Happy birthday to meeeeeee!

It’s a bittersweet birthday this year. I turn 46 today and 23 years ago I met Husband. So that’s officially half my life … geez I can’t even begin to give you a word or phrase that encapsulates the sadness of it all.

And today will be my first birthday since our fateful meeting in The Grand Hotel that he hasn’t been my life partner (well apart from the 8 months he spent finding himself in South East Asia).

So I’ve gone home to Newcastle to escape it all. Mum and Dad are taking me to Merewether Surfhouse for lunch, dear friends are making me dinner tonight and tomorrow I’m being pampered with beauty treatments as a gift from my parents.

Not too shabby, huh?

As noted in a 2012 blog called My Birthday Wishlist that I will now self-plagarise, I used to love my birthday when I was a kid. I was born on St Patrick’s Day, which coloured my life emerald green … and gave me the good Irish name Alana Maree.

I had a pair of lucky green undies I kept in my drawer and cracked out every March 17. I dreamed about getting a green Datsun with tartan seats (really, they used to make them) when I grew up. Every year, 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.

Bizarely, the thing I’ve always hated most about my birthday is the presents. I love giving presents but I hate receiving them. (And flowers are totally wasted on me.) I’m also VERY hard to buy for. My family have virtually given up. They just ask what I want or send a gift card.  Although Mum pulled a rabbit out of the hat this year and gave me a cushion with a chook on it. Bless.

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:

* “Like” Housegoeshome on Facebook by clicking here. Then share, like or comment on a few updates.

* Comment on one of my blog posts at housegoeshome.com or share it on your Facebook feed.

* Subscribe to my blog.

* 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 …

And remember, you really feel for me at the moment and want to show me you care (she suggests in an outrageously emotionally manipulative way).

Do you have any birthday traditions?