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Monday, August 13, 2007

Birthday Jottings

I had a strange experience driving home from work. I reached the first major roundabout, which is where the traffic to and from the airport crosses the major ring road around the city, which usually carries a constant stream of traffic. Today, there was virtually none. No traffic queued up for a hundred or so metres down the airport road. I sailed straight through, and continued to sail through every traffic light controlled intersection until I was nearly home. This strangely surreal experience came to a halt when I reached the last traffic light but one, and again had to queue through three changes of traffic light before reaching the intersection, But it was wonderful while it lasted.

I reached home just in time to grab my credit card (which I realised earlier in the day I had left at home) and get to my doctor's appointment with not a minute to spare. On the corner just before the medical centre, a giant chicken waved at me. Or at least, a man in a black and white chicken suit waved at me. (No camera, and no time, so no photograph, unfortunately).

It's my birthday. Which is not a huge deal for several reasons. One is that we had the family birthday dinner last night, since it was a Sunday and therefore no one was working. I don't tend to attach a big significance to the actual day. I remember birthdays more by events that happen in close proximity. This year, it's our trip to the UK which I view as a giant birthday present. All our spare cash (and more) is attached to the trip, so any little fun presents are a bonus. I have "Kiwi Magnetic Poetry". And chocolate. (I may not have chocolate much longer, at the rate I am nibbling it.)

Other birthdays I remember are the year I got engaged, five days before my nineteenth birthday. Or the year my parents came for a birthday dinner, on the night of my birthday, which was a Friday. I intended to have the birthday dinner on the Saturday, since I was working. But since my parents were leaving on holiday on the Saturday morning, I held the dinner on the actual day of my birthday. The next morning, early enough that it was still dark, I had a phone call from my mother to say that my father had died suddenly some time in the night. I don't think I feel sad about that birthday (though I do about my father's death) - I feel grateful that we were all together on a happy occasion, on his last night alive.

Despite not making a huge deal of my birthday, it was very nice to wake up to birthday e-mails from blog friends (thanks, Dana) and e-mail friends from around the world. Especially since they had taken the trouble to work out that it is actually my birthday in New Zealand almost a day before the calendar hits the same date elsewhere in the world.

I had a blog visit from the wonderfully entertaining Mr Farty yesterday. He left this comment:
"Lions! You've got lions! Not fair, we've only got cows in Embra.
Or did have until your lions ate them."

(Go ahead - click the link - you know you want to.)

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

oooh! happy birthday to you!

(from another leo)

Pip said...

Happy birthday Catherine! Enjoy the chocolate.
Do you think you could send some of that fantastic light phasing up to Wellington for me? Ever since the bypass opened our trip home to Southern Wellington protresses at a snail's pace!

Pip said...

Oops, I meant 'progresses'. My hands are still cold from the walk into work...

david santos said...

I come to be thankful to you for the work that you have developed in yours blogue and to desire good vacations to you.

Michelle de Seattle said...

Happy Belated Birthday!

Deb R said...

I've hardly visited any blogs at all this week, so this is *very* belated, but Happy Birthday!!

Kay Cooke said...

Happy (belate-lated) birthday. Hope you are having - or have had - a good week.

Anonymous said...

Listen: That was a real chicken, an actual giant chicken. They are being grown large, propped up on street corners and taught to wave. I am not kidding. It's happening around the world. With hot dogs, too.

Marie said...

Happy Belated Birthday! Sorry I've been scarce, but enjoyed the post as it was perfect fun for me today...Enjoy your vacation and your chocolate and let us know of your adventures...