a local bar for my first legal drink. The server didn't ask for my ID at all and when they forced him to ask it all felt very anti-climactic.

When I exited my teens, I was in the midst of my Trip to Baltimore/D.C.

On my 21st birthday, I thought I should give another shot at the 'turning legal' thing. I flew down to New York, then Colorado to celebrate being able to buy booze in all parts of North America.

This is making me sound like a real drinker, which I'm not and I don't even think I ever was.

I got married just a couple of weeks after my 24th birthday, so that year it was mostly consumed by that and the ensuing honeymoon.

Last year I got the best birthday present ever a month early when my daughter was born.

That brings me up to this year, where I plan to sleep for the bulk of the day and spend a nice quiet evening with family.