Quarter Century

Twenty five.

I think I can no longer argue the case that I'm not actually in my mid twenties, because "mid" implies "middle" and 24 is a whole solid YEAR before the middle of 20 and 30.  But now, I'm there.  I've hit the mid-twenties and gone up a whole check box on forms.  There's something comforting about still being able to check that 18-24 box with a black pen.  It's very definitely lumping you in there with college aged kids, young things that have just turned 21 and can legally drink, the mature ones who have a year of legalized drinking under their belt and are surprised to find it not nearly as fun as it was two years ago.  Now, I'm in the 25-35 check box.  Categorized amongst the women with high powered careers, women with a herd of beautiful, cherub cheeked children.  I suppose I could choose to view this in a positive light and say, well, at least I'm on the younger end of the spectrum again, but I see it differently.  I see it as leaving that carefree, 18 year old Angela further in the past and moving closer toward "future Angela"--whoever she may be.

It's not depressing, but it's certainly... daunting.

Yesterday was probably the most anti-climactic birthday I've ever had.  When I finally made it into work an hour and a half late, after the train broke down 20 minutes from my office, and I had to catch a bus that was going goodness knows where, and then take a wild guess as to where I should get off the bus, there was banana bread, cinnamon buns, and made to order omelets waiting for me, followed up by a 20 minute professional massage.  So, that was quite lovely. I got a birthday card filled with kind birthday wishes and an iTunes gift card from my coworkers, which is always incredibly nice.  And we had our company holiday party in the evening, complete with decent food, free drinks, and the gift of an iPod Touch for all of the employees.  That was also amazingly nice.

I think the problem lies in the fact is that I was hugely spoiled in my childhood when it came to birthdays.  My mom would always wake us up with a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday", then, when we emerged from our rooms, the den and the kitchen were covered in balloons, banners, and other excessive birthday decor.  Usually, there was some kind of special breakfast and then a gift to open before school, or if it was the holiday or a weekend, before we began the day's festivities.  When I was younger there was usually a big fun-filled kid-packed birthday party, and as I got older I opted for a dinner out at a favorite restaurant.  When we were done eating, there were always scads of presents to open, followed up by the presentation of a beautiful homemade cake of my request, ablaze with candles to be blown out while everyone sang "Happy Birthday" again.

In short, it was almost always a perfect day, centered entirely around the birthday girl or boy.

It's hard to compete with those kind of memories once you're an adult.  Someone, I think maybe it was wordnerd, made the brilliant comment that it's much easier to have fun when someone else is making the fun FOR you.  It's a little more difficult when creating the fun is up to you.  Colby did what he could--he did wake me up with a somewhat more subdued version of "Happy Birthday" than what I heard in my childhood, but still, the thought was there.  When we eventually dragged ourselves home from the Christmas party, he had a gift waiting for me, even though he'd already bought me this fabulous coat (in black) for my birthday a few months ago, so that I wouldn't freeze to death every morning wearing my Arkansas version of a winter coat.  So, I did get to open at least one gift on my birthday, and now we shall have raging Scrabble tournaments throughout the year, and I'll be able to teach him Extreme Scrabble, which my cousins taught me how to play when I was home for the wedding.

So, it's not that it was a hugely horrible, terrible birthday by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it was certainly my first "adult" birthday.  And in just a few days I'll be having my first "adult" Christmas.  It's so depressing to think about that it almost makes me want to start popping out babies so at least someone will have some fun.  (Kidding, Colby, kidding!)

But our stockings are hung by the chimney with care, we have fun plans for Christmas Eve with Lori and her crew, and if Colby's present would please, for the love of Pete, come in the mail sometime soon, maybe we'll actually have some presents under our tiny, but lovely, little table-top tree.

Today is my last day of work until January 2nd, and since I plan to spend the next 11 days sleeping and going to movies exclusively, my posting and commenting will probably be fairly light.  So, in case I don't get a chance to say it later, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmahannukwanzakah (or a Happy Winter, if none of the aforementioned apply!) and a Happy New Year!  Thanks for sticking it out with me through 2007, and I can't wait to see what 2008 brings for us all!

Comments

[Operation Pink Herring]

That is a fabulous coat!

Happy belated birthday :) I'm about to turn 27, and I fear that means I've moved right on into the "late twenties" category! yikes.

[La]

Did I know it was your birthday? Did I miss it entirely? Egads. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY. I hope you have an absolutely wonderful holiday and nice long mini vacation.

:)

[maggie]

Holy cow! Where are you working and can I get a job there???

And just wait until you are closer to thirty than your mid-twenties. YIPPY SKIPPY.

[Jenn]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :D

[Becky]

Honestly, it feels like birthdays become more anti-climactic every year for me and even more so when they unfortunately fall on a week day. Adult Christmases (without neices/nephews around) do feel little strange, but at the same time, I've found them to be somewhat peaceful.

I hope you have a nice belated birthday weekend and holiday next week!

[janet]

Happy Birthday! Your first as a Mrs....

And I forgot to vote earlier, but I vote for Lexie gray chocolate hair! However, I did LOVE your wedding hair, so all that growing out was worth it!

[TasterSpoon]

Happy Birthday!

I want to work where you work. Are they hiring lawyers?

[E]

Happy birthday sweety! And don't worry about not being in the 18-24 group anymore. It's when you're in the category with friends whose *kids* are in the 18-24 group that you're allowed to start freaking out. hehe

[Caro]

My goodness you snagged an amazingly awesome job! A massage? And an iPod touch? :) Oh and the coat, I /love/ the coat! I'm so glad Colby bought it for you, haha. *hugs* to you darling. Sometimes simple is good ;-)

[Fraulein N]

Happy Belated Birthday! Like Pink Herring, I'm about to be in my late twenties too. How'd that happen??

[Cat]

High Tea.

That is the answer to the female adult dilemma of "how to celebrate my own damn birthday with pretty things and tasty, over-sugar-y food."

I'm sure there is a tea place somewhere near you that serves high tea. Fancy hotel, maybe? Make a reservation, pressure some girlfriends to join, and have a blast.

[sophie]

Happy birthday! I make it a habit to never work on my birthday. Even if I don't have huge plans, I enjoy the freedom of knowing I can do whatever I want to do.

However, I never had a massage for me at work. I love your job.

Merry Christmas!

[Anonymous G]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Angela!!!

xoxoxo

(LOVE the coat!)

[Girl, Dislocated]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! (And Merry Christmas too if you're not back before then)

[Michelle & the City]

happy belated birthday!!! sounds like it was wonderful. and being 25 isn't so bad... :)

[RisibleGirl]

I'm such a BAD fake mommy! I completely missed your birthday!

I hope you'll forgive me and let me take you to lunch when you're back in the office.

I'll even make them sing happy birthday to you (no, no I won't. I'm not THAT mean!)

xoxoxo

Can't wait to see you tomorrow!

[simplypink]

Happy belated everything! :)

[M]

Happy Belated Birthday! Still catching up on everything as fast as I can. By the way, I think you would be smashingly cute in that haircut you picked out. I also like the blonde, but definitely understand the high maintenance color problem. EH. How dark is your natural color? Mine is (surprise!) pitch black, as in suck in light, never sun bleaches, dark as a black hole black. Ugh. I would look like a witch or one of those EMO kids without highlights.

[M]

PS- although I felt like my youth was quickly slipping through my fingers in my mid-late 20's, I've found that once you near 30, you are a lot less focused on age and trying to figure out who you are, what your impact is, where you fit in, all those sorts of things. Because I'm a nerd, I thought of it as converting potential energy into kinetic energy. :) In other words, you'll spend less time worrying about where you're going (or trying to cling to where you've been) and more time enjoying where you are. :)

[Kate]

Happy belated birthday! And Merry Christmas...And Happy New Year! I know, a quarter century feels old. But then, look how much you've done in a quarter century! (heck, even this year) After 2 or 3 more quarter centuries you'll be exhausted!!!

Extreme scrabble, is that like scrabble where everyone makes their own words all at once and you pick more tiles from a pile in the middle? Because if it is that is just about my favorite game ever. We call it Speed Scrabble. Google Banagrams, someone is making a mint off of it.

[Girl, Dislocated]

Just dropping by to wish you a happy New Year! :)