MY HALF B-DAY 2020
I don’t usually celebrate my half birthday here in INAM, (this is actually only the second time I’m ever doing it!,) but since I don’t have much else to write about these days, I figured—why not? This time, it is about me!
When I discussed it in 2014, I told you about the only half birthday party I’ve ever had, (which you can still read here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/special-day-happy-half-birthday-to-me,) but I neglected to tell you about my favorite gift then. (Yes, I did allow gifts because A—since I had to cancel my full age party that had been planned for six months prior, my guests still had the presents they had gotten for me than, and B–have you met me???)
That perfect gift was from my two young Italian pals, Stefano and Luca. I already loved these guys, and didn’t think it was possible for them to get any better. But when they heard Mr. X do a small and comic *putdown of me, (or my outfit,) and they gently reprimanded him for it, I was extra in love with them. And when I saw their gift, I almost ran away and married them both! *[Note: My other pals and I knew that what Mr. X said was funny, and just part of his and my basic life ongoing comedy routine, but since English was not their first language, my Italian pals took it the wrong way for me. Gotta love that!)
This is what their present was, with the background first, of course: I’m a restaurant critic, (so, food-obsessed,) and Stefano and Luca are both from Italy, (Torino, to be exact,) and worked in an upscale restaurant, (so, also food-obsessed,) so they gave me…a beautiful cookbook of Northern Italy! I got the reason right away, but, just in case I hadn’t, they said, “Get it? Half Italy for your half birthday!!!” Could a gift be any more clever and thoughtful??? And remember—these were very young guys, in their early twenties. Their parents obviously raised them well. And, of course, not only do I still have the book, but, in my way overcrowded house, I know exactly where it is! That’s amazing in and of itself.
So maybe I’ll just break it out and cook a dish from it to celebrate my half bday today. And hope that Mr. X will give me one of the humorous homemade cards he’s famous for.
Or maybe I’ll make a cupcake and share it with Mr. X, so we both have half of one. The celebration possibilities are endless! Well, not really—anything in the culinary department will have to be with ultra-limited isolation ingredients. And I can’t get any gifts because no one should be out at a store these days, except for essentials once a month!
So, today, I’m just really happy to be alive to celebrate another half year of life. I mean it! And I look forward to next January 14, my actual birthday, and hope that I’ll be celebrating that one with a coronavirus vaccine instead of coronavirus isolating. Now I just need a candle in a cake today upon which to make that wish.
Happy Half Birthday to me!
1 Comment
Happy Half-Birthday, Karen!