So, I have a bit of a problem. I mean, I have lots of problems--I drink too much Coke, I don't like overhead lighting, I forget 80 percent of what happens in the course of a week--but this one is a smidge more embarrassing.
I kinda feel like my birthday should be a national holiday. You know, everyone should have it off from work, and perhaps a parade. With floats. At the very least, a general air of celebration.
Yes, yes, I realize that I share October 28th with a sizable portion of the population. With Julia Roberts, as a matter of fact. And Joaquin Phoenix. Heath Ledger's daughter. And Andy Richter and I are exactly the same age. But now that I've given them a cursory mention, let's move on, shall we? (Oh, all right: Happy Birthday, Julia, Joaquin, Matilda and Andy!)
Now, I don't require a lot of material gifts. But I do so like to be acknowledged. Last year, I asked my Readers to leave a comment for my birthday, and the experiment was a wild success. I received 72 comments! 'Course, that was because two popular gals made it their mission to recruit participants, which was all kinds of awesome. And really, 72 comments: that was above and beyond even my unreasonable expectations.
So...you think I can bust that record this year? Well, that depends on YOU, Dear Readers. If you're a lurker, come out, come out, wherever you are, and record some bloggy birthday love for posterity. Here's your prompt:
If you know me IRL, what's one of your favorite memories of us together?
If you don't know me IRL, what's one of your favorite posts from my blog?
I mean, could this be any more solipsistic? Let's see if we can make it so.
Please let me know if:
1) you are a Reader from another country besides the US. I always wonder about that.
2) you are a man. I'm convinced that very few men read my blog (and maybe that should be telling me something.)
3) how long you've been checking this blog.
4) if you are in my demographic (married with children, no longer, ahem, a spring chicken)
5) anything else you think I should know.
Now, if all those instructions overwhelm you (remember I listed "Bossy" as #1 in my personality profile) you can always just wish me a happy birthday. And I shouldn't say "just" because that would made me very happy, too. And you want me to be happy. Don't you?
If you leave a link to your blog, I will be coming by in the next few days to say hello and thank you. If you don't have a blog, I will be thanking you in this space. One way or another, I'll be thanking you!
And now I thank you, in advance. Hugs and smooches from the very-nearly-birthday girl.
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28 comments:
I'll be back with the rest, but let me be the FIRST to wish you a happy happy day!
xoxo
not a man
Happy and healthy birthday! I've been reading your blog since before you went to China to get Jarrah.
I think you are a great writer and I love your style!
-Jenny (28 yrs old, married, with 3 sons)
I'll be back tomorrow ;o) Gots to warm up the fingers!
I'm a totally a chick yo.
I forgot all the other stuff...but you know all the answers.
Oh, except for my favorite post of yours.
Remember when everything went wrong at your house? I can't remember exactly everything that happened, I just remember thinking that we are so different, but I absolutely adored you immeadiately.
Happy B-day! Your present is coming--I promise!
Favorite memory: tea. (I'm hard pressed to choose just one occasion, though!)
xoxo
Miss J
Happy, Happy B'day, From your almost soon to be (NEVER!) 50 year old friend, Grace. I'm with you on the national holiday for my B'day, too...Oh yeah mine is...(Veterens Day), But I always told all the kids at school, we had the day off because it WAS my b'day...
Anyway, one of my favorite blogs of yours is the chinese restaurant story from last July... Amazing story and soooo wonderfully written! I love you, Sam! XOXOXO,
Grace
see you tomorrow, not a man either nor do I wish I was. I so love my Girlness!
Sammy,
Happy happy happy happy happy happy happy birthday!!!!!!!!!! I am so with you on the national holiday thing!! My favorite blog is the one where you are telling Jarrah about the haunted house.((((I'm not a man))))
Love,
Julianna
Have a happy birthday, Sam! I hope you have a fantastic day and a spectacular year.
Though memories from Komaroff warm my heart, I have to say that most of my memories of you are from the Hebrew Academy. Bake sales in Long Beach and hiding on the roof at school come to mind.
As for your questions:
1. I live in the US
2. I'm female.
3. I just started "following" through an RSS feed, but I've checked in now and then for about a year
4. I am 41 and I have two kids
5. I am insanely jealous of your whimsy.
I haven't posted to it in over a year, but if you are interested, my blog is:
http://surrogatecity.blogspot.com/
Happy Birthday!
Five questions (that already know the answer to):
1. From Australia, but read your blog posts 4 feet from where you write them.
2. I'm male, but doesn't tell you much about other males reading your blog.
3. Read every post since 2005 when we set it up. Even read that really long one last week (filled with funny stuff.)
4. Yep, I'm in your demographic, same household to.
5. no secrets here.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
1) From Melbourne, Australia
2) Not a man
3) Reading for over a year
4) 25, no children
Hope you have a fantastic day.
1. I'm French, Italian and Norwegian but checking in from right here in San Diego.
2. No dirty little secrets here, still not a man.
3. I've been reading since you were in China.
4. I am married with child and the spring chicken thing, that is a relative matter, thank you very much!
5. I think you should know my vocabulary is increasing as a result of reading your work here!
Our trips to Coronado Beach with the kids are right at the top of my list of favorite memories.
Also, I would have to say that you gave me great encouragement in the face of some of my greatest fears. Did I say thank you for that? If not, then thank you, it meant a lot. (hmmm, do you know what I'm talking about?? :))
Some of your best parenting advice or commiseration: "Just tell 'em about the gun, it's much quicker and to the point."
It's official, it is now your birthday, let the celebrating begin!
xoxo
s
A very Happy Birthday to you, Birthday Girl! :)
1) Yes, I am a reader from outside the US -- reading all the way from Switzerland. In fact, I thought that with the time difference, I might be able to be the first one to comment ON your birthday since it's midnight there right now... but someone beat me to it! :)
2) not a man. But if you're blogging mostly to women, so what? (On this point, I often read your posts aloud to Douglas, so there is some husband spill over.)
3) how long? since the first post!
4) demographic --- married, one daughter, hey we're just the same!
5) anything else you think I should know -- only that I miss you and wish I could be there to help you celebrate your big day!
Favorite Memory -- who can choose? I think it may be a toss up between when I flew back there to surprise you on your 40th... and the day we were hanging out at your apartment in grad school and you asked me if I was "handy" and then brought out your vibrator for me to replace the battery b/c you just couldn't figure out how to open the sucker up! I thought -- here's a gal after my own heart. :) xx Liz (PS please feel free to delete the adult content if you want to make this comment PG)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
From an old high school friend who is definitely in your demographic and is most certainly not a man. : )
I've been reading for about a year or so - ever since we got back in touch on Facebook. Since our girls are both from China and so close in age, it's especially fun to read about all of your adventures with her.
Hope you have a fabulous day!
Andrea
Happy, Happy, Happy!
1. USA
2. Despite the double-takes I get going into restrooms, not a man.
3. Since you came to visit, but I went back and read the archives.
4. I'm a youngster at 39 (though my nieces delight in saying I look older than Tee) with no children (except the cats).
5. I forgot what #5 was supposed to be, and can't figure it out from the context of the posts around the comment box.
I'd have to say that story you told us about the fish (I don't want to go into any more detail lest the guilty read the blog) and the photographing of fake gravestones at the nothing over $10 store in our town, plus, what a fabulous hostess you are to visitors, are my favorite "memories" of you.
I hope you get your national holiday!
Happy Birthday, Sam!!! I hope it's an amazing one!
I've been reading your blog since your trip to China and I LOVE it! I can't possibly choose one post that is my favorite. I must say that my favorite types of posts are funny stories about Jarrah! She is one funny girl. Oh...and I'm 38, married and trying to have kids...we have our first IUI next week. Keep your fingers crossed!
Hey! Happy Birthday.
Live in Philly, been reading your blog for at least 3 years, married with 15 month old from Taiwan, I think you are funny as heck and your kid is even funnier. My favorite posts are when you record conversations with Jarrah. They crack me up and I usually end up reading them to my husband.
Happy, happy birthday Sam!
Not a man, age 46, married, one daughter (hmmm how did that happen? :-)). Reading since you went to China; from the east coast but wishing we lived there. I cannot remember the exact questions because I am a mom and my brain is full. But one favorite memory is our first meeting when I came to visit San Diego with Mike. I thought, hey, this chick is cool and interesting and we could totally be friends and I thought it was pretty great that Mike had such a cool friend. So I had to marry him.
Another favorite memory was more recent, my angst-ridden call to you (and Mary) while you were at the park, about our life situation - you know what I'm talking about. I really appreciated your clarity in the midst of my fuzz. And along those lines, your post about the same issue some years ago brought tears to my eyes.
I adore all your posts, but get the biggest laughs - and tears - from the Jarrah ones.
Laura
I'm completely addled today by the flu and various potions ending in -Quil. If you had cartoon goggles, you could see the asterisks and bubbles floating over my head. But I couldn't let your birthday go by without trying my hand at wishing you well, so forgive me if this comes out garbled.
Happy birthday to:
The "internet friend" who helped me plan my wedding and kept the dance floor moving when the day arrived.
The friend who not only tolerated my Michener-length emails back in the days when I had an actual attention span but actually returned them in kind (yay).
The friend who holed up a cafe with me for hours of delicious conversation wherein I spilled secrets I never intended to and earned a big fat parking ticket.
The fabulous, brilliant writer who helped me through my first fiction course and read all my gobbledy gook.
And a friend who's supported me through all sorts of life stages and who continues to tolerate and include me now in my demented, distracted, forgetfulness as a harried mom.
Thank you and have a wonderful day, Sam!
Alrighty - here we go!!
One of my earliest memories of you was sitting next to you in a little plastic chair watching our kiddos play play-doh while you wondered aloud if Jarrah would ever start talking. I assured you that yes, she would. And not to brag, but I was totally right. :)
I also have to add one of my favorite memories and that is watching the Academy Awards with you and David, enjoying our lemon drops and delicious food and cupcakes. There's no one else I'd rather spend The Oscars with! Or no one else with whom I'd rather spend The Oscars. Whatever.
Now for the checklist:
1. I'm a California girl, not born but raised.
2. All girl, all the time.
3. I started reading your blog when you shared the address with me so I could check out your adoption blog.
4. I am in your demographic - hot mamas. Although technically I'm single now, but still.
5. I would like you to know that you rock and I am thrilled to be back in San Diego where we can again hang out and chat!
Love you and hope you had a fabulous birthday. See you tonight!
XOXOX,
~Robyn
I always try to make my birthday more like a birthweek...it pretty much works if you whine alot and say, "but it's my BIRTHday!" for a couple of days before people get belligerent.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I'm in the US, I have female genitalia, I'm totally not your demographic, unless your demographic is 'awesome,' which, it probably should be, and I've been reading about you for a few months I think.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Favorite memory, when Jarah and Noelle met each other (that future vs. past thing always confused me). Hugs, love, and happy wishes from DC.
Oh, and by the way, Noelle says, Daddy man, Mommy Laura, (Curious) George naked, George monkey.
Oh, ok, twist my arm! I already posted my wishes on FB, but here they are again - hope it's a great day!
Sambo says (speaking only for myself here however) :
1)From Australia - like the 2 others in my household. Kate may wish to answer for herself but I suspect her answer will be the same as mine, and Violet once she gets to the keyboard.
2) you are a man - correct and I enjoy reading your Blog.
Kate I know also enjoys reading your blog posts.
3) how long you've been checking this blog.
Since I found out about it, and check often.
4) if you are in my demographic (married with children, no longer, ahem, a spring chicken)
I'm in your demographic roughly however I didn't realise you weren't a a spring chicken as you are the same age as I am (I think), and I'm not old at all. Married - engaged to my beautiful partner, and looking forward to being married to her. With child of almost 11 months :-)
5) anything else you think I should know.
Wishing you a happy birthday and hope to catch up on Skype at some stage.
Sambo
1) Nope, I'm another domestic reader. USA
2) I'm a man, born and raised.
3) I've been reading for a little less than a year.
4) Definitely not in your demo. Single, no children (that I know of), and I guess you could call me a spring chicken.
5) Happy Birthday.
I'm still thinking about the memories, I'll get back to you on that.
Dear Sammy,
My favorite memory--that's easy. A very cold day in Chongqing with all those babies staring at us, when you said, "I see Joy!" And, I said, "I see Jarrah!"
XOXOXOXOX Birthday Girl!
Mary
You know who I am and that I'm not (currently) in the US and all those other things about me (similar age but no kids).
And what you also know now is that I'm quite behind on blog-reading... though if you've read my latest moan you may realise why.
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