It’s my birthday today. I’m 44. I’m celebrating by holding a disco party for Sprog 2 and 15 of her friends in my living room. After uploading this blog I’ll be icing a couple of butter cakes to – hopefully – make them resemble a handbag with a mobile phone, lipstick, blush compact and money coming out of it. Wish me luck. I’ll need it. I’m not particularly bothered about spending my birthday in this fashion, because I don’t really like celebrating it. I’d prefer to leave the country. But the cruise isn’t until April 5, so I’m stuck. Against my better judgement, some school mums are taking me out for a drink on Sunday night to celebrate. And it’s making my brain want to pop. First there’s the imposition of expecting people to give up their valuable time to drink with me. Then there’s the fear none of them will come. I used to love my birthday, when I was a kid. I was born on St Patrick’s Day, which coloured my whole life emerald green. I had a pair of lucky green knickers I kept in my drawer and cracked out every March 17. When I grew up, I dreamed about getting an emerald green Datsun with tartan seats (really, they used to make them). Mum and Dad would take me to the buffet at the Quality Inn as a special birthday treat. Everything on the dessert table was green on St Pat’s Day. Awesome. Actually, a few things on the savoury table, like the mashed potato, were green too. Not quite so awesome, kinda gross. The thing I’ve always hated most about my birthday is the presents. I don’t like getting presents. I know, weird. This is mainly because I’m VERY hard to buy for. My family have virtually given up. They just ask what I want or send a gift card. Which gave me an idea. I expect you’ve all been racking your brains, trying to decide on the perfect gift for me. So I’m going to make it easy for you. I’m going to tell you what I’d really like. Here’s my wish list:
* Share your favourite housegoeshome.com blog post on Facebook. Hell, share any housegoeshome.com blog post on Facebook.
* Email a housegoeshome.com blog post to a friend.
* Tweet about housegoeshome.com
* Comment on one of my blog posts at housegoeshome.com.
* Subscribe to my blog (this would make me feel EXTRA special).
* Read a few of my blog posts you’ve missed lately.
See, something for everybody, and all very reasonably priced (ie free). So come on, show me the love. Make it like my hen’s night, when I made everyone to form a scrum around me and repeatedly chant “We looooooove … ALANA!” (I was very drunk.) Except this’ll be a virtual love-fest. I’m waiting …
housegoeshome 
I will do everything but tweet! (as I dont have an account — well, there is my CBRE account but I dont think wishing you happy birthday on that would pass guidelines…) Happy birthday to my very clever and talented sister. I look forward to reading your blog every day (it generally makes the bus trip to work much more entertaining. Looking forward to some birthday yum cha and an 18 day birthday festival on the cruise 🙂
Happy birthday, Alana. Hope you get some me time in there too. Your blogs make me giggle. Take care and see you soon. C xo
Happy Birthday Alana !!! I am all signed up 😉
(I am so lame – I didn’t even know I could do that)
Happy birthday Alana. Have fun celebrating with the kids. Sorry to miss yr drinks tomorrow night but we are having a great time in Canberra with the Kennedys. Lol Hels xx
Hope Canberra was fun. Wish I could have been there.
Happy birthday Alana 🙂 Hope the disco rocks, and the handbag with accessories cake is a triumph. Looking forward to tomorrow’s blogging debrief. xx
Thank you, fellow redhead.
Have a wonderful day. I always loved the fact that both our birthdays are on “special” days – made them easy to remember!
Thank you!!!!! It was hectic but good.
Happy birthday! How fortuitous that I just learned how to create links on my blog yesterday. I shall weave your name and blog title into my next post AND create a link! Heck, if I still lived in Sydney, I’d probably pester you to divulge the location of Sunday drinks!
I really need to learn how to do the links thing.
And drinks were fun, you would have enjoyed them!
Ok …A Birthday comment!!!
Happy Alana Day!!
I am VERY Techno challenged ( as are many of
my friends) & have no idea yet
how to use the fancy new buttons the
‘IT’ guy at my husband’s work put on my blog
bout Facebook etc
But I will …& already have spread the word bout
your fab lil blog.
Enjoy your special day!!
Blog for Facebook etc I
Thank you Andrea, much appreciated. I am very techno challenged myself, so I know how harrowing it can be.
Happy Birthday Alana! I’m not joining twitter for you though 🙂
Twitter is for the birds.
Happy Birthday Alana! I’m checking to see if there’s an Emerald Green Honda in the range! Will keep you advised… 🙂
Why thank you Geoff.
Hi Alana,
Been meaning to say g’day … Liking your blog … in fact I have blog envy. Given my birthday is two days before you, I just had to say Hi to a fellow Piscean and say I am happy being older than you! Admittedly, this is a tad late, but the good intentions are there. Robin
Better late than never, Robin. Glad you like the blog. Maybe you’ll start one of your own. Seems to be the thing these days. I’m a bit dazzled by how many there are to compete with out there.
You’re the catalyst. I think I will, already have a name for it…. At this stage I don’t really care about what else is out there. As I see it, we all need a voice to sift through the stuff that happens to us on a regular basis with no real outlet except our family and friends – and it’s not enough!
That’s great. Make sure to give me the heads up when it launches.