2003: Royals double-header with mom and Randy. Would have been nice except we lost both games and it rained so violently, that they essentially ended up being very little fun.
2004: I turn 18! Mother's Day. I spend all day packing (alone) so my mom can take my stuff home and can pick me up for vacation later in the week. There is a small gathering of friends, but it is overshadowed by finals studying. Also, I get soaked with a water gun when all of my clothes are in the wash.
2005: Two finals, very little sleep. I eat dinner alone only to go back to my building and be forced into attending a joint birthday party with two friends, one of which places re-lighting candles on the cake and sets the smoke alarm off. I get written up for being present. My floormates sympathize, purchase alcohol and drink it (not very legally) in the halls. I make things awkward with a future resident. Awesome!
2006: I have a broken foot. Two finals in the morning, one the next day. On pain meds that make me feel sick. I sit in my room and drink nearly half a bottle of pineapple rum while two friends hang out. Then I studied. (The positive: I aced my final the next day on little sleep and hungover/sick from the meds. Plus, that teacher hated me.)
2007: I turn 21! This should be awesome, but I have (again) two finals. I am taken to the local bar by one of my best friends and his soon-to-be girlfriend that I absolutely hated (they were engaging in what was essentially an affair, though no one would call it that). On my actual birthday, I worked, then failed (well, I got a C) a final.
2008: Not so terrible. I traveled back from Chicago (I was at an alumni event with the chancellor the night before). I got to pick where we stopped for lunch, and got a free brownie. It was just me, one other kid and my advisor. Got back to Rolla, went to the improv show then hung out with friends. Not very celebratory, but better on the scale of good to bad.
2009: I go see Fall Out Boy in Chicago!!! This is essentially the best birthday ever. Lots of traveling, but Stacy took me to breakfast, then we went to the Shedd Aquarium before taking all matter of transportation to the arena. We get there late and miss the first two bands, but FOB was pretty good even though they didn't do an encore. I had a headache all day, but by the time the concert was over I was doing everything I could not to throw up and/or pass out from the pain. Stacy and I are annoyed with each other, but that eased once she realized how much pain I was in. I basically cried it out and by the time I got to sleep, it was gone. VERY long weekend. Car to STL, train to Chicago, public transit ALL over Chicago, train back to STL, car back to Rolla. Phew!
So this year, this year it will be different. I will have fun, I will enjoy the company I am with and I will not think back next year on the recurring theme of bad birthdays. Thinking positively.
Though I do have to say, being born during tornado season to an older (and single) working mother was a little tough on the birthdays. Plus, my brother is only a year and 19 days older than me, so mostly we had to share birthday parties. One year, his birthday party in the park was cancelled due to a snow storm. Mine are usually rainy and gross.
I am determined that when I have kids, birthdays will happen no matter what. I know none of the bad stuff was anyone's fault in particular, but I will do my best to prevent bad stuff happening when it comes to my future and not-yet-existent kids. :)
Songs to consider:
She Left Me (Go:Audio)
Give Me What I Want (Kids In Glass Houses)
I'm Not Sorry (The Pigeon Detectives)
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