Today was my 49th birthday,  and I have to say that I was rather embarrassed that all of the nation’s banks chose to close their doors today in honor of the occasion.  That really wasn’t necessary.  Next year, for my 50th?  Sure.   But not for my 49th.  That’s just plain silly.

Some random thoughts. . .     (do I have any other kind?)

* * * Weirdest Birthday Serenade of all time. . .   Yesterday morning at Holy Communion,  at the first service,  Kate Barrow – the assisting minister – essentially ordered me at the end of the announcements (on orders of her husband, Pastor Jeff) to accompany the congregation as they serenaded me and Steve Smith in “Happy Birthday.”  (And actually,  two other Holy Communion members – Ellen Johnson and Tootie Schulz – share the same birthday,  as did the late Jim Miller.   Five of us in one congregation has to be some sort of record.)  I am nothing if not obedient,  so I played Happy Birthday while the congregation sang it to me.  Weird weird weird weird weird.  But fun.

* * *I was reading yesterday in Entertainment Weekly about a TV show called “Scrubs” which I have never seen, only heard of.  Apparently, it’s now on a different network and its ratings have been down significantly since the switch,  but – and this seems to be important –  the show is maintaining its previous ratings with the coveted 18-49 demographic.  That would seem to indicate that I have twelve more months where I will be coveted by the nation’s advertisers- after which,  according to prevailing wisdom,  I will officially be too crusty to be swayed by television advertising and will be off the radar screen of television programmers.  Which is a bit scary to contemplate, since I already find 90% of the new programming on television to be a colossal waste of my time.  What will it be like once I cross that threshold into Elder-dom and am completely written off by the powers that be?

  1. ** * This was my first birthday since joining Facebook, and I have to say that it does a lot to enhance such occasions.  I very quickly lost count of all the people I heard from today – and although the vast majority of those greetings were three words long (if that) it meant a lot to me that people would take the time even to do just that.   I guess it’s an indication that simple gestures should not be underestimated and neglected.

  1. ** *  It was weird to celebrate today almost entirely without my wife.   I was out the door at ten to seven this morning and because of her grad school class this afternoon and Racine Theater Guild rehearsal right after that,  I have not seen her since.  (And it’s 10:40 p.m. as I type those words.)   That definitely makes this one of my oddest birthdays on record,  although we did some nice celebrating yesterday with kathy’s family – and she has called me more than once today.  So it’s not that I feel neglected-  just strange,  as though celebrating the occasion in a weird vacuum.   Kathy has already promised me that for my 50th, we will be joined at the hip from morning until night!

  1. ** *   One of the birthday greetings from a Facebook friend said  “Hope you’re doing something fun today for your birthday.”   And I had to answer most emphatically YES!  I worked!    And because I am so blessed to do work that is fun and satisfying,  it was a great way to celebrate the occasion.    And after it was all said and done,  I went to Razor Sharp and spent 80 minutes on the treadmill,  going 5 and a half miles,  happy as a clam.  Actually, I thought a few unhappy thoughts while on there, thanks to one of my LEAST favorite television programs,  “The Bachelor,”  playing on four of the ten screens above me.  I had no headphones on,  so I wasn’t hearing anything,  but just seeing the show was enough to make me mad and I found my legs pumping harder and faster just from the tension alone.   I mean, who are the producers of this program kidding?  Do they really think they are doing anybody any favors or helping somebody really find their perfect life partner by having them jump through arbitrary hoops, following idiotic time limits,  crossing off names,  etc.?  Clearly not, since so few of the couples who come together on the show have managed to last.  Clearly there are more effective ways of finding your romantic match.  (Heck, drawing a name out of hat would be better than subjecting one’s self to this circus.)   Anyway,  just seeing that show on the screens got me walking a bit more furiously,  which was good.

  1. ** *  It’s odd how certain birthdays seem like a giant jump up in age.  I remember thinking that 28 felt SO much older than 27. . .   and 37 felt SO much older than 36. . .   and I have to say that 49 seems like an enormous number.  But it does make a difference for the better that I have twice as much spring in my step at 49 than I probably did at 42.

That’s all . . .   Happy Birthday to Me.   And thanks to all of you who have been a blessing to me at some point in these first 49 years.