Display by Label: Birthdays
Spanning the Phases, Halfway to 70
Monday, November 24, 2008 | comments (6)
Paul wrote on my wall: We're almost halfway to 70. How do you feel?
I wrote back: When I look at it that way ... not good.
When Paul and I met, we were only halfway to eight. Back then, we spent most of our days together. We were best friends, and really more like brothers. We also happened to be born a day apart. So it was never just my birthday. It was our birthdays. And I liked it that way. I liked sharing my birthday with Paul.
My mom usually took us out for pizza at Mr. Gatti's. And Paul and I would celebrate another year of life by shooting spit-balls at the big-screen TV. Then Paul would stay over and we'd be up late doing Mad Libs, laughing like we were out of our minds, and imitating Bob and Doug. Or sometimes we'd turn philosophical and discuss things like, I don't know why I never noticed this before, but Princess Leia is kind of hot.
What's amazing to me isn't the fact that I'm halfway to 70. It's the fact that I've known Paul for 31 years. Age by itself is sort of an abstract. You just go on feeling like you. It's when you put your age in relation to things and people that it takes on meaning. Because you recognize that while you are still you now, you are not the same you you were when you were halfway to eight. Or halfway to twenty. Or forty. That, in fact, you've been several different yous between there and here.
I tend to see my life in phases. Sometimes a phase revolves around place—a neighborhood, a city, a school. And sometimes it revolves around people. I usually don't know a phase is happening until it's a memory. I keep piling up new phases. And that's good, I guess. I mean, it's better than the alternative. But it's also sad. Because entering a new phase means leaving behind an old one. And there's always a certain amount of forgetting that is to be done and doors to be closed. And more and more I appreciate the people who span the phases and help me remember. There are lots of them now. More every day. And they help me keep the doors open.
Today I live in New Jersey. I think I'm in the middle of a phase that started in Baltimore. But I won't know for sure until it's over. Paul just moved to Argentina. We don't see each other very often, so we won't be shooting any spit-balls at TVs in Mr. Gatti's. But we can write on a wall on Facebook. And talk long distance for free using Skype. And we can continue to span the phases in modern style. Until we stop referring to age as "halfway" to anywhere, because suddenly "halfway" won't seem like much of a possibility anymore.
link to this | comments (6) | File: Birthdays Chewing Childhood Friends
I wrote back: When I look at it that way ... not good.
When Paul and I met, we were only halfway to eight. Back then, we spent most of our days together. We were best friends, and really more like brothers. We also happened to be born a day apart. So it was never just my birthday. It was our birthdays. And I liked it that way. I liked sharing my birthday with Paul.
My mom usually took us out for pizza at Mr. Gatti's. And Paul and I would celebrate another year of life by shooting spit-balls at the big-screen TV. Then Paul would stay over and we'd be up late doing Mad Libs, laughing like we were out of our minds, and imitating Bob and Doug. Or sometimes we'd turn philosophical and discuss things like, I don't know why I never noticed this before, but Princess Leia is kind of hot.
What's amazing to me isn't the fact that I'm halfway to 70. It's the fact that I've known Paul for 31 years. Age by itself is sort of an abstract. You just go on feeling like you. It's when you put your age in relation to things and people that it takes on meaning. Because you recognize that while you are still you now, you are not the same you you were when you were halfway to eight. Or halfway to twenty. Or forty. That, in fact, you've been several different yous between there and here.
I tend to see my life in phases. Sometimes a phase revolves around place—a neighborhood, a city, a school. And sometimes it revolves around people. I usually don't know a phase is happening until it's a memory. I keep piling up new phases. And that's good, I guess. I mean, it's better than the alternative. But it's also sad. Because entering a new phase means leaving behind an old one. And there's always a certain amount of forgetting that is to be done and doors to be closed. And more and more I appreciate the people who span the phases and help me remember. There are lots of them now. More every day. And they help me keep the doors open.
Today I live in New Jersey. I think I'm in the middle of a phase that started in Baltimore. But I won't know for sure until it's over. Paul just moved to Argentina. We don't see each other very often, so we won't be shooting any spit-balls at TVs in Mr. Gatti's. But we can write on a wall on Facebook. And talk long distance for free using Skype. And we can continue to span the phases in modern style. Until we stop referring to age as "halfway" to anywhere, because suddenly "halfway" won't seem like much of a possibility anymore.
link to this | comments (6) | File: Birthdays Chewing Childhood Friends
Cool Breeze, and Lots of Cake
Monday, June 05, 2006 | comments (4)
We've spent the last several days in the Bay Area for Catherine's dad's 60th birthday. Needless to say, it was a festive weekend, filled with way too much eating and drinking. A fringe benefit was that we got a much-needed reprieve from the sticky swamp known as Washington DC. Indeed, the heat and humidity in the District were pretty unbearable when we left, almost on a par with Houston. As for the weather here in the Bay Area, it's been all about sunshine and cool breezes since Thursday. I hate to leave it behind. Here are some photos. Sorry for not getting in touch with some of you who live in the area. Aside from the first evening here, the days have been filled with various family activities.
link to this | comments (4) | File: Travel Family Birthdays
link to this | comments (4) | File: Travel Family Birthdays
Popping the Party Cherry in DC
Tuesday, May 16, 2006 | comments (3)
So far, 2006 has been quite a year for landmark birthdays. Catherine and Matt H. both turned 30 in February; Papapol turned 90; Melanie turned 21; and in a couple of weeks, Ian turns 60.
Well, this weekend, there was another 30th, and this time it was Emily's. We hosted a surprise party for her at our apartment. We were a little apprehensive because it was the first party we've had of this size since our move to DC. We used to have big parties at our old place in Dallas. But we had more space there, not to mention a balcony. We've always felt our apartment here in the District wouldn't really be conducive to party-throwing, unless it was the kind of party that people spent naked and in close proximity to one-another. But I don't think they call those 'parties.'
Anyway, we were pleasantly surprised to find that, with some creative re-arrangement of furniture, and an ample supply of a social lubricant known as 'tequila,' our place can comfortably accommodate 15-20 people.
We served up some Tex-Mex fare: chicken and beef tacos, black beans, rice, guacomole. And did I mention there was tequila? Zack was nice enough to bring some 1800 Reposado for birthday shots. I can testify to the fact that it was as smooth going down the first time as it was the fifth. I also made some of my secret-recipe margaritas, which tend to cause spontaneous, irrepressible grinning for those who imbibe them, as is evidenced by these photos.
Thanks to everybody who came and thanks to Mat and Zach for helping with the preparations. And a big Happy Birthday to Em, whose actual birthday, I believe, is still a couple of days away.
link to this | comments (3) | File: Friends DC Birthdays
Well, this weekend, there was another 30th, and this time it was Emily's. We hosted a surprise party for her at our apartment. We were a little apprehensive because it was the first party we've had of this size since our move to DC. We used to have big parties at our old place in Dallas. But we had more space there, not to mention a balcony. We've always felt our apartment here in the District wouldn't really be conducive to party-throwing, unless it was the kind of party that people spent naked and in close proximity to one-another. But I don't think they call those 'parties.'
Anyway, we were pleasantly surprised to find that, with some creative re-arrangement of furniture, and an ample supply of a social lubricant known as 'tequila,' our place can comfortably accommodate 15-20 people.
We served up some Tex-Mex fare: chicken and beef tacos, black beans, rice, guacomole. And did I mention there was tequila? Zack was nice enough to bring some 1800 Reposado for birthday shots. I can testify to the fact that it was as smooth going down the first time as it was the fifth. I also made some of my secret-recipe margaritas, which tend to cause spontaneous, irrepressible grinning for those who imbibe them, as is evidenced by these photos.
Thanks to everybody who came and thanks to Mat and Zach for helping with the preparations. And a big Happy Birthday to Em, whose actual birthday, I believe, is still a couple of days away.
link to this | comments (3) | File: Friends DC Birthdays
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This work by nicolasix.com is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
This work by nicolasix.com is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.