38 and the Wayback Machine

I am now 38 years old. My birthday has generally always fallen on Memorial Day weekend, and this year was no exception. Definitely a fringe benefit and, these days, a fortunate calendrical redemption. No, I haven't turned into one of those 'dread my birthday' or 'another year closer to the grave' personas, but 38 feels a little...significant...this year. The forthcoming reward of the new house definitely takes the sting out of any birthday anxiety, however.

The long weekend was spent, work-free, with my family and it felt great. Thanks to all who wished me well via card, phone, email and voicemail. For those of you who didn't, don't sweat it. Chances are, I've forgotten more than one of your birthdays...and probably more than once.

Since bounce houses and Red Rover have long been off my birthday itinerary for some time, I think I found a new way to celebrate. It's called, "Introduce Your Mom to Google Earth". The most fun I had this weekend was touring the virtual globe on the phone with my mom as we visited the sites of our past lives, scrolling along roads, zooming in on neighborhoods and recounting times thought forgotten. We probably spent three hours on Sunday night reminisicing over our childhoods and beyond, leveraging the memory-inducing power of Google Earth. I recommend it to everyone...a great activity to share with loved ones. And it's not just for birthdays anymore.