Monday, December 21, 2009

Happy Birthday To ME!

I've decided to pretend turning 36 is the best thing ever. Starting right now. (Because secretly it's not, you know. I'm closer to 40 than 30. And it takes me two hours every morning to not look like I just woke up. In ten years I will have permanent bed face. But whatever - my birthday is awesome.)

Here I am with my beautiful, young Mommy. I look about six months old here. I was born on a Friday afternoon. It was probably almost dark by the time my parents headed to the hospital, because my birthday is The Shortest Day of the Year. (No short jokes. They've all been done.)

I came home to a life-long best friend, my sister Jennie. Every December 21st and 22nd, Jen and I are the "same age." We used to like to go out together on the 22nd and look for opportunities to tell people we were the same age. Tricky! When we were kids, Jen figured out that 21 comes before 23, which meant I was older than her. She let me boss her around for a few days until she discovered that 1972 comes before 1973. Ha! Look how the same we are (not):
Having a December birthday is not the end of the world. Sure you don't get a birthday party at school ON your birthday and sometimes your presents are wrapped in Christmas paper. And sometimes when you're turning 20 and your older sister is getting married your Mom forgets all about your birthday and almost crashes the car when she remembers. Seriously - everyone overcompensates and they remember to wish me a happy birthday. And what a beautiful time of year, too!
Enjoy some fun facts about the olden days, otherwise known as the year I was born:

1. A loaf of bread cost $.28
2. The average cost of a brand new Ford Automobile was $3,950.00
3. The average annual income was $12,965
4. A gallon of gas cost $.40
5. The number one song in America for the year 1973 was "Killing Me Softly with His Song"
6. The movie that won Best Picture for 1973 was "The Sting"
7. The Oakland A's won the World Series
8. Miami won Super Bowl VII (I almost threw up just now - that was only the seventh Super Bowl?!)
9. Richard Nixon was President of the United States, but the Watergate investigation was in full swing.

That's all for now. It's not quite a list of ten, but I'm old and tired and Bridget keeps telling me it's time to do polish. I haven't been boss since those few days when I was a kid. Sad.

13 comments:

Kristina P. said...

Happy birthday, Nicole! And Merry Christmas!

melissa said...

Happy Birthday! I suddenly feel like celebrating. If only there were a So Cupcake nearby. Hope you do something spectacular today. Just for fun, I think you should begin every sentence with "Back in my day . . ."

amylouwhosews said...

You are hilarious! And now I know why we get along so well - my birthday is the 29th - we're the same age until next Tuesday!

Have a great birthday filled with Christmas paper wrapped presents and Merry Christmas greetings instead of Happy Birthdays.

(PS - 37 sounds WAY worse than 36)

allyn said...

happy birthday old lady. this is a sweet post. hilarious, sentimental, insiteful and fun pictures. i love you. have a GRAND day.

Jess said...

Happy Birthday! I caught myself wishing for 1973 prices but then I saw the 1973 income and decided I can deal with things the way they are now. :) Love the baby pictures.

RCH said...

Happy birthday! :-)

Kristi said...

I'm glad I hadn't even thought of the short jokes. I just laughed out loud when you wrote that. I empathize with you on that one. And I just made another connection - my birthday is the spring solstice and yours is the winter - so fun! Oh, except I'm younger than you by how many years? Oh ya, seven (mwahaha)

Brian said...

Happy Birthday! You always look amazing no matter what time of day it is. I love you.

-Brian

Mom said...

Happy Birthday to you! Thanks for not putting up a picture of your old mommy! When you were a baby, our stake president saw Grandpa F. holding you and said "that is an uncommonly pretty baby!" So true! And a joy in our lives.
(Still sorry about the 20th b'day)

Angie said...

I saw that picture of your mom and for a second thought it was Katy. Crazy. Happy Birthday. You were a very cute baby.

Jen said...

Yeah, yeah she's the pretty one. Whatever. I guess I got you on your 20th birthday, my pretty! Funny that I've never heard that story before.

Jill said...

Happy Birthday Nicole! I've always felt bad for people who are born in December, but you seem to have a very good attitude about it.

I'm with you. It feels weird to be turning 36 this year. I'm worried about turning 40! I don't feel like I should be that old. I hope I don't freak out!

Eliza said...

At least your birthday isn't ON Christmas Day. I've always thought you had cute bed-face.
This is Katy, btw, not Eliza