Wednesday, October 10, 2007

My Birthday Week Approacheth

I, like Caitie, absolutely love my birthday. Most people probably love their birthday even if they don't admit it or act like it. I just happen to act like it. A lot. First, I happen to be born in the best month of the entire year: October. This is the month where the weather is perfect, football is on every weekend, everybody wears their cutest clothes, and people have entire celebrations devoted to good beer. But it gets even better for me. I happen to be born on the best day of the best month, which is the 15th. I get to say I was born on the ides of October, and that would be cool enough. However, October 15th also happens to be the day the Gregorian calendar was put into effect. See, the Julian calendar had some problems with it, and in 1582 Pope Gregory XIII was told something had to be done. The vernal equinox was drifting back and the date of Easter was way off, and there were about ten days that needed to be scratched from the calender. So Gregory XIII said that everyone would go to sleep on October 4th and they would wake up on Monica's birthday...I mean October 15th. From then on, the Gregorian calendar has been in place. As if the day couldn't get any better, October 15th is also the feast day of St. Theresa of Avila. So as you can see, this day is extremely cool. I'm so glad I decided to be born on October 15th instead of my due date at the end of November.

But you might be asking yourself about the title of this post. What the hell is a Birthday Week? Well, about six years back I was a little stressed out about my approaching birthday. How was I going to visit all my family, various groups of friends, see David, and have some coveted time to myself all in one day? And then it hit me. Like a modern day calendar wizard, I decided to expand my birthday to an entire week. Pope Gregory XIII would be proud, I think. I decided that I would do some special things by myself a couple of days before my birthday, spend my real birthday with my family, and spend the rest of the week with friends. The result was a smashing success. Here's my Birthday Week itinerary for this year-

October 13th (Saturday)-Birthday Week opening ceremonies, ie, mention to David that my Birthday Week has begun. Go to the Cincinnati Art Museum, which is free, and look at all the cool exhibits.

October 14th(Sunday)- Go to mass. Then veg out on documentaries from the library and drink iced coffee all day. Oh, by the way, when you go to church on the 14th you have to keep me in your prayers and request that I become a better wife, daughter, sister, and friend. This is a Birthday Week Decree, so it can't be refused. Anyway, most of you know me, and you know I need these prayers. It'll actually be to your benefit.

October 15th, my actual birthday(Monday)- Go to mass in the morning if I can swing it. By the way, all those who go to daily mass can pray for me on this day as well. Then after work, David is taking me out to Olives, a hip little restaurant down the street from us. He says I can even get dessert. Woot.

October 16th (Tuesday)- Sleep in. Wake up whenever and take a lovely walk around our cool neighborhood. I plan to stop by all the cool little shops on our street and look at all the neat houses around the block.

October 17th (Wednesday)- Go to Lafayette for David's Outstanding Thesis award. See how gracious I am? I'm sharing my Birthday Week limelight with David. David will be presented with a $500 check and we'll get a $350 travel voucher. That means we've rented a sedan to come to Lafayette, booked a room at the Holiday Inn Select with a king sized bed, and have planned a trip to exotic Thai. I also get to see my parents who will be there for the award thing. After the award ceremony or whatever it is, we're going to Kristin's parents' house to hang out with Kristin et al.

October 18th (Thursday)- Wake up in a king sized bed. Go to breakfast on Purdue's dime. Walk from the Holiday Inn Select to the Frozen Custard in Wabash Landing. Order a Boilermaker Sundae, which is a Birthday Week tradition. Go to lunch with my parents if both of them can make it. Go back to Cincinnati.

October 19 (Friday)- Birthday Week closing ceremonies. Officially recognize that I am 26 years old.

Sounds like an awesome Birthday Week to me. If you'd like a birthday week of your own, I suggest the following. First, you need to have family, friends, and a spouse/significant other that will put up with your tyrannical egotism for a week. Luckily, I've been blessed to have such a family, spouse, and friends. Second, about five days before your birthday, start casually dropping into conversation or posting on your blog that your Birthday Week is approaching. Most people will go along with it. Finally, plan a special event every day of your Birthday Week. Start two days before your actual birthday and end four days after.

19 comments:

BrettCute said...

Monica! I'm so proud of, firstly, your ability to embed hyperlinks in your blog, and secondly that you also take the tradition of having your birthday as a week long celebration. I too engage in this activity, or series of activities in February. Only, I don't plan it out quite as much. I just like to go with the flow you know, watch TV and stuff. (I hope you get the reference in that last sentence)

On the other side of things, you can be proud of me as well, as I am about to join in the drug distribution community. Bartell's is interviewing me today for a top notch sales position, albeit part-time, in their Ballard retail outlet(where I live in Seattle) and I'm quite sure I can nab the job. I hope I can look forward to those 45 minute breaks of which you so praisingly spoke regarding your Osco tenure.

LauraSuz said...

Isn't this everyone tradition?! I've realized now that I'm not doing it right though. I need to sit down and actually plan out the week. Ah, Monica, genius!

Anne normally drags her birthday week out to about a week and half.

Anonymous said...

Laura-

It's funny you say that about Anne's birthday week. Peter told me last year that Anne wouldn't let him have a whole birthday week. So I just assumed that not all people have birthday weeks. I've never heard anyone by myself proclaim a birthday week, so maybe I'm just a bigger advocate for it.

LauraSuz said...

Monica,

I've talked to Dan about a birthday week. He said saints only get one day so why should we get more. Damn. He stumped me.

Dusty M Brahlek said...

Sad thing is I do not celebrate birthday week. I barly celebrate birthday day... I need to start going to mass for the presentation of our Lord as well as the candle blessing. I tend to move the celebration of my birthday to the Saturday before or after (yes I was born to be a Roman Catholic!). BTW HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Anonymous said...

Laura-

Tell Dan that some saints do get more than one day. Sts Peter and John get more than one day.

Also, could you imagine what the calendar would look like if saints got whole weeks? My only other refutation is that, for me, some saints I celebrate 365 days a year, such as St. Monica. That makes one teeny tiny week seem so small in comparison. Plus, I really like my birthday.

John R.P. Russell said...

Many feast days are granted an octave of observance.

Christmas gets twelve days, Easter gets fifty. So, you're not claiming more days than the Almighty, thank heavens.

Anonymous said...

Well, it's true that a week is perhaps a little much. I am not a saint surely. That is why I have asked all of you to pray for me during my birthday week. It is the best possible present I could ask for.

I have only one other defense of my birthday week. I spend 51 weeks a year in a mild to moderate state of self loathing. My birthday week is like a vacation from that.

In related news, I have found that women are much more accepting and receptive to the idea of a birthday week than men. I'm not exactly sure why or even if it's true across the board. This is what I've seen in my experience anyway.

Caitie B said...

What the crap is this talk? I'm contemplating a birthday quarter! August through November. Ha! It's still my birthday!! Good work, Monica! Keep up the celebrating!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!

M LO said...

I have one Birthday Week update. On Sunday, I'm also going to watch the old Disney version of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," which David thoughtfully bought me last fall. I love Bing Crosby's singing and narration in it.

A fifty year old cartoon about Ichabod Crane is about the scariest Halloween movie I am capable of watching. And even then I'll probably have to watch it with David.

Anonymous said...

Go for the week, I say. Excellent idea...plus, people around you get to enjoy it as well by eating in nicer places and perhaps an extra cake, so what do they care?!
I miss you Monica!!!! Come back and visit again....I know you'll be here next week, but you'll probably be swamped with awards and accolades....perhaps next time. And PS, that street fair sounds like fun. I vote we all move to Cincy and start that enclave that David was talking about.

Anne said...

Happy, Happy Birthday to you today (it's the 15th)!!! I've already prayed for you! :o) Hope you have the most fabulous and splendid day!

Anonymous said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MONICA!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

That's the closest I can come to singing in blog comment format!!

Hope you have a great day!
I miss you.
M.

David said...

I think you must be a little stuffed up, Mary--that sounded awful!

Happy real birthday to you, Monica. See you at Olives.

LauraSuz said...

Happy Birthday Monica!! Hope the weeks turns out just the way you want it to!

Anonymous said...

Hope your day is the frosting on the week. You are always in our prayers, but I'll say an extra one for you today.

Shae said...

did you get Abigail's message?

Happy Birthday

Anonymous said...

I got Abigail's message. It took me a second to figure out who called because I don't have that number in my phone. I was like, "what small child knows it's my birthday?" Then I put together the combination of the 260 area code and the glee tinged voice that can only be Abigail's and I figured it out. Thanks for the message.

Dusty M Brahlek said...

Happy Birthday Week! (See I am not late since I had a week to say it.) I hope it is all that you need it to be.