happy birthday to meeee
Guess what? It’s my birthday!! I’m 28…or at least will be at 5:43pm, Central Time. So have a drink for me, I’ll be at work! You know when you were in the third grade and took treats in to class to celebrate your birthday? (Mine was always a random day during the year since I had a summer birthday, but work with me here.) Well, since I’m working, I figured I might as well take in some cupcakes to work…I say I bake, but the people at work have only seen evidence of this once. (When I was, um, sampling cake for the wedding cake I made…)
So why not tell the world it’s your birthday by bringing them cupcakes? Nurses like to eat, why not. And chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate chip frosting are hard to turn down. Or at least, they better be hard to turn down or I’m going to have to eat thirty cupcakes by myself. (Don’t test me I might do it.)
CUPCAKES.
So, it’s my birthday, and being 28 clearly means that I’m much older and wiser than I was just hours ago. In my old age (uhh…I still look 17…), I figured I could impart some wisdom that I’ve learned over the past year-ish. Or at least pretend to be philosophical or something like that. So here we go, things I’ve learned in the past year-ish at the grand age of 27.
you don’t have to run…you get to run
In the past few months, I’ve thought about how it’s kind of odd that people say they have to do certain things. In reality, you don’t really have to do most things. You should probably go to work, pay your rent, and do other things of the like. But outside of that, the rest is fairly up to you. You don’t have to meet your friends for drinks if you’re tired…you don’t even have to drink at all if you don’t want to! That four mile recovery run that you think is going to make or break your training? You don’t have to do it. For the most part, you can choose what you want to do…my back injury lasted for about hour months, and every time I heard someone say, “I have to do my _____” (insert: tempo run, long run, recovery run, etc) with a whiny voice, I wanted to slap them upside the head and tell them I’d give anything to do their mile repeats for them.
Because I don’t have to run today. You get to run today. That’s something I’ve especially learned in the past two weeks since getting back to run. I run through the park with a smile on my face because I get to run. Not that I really took running for granted before, but having it taken away from me for an indefinite period of time made me realize how lucky I am when I am able to run.
i have some awesome friends
Fact: I’ve never been popular, and I’ve always thought it better to have five best friends rather than fifty acquaintences. Why? Because when you’re on vacation, you get a text message from one of your best friends saying that she misses you being on gchat. Or your neighbor tweets you to say that she wants you to come back so you can go to the (new, right next door to us) bar with her. That same neighbor who you’ve deemed your #solemate (pun intended, woohoo)…who will have breakfast with you after night shift (I am in fine shape after night shift, haha) in order to split pancakes and an omelet…at 8am on a Saturday.
You know those friends who you don’t even have to go through the “Hi, how are you, how was your day?” thing and instead they just sit across from you and say, “So, tell me all about it” and they know exactly what’s going on? I moved to NYC not knowing anyone, and in the past year I’ve been lucky to find these types of friends.
you are in control of what you want to do
This somewhat plays off of the last two things I said…you can choose what you want to do, and you’re in control of whatever you want to do. Moving to a new city taught me that in order to make friends….you actually have to try. While blogging and twitter has certainly been a huge help in this endeavor (if I’ve never told you the story about two times I’ve been to a bar by myself…let me buy you a drink and tell you about them…), it still required asking people to run, or go to a Mets game, or to get a drink. Shockingly enough, most people are excited when you ask them to do something, especially if it involves “drinks” or “brunch”…or, if you’re in my circle of friends, a run to either of those activities.
Jocelyn is one of my favorite people who I’ve met over the past year (thank you, Nuun, for bringing us all the way to Seattle to meet even though she lives forty blocks away…). Jocelyn is always up for pretty much anything, and she just does what she wants. Stay turned for our video series. (We’re still doing that, right? Please say yes, untapped talent here…) Because why not?
stop procrastinating
Yesterday I finally cleaned out my refrigerator. I’d been putting it off for week and found things that probably should have been thrown out months ago. You know what? It took about fifteen minutes (less than the time it took to bake one batch of cupcakes!), and it looks so much better. Washing dishes? I’ll put a song on to help pass the time, and I don’t even finish the song by the time I’m done. Let’s just get on with it, okay?
you’re never too old to sleep with your teddy bear
Okay, so now you know…I’m officially 28 (well, officially in a few hours), and I still sleep with my teddy bear. I don’t think you’re ever too old to sleep with your teddy bear (see also: “this is why I’m single” hahahha). Nor are you ever too old to carry a stuffed elephant in your purse.
We make a good team, little man.
that’s all i got
So, nothing really terribly insightful. But I’m 28, look 17, and feel…well…I have no idea how old I feel. But 27 was a good year, and 28 isn’t looking too shabby. Being able to run again is probably one of the best birthday presents I could ask for…although I won’t be doing any running on my birthday and instead will be working and then have cake with my dad. I hope he brings 29 candles with him…
Anything insightful to add to my list? Recommendations for year 28? Anything you’ve learned in the past year? Favorite type of cake? Do you want me to bake you cupcakes?
28 was a great year for me in many ways…kind of hard in others. Overall, though it was a year in which I feel like I really came into my own…whatever that means
Love the picture of you and Gatsby. And I didn’t comment on it earlier, but your bikini-clad canoe ride looked very fun…and you’re so lucky you didn’t flip over! That is what always seems to happen in MY canoe!
HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
happy bday susan!
i like all of your observations about 28. i hope i’m as insightful as you when i turn 28 next year.
i think the “moving to a new city//making friends” is the most difficult one for me. it’s really hard to meet people when you’re a health fanatic in the midwest!
yayyy Happy Birthday, Susan! I love this post
Especially #1 – getting to run is an amazingly awesome privilege. Next time you and Betsy hit up Pony Bar let me know! Those cupcakes look delicious, and anything called “cake” I pretty much love. Carrot cake cupcakes especially. nom nom. Have fun with your dad and hope you have a fantastic birthday! 28 will be a good year 
Happy Birthday Susan!
Happy Birthday!
(Also, I’ll be 32 this summer and I sleep with a stuffed walrus that I’ve had since I was a kid. He is missing a tusk at this point, but he’s still part of the family…)
Happy birthday Susan! I definitely agree with never being to old to sleep with a teddy bear. I still have a teddy bear and a blankie in my bed. Pretty sure my boyfriend hates it, but I don’t care.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! Hope you have a great day and can teach me all about being 28 years old! Oh and its not 28 years old…its 28 years YOUNG! BOOM.
Video series is on. I have a billion ideas…none of them are good ideas… but we will make that GOOD. With all our talent.
Happy Birthday!!!
Love your list! I sleep with a teddy bear too (er, actually a stuffed monkey)! Hope you have an awesome day
Happy happy happy birthday!!!! Hope to see you soon to celebrate, it’s been a while
Happy Birthday!
You are never too old to sleep with a bear… But saying that I did make a deal when I started dating my now husband… My bear now lives in my closet most nights but the moment my husband is away for a night… I bring out my bear who ends up getting to spend a couple days in the open -well until my husband figures it out!
Enjoy your cake(s) I like to say happy cake day!
Woo! Happy Birthday, Susan! I like the reflections, particularly about “getting” to run. Unless you a professional runner, getting paid to be awesome at the sport, why complain about it? No one is forcing you to run. If you don’t love it, do something else — i.e. meet me for ice cream.
I hope your day is wonderful! The cupcakes look fantastic.
Happy Birthday! I like your wisom tid-bits. I still sleep with my teddy bear too, totally normal and acceptable if you ask me. Now go work on eating 30 cupcakes ;o)
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday! The cupcakes look d-lish. From my virtual perspective, you and James should take more trips together (: I sleep with a stuffed dinosaur after night shift. He smells like lavendar and is stuffed with sand, so he’s kind of heavy. He fits perfectly over my eyes to block out the light. That and ear plugs in my ears and my feet elevated on pillows is how sleep gets done in the daytime. so hot, let me tell you. About to go do that drill right now…
Happy Birthday! I’m turning 28 this year too! And thanks your post, I now want cupcakes on my birthday. lol.
HAPPY NOW BELATD BIRTHDAY! This past year has taught me to live in the moment and to find joy in giving my best effort at something. Happiness is a certain set of attitudes.
If I was in NYC, I’d bake you cupcakes! Ok, buy them. Bake them. Similar, right?
Happy birthday. You forgot to mention don’t stop dancing and singing when you’re alone. It keeps the old away.
Peaceful and simple week to you.