How I started my 44th year

It all started with taking Mancub and his friend, K, to their freshman orientation. Once I dropped the boys off I head to the luxuriousness of the laundromat. Awww I see you turning green over there. Envy doesn't look pretty on you.

The place was packed with dames gray with age, which reminded me that my roots were in severe need of attention. One of the ladies was a snappy dresser in her fashionable jeans and tailored blue and white striped shirt. The old girl even had her collar popped! She curses like a sailor which caused me to giggle to myself as I filled the top load washer with my dirty duds. Her companion is hunched over and requires a cane, but the rapport between them is a hoot to overhear. She shuffles about much like Sophia on The Golden Girls. While I'm far from being as old as those gals in the laundromat, I was reminded that aging doesn't require you to lose your pep or give up the spunkiness of youth. You just have to be careful how high you kick up your heels (so not to break a hip).

"You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old" ~ George Burns

I finished up the fluffing and folding just in time to go back to the high school to pick up the boys. When Mancub emerged from the building, I nearly burst into tears. It's not that he physically grew while in the confines of the brick fortress of education, but he seemed older and some how a little farther away from my enveloping arms.

He had a lilt in his voice as he talked about looking forward to the school year. He'd met his teachers and said they all seemed quite nice and "cool." With excitement, he spoke about the kids he liked from junior high being in his lunch slot or one class or another. He's really pleased that his lunch is the first slot of the day.

We dropped K off at his house even though he'd hoped to spend the day hanging out at our house. I told a white lie that since it was my birthday we had a ton of things on the agenda. To be honest, I didn't want to spend my birthday enforcing our house rules to a boy who seems to either enjoy challenging and questioning me or he's just plain oblivious. Regardless, it's my day; my choice. No K.

This is one occasion when I'm really happy to have the Internet with particular attention to Facebook. I'd say go check out my wall of birthday greetings, but I believe my settings are private. It's a shame because I have witty friends who sent me wonderful wishes for happiness in the coming year. I even decreed that, to honor my birthday, I wanted everyone to interject the word SNAZZY into their conversation. Special honor and appreciation goes to friend Angie Bailey who wished me a day filled with all things fantastical and snazzy. Thus far, no one has disappointed me.

With little to no moolah in my pocket, our choices for amusement were limited to hanging out at home. The big ticket item of the day was a drive-thru jaunt at McDonald's. Thank God for the Dollar Menu. I realize that it's totally sucktacular on all counts to eat there, but it made Mancub happy and it seemed oddly auspicious since we rarely go there for dining. Bonus was feeding both of us for under $8.00. Yeah, yeah. I could have gone to the grocery store and purchased much healthier eats, but I didn't want to lift a finger to cook.

Get off me! It's my birthday. Besides, I'll make chicken and broccoli for dinner. It all balances out in the end. Sort of.

We eased into the afternoon by watching John Hughes' The Great Outdoors starring John Candy and Dan Akroyd. Crazy, silly, good fun.

Toward the end of the movie I recalled the gray matter on my head. With a box of Clairol Perfect Ten-Honey Berry at the ready, I set off to age a little more gracefully. I love this formula. It's not stinky, drippy gross like the other 30-45 minute coloring versions I've tried in the past. OK, it does sting the nostrils a bit, but it's not as pungent as a lot of others I've tried. Plus, it has this groovy comb attachment so you get the best distribution possible with an at home hair coloring kit. Ten minutes and a shower later, I don't look a day over 39.

At the request of Mancub, I made brownies and tossed in a few M&Ms. Rather than baking them in a normal cake pan, I poured the batter on to a fairly deep cookie sheet. The method to this madness was so the brownies would be flat. Thereby, providing a friendlier environment to make a brownie ice cream cake. Mmm mmm mmm. Yes, I made my own birthday cake.

The rest of the day will probably be far less eventful. I didn't want to work today because I wanted to have a pleasant day. I would be remiss to fail to mention that I was given a chocolate fudge fantasy cake yesterday (August 10) by my co-workers. Yum! The fantasy part was a tad deceitful as I didn't experience anything remotely like a fantasy. Psh! No candles. That must have been the missing component.

This Saturday we'll venture up to Grandma's for an all-in-one family Summer Birthday Bash! We have so many summer babies that this works out ideally. Plus, it seems a perfect means of ending the summer and ushering in a new school year for the kids. The bash started in '06. Mancub wanted to spend his birthday with family, but particularly Grandma. Since her ability to travel here is often difficult, I put in the request for her to host a combo party and a tradition began. Woohoo!