Mein birsday

So I guess I turned 29 this past week. The last birthday with a "2" in front. Em has kept asking me to post something about it. It is a bit sobering though - a birthday from 5-12 was awesome because it meant cake and toys. A birthday from 13-18 was great because it meant cake, sporting equipment, and attention from the girls at school. From 19-21 it was centered in mission related activities but hopefully still included cake. 22-25 meant I hoped that I was dating someone so I didn't have to make my own cake. 26-27 equaled a realization that at least 1/4 of life was over and done and being single was still as unfun as the previous year, once again hoping for someone else to make the cake. Then I got married! 28-29 has been fun because I get to live that awesome cliche from movies: "growing older together" and not caring as much about the fact that I am almost 30. And now I don't have to make my own cake for my birthday EVER AGAIN. Maybe Em might make me now that I said this, but she didn't have to this year either. My Mom made the cake. It wasn't on my actual birthday, it was a week and a half before it in Nazareth with Em, Max, Mom, Dad, Sandra, Logan, and Maddie, but it was still just as tasty. Probably better actually because I was still 28 when I ate my cake intended for the big "29." I brought some of the cake back to Virginia with me, but it didn't last more than a few days so I didn't actually have any birthday cake on the day. I didn't mind much though.

I went to my internship at the FCC in the morning for a few hours then took the rest of the day off to contemplate the meaning of life, really. First, I went to the gym to remind myself that even though I am a year older I can still do it and fight the ever expanding waistline. Second, I found a Groupon Now! deal at The Chicken Place Express - a Peruvian rotiserie chicken joint that makes sandwiches located on 14th St. It was to die for. I should have taken a picture of the chicken/steak sandwich I had, but I just couldn't wait that long to take a bite. Imagine a large American-portion sandwich that kind of looks like a cheesesteak, but has different and unique flavors and different sauces. It was delicious. I need to go back. Thirdly, I went to a movie at the E Street Cinema in DC for the 2:00 matinee showing of A Separation, the Academy Award winner of the Best Foreign Film category. It is an Iranian movie (very well acted) that shows a few weeks in the lives of one family. The movie is emotionally intense and caused me to speculate cause/effect and timing of events throughout (which I love to do in movies). Frankly, the movie is a bit heartbreaking and I imaged Em and I confronting those types of situations. It also made me want to express my love for my family because you know the father in the film loves them, but he can't bring himself to say it.

I then came back to Virginia on the metro, walked home and had some mail waiting for me. Em had contacted friends and family to write notes and on the back of the cards which made a puzzle message on the other side. See infra. It was really nice to hear from so many friends and family. It made me feel loved and not too lonely. However, there were a few missing - Kev didn't send his (the piece in the middle) and Em's second envelope of birthday cards arrived two days late. It was fun putting it together. Logan's is the colored one in the bottom right of the puzzle.

I also got to Skype twice with Em and Max. I love my little boy. Sometimes in the middle of the day I will stop work and look at pictures of him on my phone, remembering his birth, bringing him home. Then I think about all the fun things that we will get to experience as a Dad. As a married guy, living a bachelor-like lifestyle for a time, I crave that right now. Seeing Max grow up. Thank heavens for Skype and smartphones. In sum, it was a great birthday, a tad lonely because I was far away from my family, but it is nice having my own family now.

I didn't proofread any of this and I am suffering from Daylight Savings Time, so please don't judge my bad grammar, sentence structure, or punctuation. :P