Monday, March 12, 2012

It's My Birthday!

Happy birthday to me!

49 today. Only twelve more months till I can move up into a new age group!


Today is turning out to be a lovely, glorious day. A day when you are forced to admit that there are a lot of wonderful people in the world that you're privileged to have in your life. I have been flooded with birthday wishes and hugs. I have spent the morning breakfasting with the running girls and Tom. I have been totally spoilt by my husband. It's everything you could want from a birthday.


Except maybe for the special birthday zit.



But even a pimple can be a nice reminder that even though you're chronological age is pretty significant, you're biological age is not much more than a teenager. (I know I'm fooling myself but it's fun to be truly delusional)


So how have I spent this auspicious day so far? (It's only 9:30 but I've managed to cram a lot in a morning.) Up at 4:30 am to find a special birthday present from Nelson - a clean house. No little doggy accidents!! He really cares. 



Iven was up early too and gave me a lovely card and a very generous present. A few weeks ago he asked what I'd like and I threw off a very sarcastic "expensive jewellery" reply. But he took me at my word an now I'm sporting this ...


... with a matching pair of earrings and pendant.

By 5:15 it was time to go to training. March is a busy birthday month so there were a few cakes to deliver. And even better- all the recipients were there.


Then they took off one way and I took off the other. Then we joined up again around 3.5k. That's the best part of the session for me because I get to catch up with a lot more people and get to still feel like I'm part of the group even if I can't do the session.

After the session I met up with some of the girls and Tom (the lone male representative) and had breakfast. Lots of laughter. Lots of talking. Lots of eating. Good times.

I came home to find my phone full of messages and my Facebook wall covered with birthday messages. I've got an enormous day of work ahead of me but I'm in a very happy place today and I don't think that anything could take that away.

And because I'm in a happy place I'm going to give all you young things out there a little gift - an insight into how it feels to be nearly 50. 

#1 Be prepared for parts of your body to make strange, loud noises. My hips pop. My neck cracks. I sometimes come out with unexpected burps. And if I have dairy I can pass enough wind to make the dog leave the room. (For anyone planning on visiting rest assured - I've given up dairy)

#2 Your skin will sag more than when you were 16. Some lights are particularly cruel and will convince you that you're covered with cellulite. My advice here is to leave the lights off if you want to make a good impression - unless you have a dog that has random unexpected accidents around the house and in that case only leave the lights off if you're an adventurous soul who likes to gamble and clean up ground-in messes.

#3 You will forget a lot of stuff. People's names. Important events. Where you put your keys, or the sugar, or your car. But you will retain interesting snippets of information so when you forget a name you can make it into a guessing game by providing clues. Who am I? I was a famous Australian Prime Minister who decided to go for a swim and never come home. Or - I won a bronze medal for sprinting at the Olympics in 1976, then won a gold at the Commonwealth games for the 400m in 1980, survived breast cancer and work as a gardener in Melbourne. 

#4 You will still have a lot of the hang-ups that you had when you were a teenager but you've learnt to live with them and work around them. You will still feel a lot like you did back then - except for the strange noises emanating from your body, the random pains that you've discovered, and the fact that staying up after 9:30 pm is almost impossible. 

#5 You will enjoy using the age thing as an excuse if you don't want to do something. But on the flip-side you will impress younger people that you can still move and think despite being so old. Yeah, I know 49 isn't that old but when I was young I didn't think any further past the year 2000 when I'd turn 37 and I thought that was pretty old back then.

Now off to work. The birthday carousel has to stop for the next 8 or 9 hours because the real world has to intervene. And then we can crank it up again tonight - till 9:30. Do I know how to live or what?!!!

21 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Char! At 42, I notice my skin is not as supple as it used to be and that I work more with my body rather than against it.

    Have a great day.

    Liz ;)

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  2. Happy birthday!! Mine was yesterday...:)

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  3. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Sounds like the perfect way to celebrate. Especially no poopoo!

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  4. " You will enjoy using the age thing as an excuse if you don't want to do something. But on the flip-side you will impress younger people that you can still move and think despite being so old." -- disagree on part one. It works the other way. You don't do something and you get depressed thinking it is because you are getting old.
    Part two - absolutely true. It gets even better when you do things better than those young ones. Oh, that feels just great!!!

    Happy birthday, Char. Are you gorging on cupcakes?

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  5. Happy, happy birthday to you!! What a lucky girl you are to get expensive jewelry AND a birthday zit. :) May 49 be the best year yet!

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  6. Phew, thank God for #4 cuz I'll be 49 next month and I keep thinking I'm losing my mind. Good thing it's normal :).

    Happy Birthday, my dear! I hope you had a wonderful day!!!!!!!

    P.S. Hoping you're making me one of those cupcakes for my 49th next month. haha

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  7. Congratulations and happy birthday!!! Gorgeous ring - your husband has good taste!
    I am with you on the changes - especially the weird noises...

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  8. Happy Birthday!!! I had no idea you were nearing 50. You look TERRIFIC!!! Beautiful ring! That's some great Birthday Bling!

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  9. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I can't believe you really have any problems with your skin or joints, seeing as you look more like 39 in your picture. Have a wonderful day!

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  10. Happy Birthday Char! Hope the day and year will be filled with good things and happiness. At least I'm a few months younger so I will only move up to the next age group much later than you and Jill. My biological age...? I think 23. Enjoy!

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  11. Happy birthday! Love the birthday bling :)

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  12. The 50s are great. I find that life just keeps getting better. Yes of course there are those things like those Where did I put those issues?" I ran back into school yesterday to get the phone I had in my pocketbook. I credit it to too much going on not age!

    You had such a great start to your day I hope it continued. Did you make yourself a cake or what do you do?

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  13. Great post - Congrats on 49. Nice bling!

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  14. happy birthday!!! sounds like you had a great one...no poo and some nice ice to celebrate! :)

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  15. I'm so glad your birthday was fabulous and special and look at the bling! The way I see it, yes 49 seems not so young right now, but it'll look damn good when we're 90 looking back right? Enjoy!

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  16. Happy belated! why didn't you submit your bday for my running bloggers bday ?? you missed out on an ecard :P

    and I love that ring- sapphire??? looks pretty I love it. and if you have a pimple there is no hope for me!!!

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  17. Happy Birthday. I bet my wife wishes I was nice enough to buy a ring like that for her birthday. Enjoy your last year in your 40s.

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  18. Happy Birthday Char (that's how we wish happy birthday in the U.S.) You've always been one of my favorite blog reads! Hope you had a great time!

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  19. 49! Again? Kidding, of course. Enjoy your 49th year - Happy Birthday!

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  20. Happy birthday!!! You received a very beautiful ring.
    You have plenty of time before changing age-group, don't be in hurry.

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