Fill in the Blank Friday: Birthday Edition!

Because it was Lauren of The Little Things We Do's birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday Lauren!), she posted a birthday edition of her "Fill in the Blank Friday" series.  I already wrote a post today, but it's my birthday in four days so I figured I can post twice today. (It's my birthday and I'll post twice if I want to, twice if I want to...)

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1. Birthdays are different than they used to be.  I used to be huge about my birthday - who doesn't love their own personal holiday?  But after 30, their importance just dwindled.  And this year, with Nate, it feels completely irrelevant.

2. My favorite birthday memory is a tie between 16, 25, and 30.  16: my parents rented a condo down the shore and we spent the week there.  As a 16 year old, anything that got me away from my hometown and my incredibly boring summers made me happy.  I was able to wander around the boardwalk by myself or with my sibs and keep to myself instead of being home and feeling bad about not having more friends.

25: I decided my party should be at Mike's in Baltimore so I rounded up my friends from NY/NJ and drove to MD at about 100mph and we had a great party.  So great the cops showed up.  So great that I believe I explained they couldn't arrest me for being loud or send me home "becuz it's my birfday!"  I loved being 25.

30: Three decades, three parties: one with family, one with local friends, one in Baltimore.

I just realized, turning 35 this year, I should be having a party in Baltimore.

3. A birthday tradition I (or my family) has is ice cream cake.  Having an August birthday means always having ice cream cake, which is fine by me.

4. If I had to choose one birthday meal to eat for the rest of my birthdays hence forward, I would choose pizza, much to the hubby's chagrin.  What can I say, I love pizza (real pizza, pizzeria pizza, not like Domino's or something).

5. My birthday is on August 17th - this Tuesday!  (At 11:51pm if you want to be specific)

6. If I could take a birthday trip, I would go to Paris, sit at a sidewalk cafe, order a cafe latte and a croissant, people watch, and eavesdrop in French.

7. The best gift I've ever received for my birthday was ... wow, I'm drawing a blank.  That kind of sucks for anyone who's ever given me a present.  I've gotten some great presents (a bike, things from Etsy, jewelry) but I can't think of something that's the one best gift ever.  If I come up with something later, I'll revise this but I've been thinking about it all day and haven't come up with one.  I think it's just that my birthdays have always been more about having dinner with family and friends and not about the gifts.  I'd rather have the gift of time with the ones I love.

How about you all?

P.S. Happy Friday the 13th!!

1.  Birthdays are:       my favorite thing.  I love feeling special and having a day for myself, but I also love celebrating other people's birthdays and making their day special for them too.

2.  My favorite birthday memory was      my mom bringing cupcakes to my ballet class for my 5th birthday (they even had little plastic ballerinas on top!).  We ran out of cupcakes and I didn't actually get one.  I threw a fit.  But then we went home and my mom made me a whole batch of cupcakes all to myself :)   .

3.  A birthday tradition I (or my family) has is       watching the meteor shower that happens every year on my birthday  .

4.  If I had to choose one birthday meal to eat for the rest of my birthdays hence forward, I would choose       Papa Haydn, which is where we went last night.  I had a delicious chicken/bacon sandwich, french fries and chocolate truffle cake.  Perfection  .

5.  My birthday is on     August 12th - I'm a Leo! .

6.  If I could take a birthday trip I would go       to Dubai.  It seems like the kind of place you could live it up...like Vegas...only classier and without the ads for legal prostitution littering the sidewalks  .

7.  The best gift I've ever received for my birthday was      a hot pink LoveSac from Craig the summer before moving away to college.  Even though it wasn't the coolest gift, it was so thoughtful.  I was decorating my dorm room in hot pink and lime green and he knew it would be the perfect compliment.  And yes...I did say hot pink and lime green.  Don't ask what I was thinking - I'm still not quite sure myself      .