Birthday Angst

A few years ago I was feeling all weird towards mid-January. I mentioned this at my writers group (which I DESPERATELY miss like crazy) and Sue mentioned the anxiety people get around birthdays. And thinking about it then, it totally made sense. Why I used to run around like a chicken with my head cut off when I was younger. Why I get all mopey now that I'm older.

Don't get me wrong. I love birthdays. I'm big on birthdays. I get that from my mom who was also big on birthdays. From breakfast to goodnight kisses, she found big and little ways to make the day special. I used to kid her and my dad that it was because they were usually gone to a company retreat on my actual birthday. They felt so bad that I had birthday celebrations during our Christmas vacation to Grand Cayman, in the summer so that I could have a pool party like my brother used to (my "un-Birthday") and so on. Then they'd leave me with grandparents who would feel equally as bad on my birthday and ply me with cake and attention like no other.

This is probably why I was set up for a lifetime of disappointment.

I'm only slightly kidding. But watching last week's episode of New Girl where Jess has these insanely large expectations for her birthday and is usually let down, I could relate. Not because Chef doesn't do a great job in making the day special (he does), but just because.

So this year, I'm trying to recognize the angst and know that I am working on my birthday so it can only be so good by its nature. And I will try to remember that I am off on Friday to have a celebration, a mani-pedi, get my hair done, eat copious amounts of seafood and then spend half of my Saturday getting pampered at the spa (see? Told you I am spoiled).

Until then, grr. I say.

Let's Play a Game: "Which of these DIDN'T Happen?"

Not the chamber from this particular city
council meeting, but they all mostly look alike.

Sometimes my job takes me to great places. Sometimes it takes me to city council meetings. If you've never been to a city council meeting, I suggest you go. It will make you extra sure that you vote for city council the next time an election rolls around.

If you really want to be entertained, go to a city council meeting in a small town. To say they are a little less formal is an understatement. They are simultaneously enthralling, wince-inducing, boring, and will leave you going "what the hell just happened here?".

As an example, you can play my game called "Which of these didn't happen at a recent city council meeting that Ashley attended?". Ready to try? Here goes:

• There was a reference to the mayor's recent perjury indictment.
• A man whose dog was shot by a police officer and it was put on YouTube spoke about getting the police officer fired
• Aforementioned man spoke on the day he was arraigned on six charges related to the incident that had him in handcuffs and caused his dog to charge the aforementioned police officer
• Animal rights groups brought a petition with 100,000 signatures on it demanding the firing of the aforementioned police officer
• A small urn of dog's ashes were set on the lectern while someone who did not own the dog spoke
• An executive with the airport authority spoke about his encounter with a councilwoman who threatened him with harassment charges
• Aforementioned councilwoman and airport executive got into a heated exchange during the middle of public comment portion of the meeting
• The mayor stopped the meeting to have the group sing happy birthday to a 95 year old resident who regaled the crowd with details of her family's trip to San Diego as their celebration of her birthday
• Aforementioned 95 year old resident was at the microphone to complain that children ride their bikes too quickly through her driveway and she is afraid she will hit them with her car without some police intervention. 
• Horrible grammatical errors on protest signs including the spelling of vagrants as "vegrants."
• A candidate for mayor announcing his candidacy during his time at the podium for public commentary. 

Did you guess? If you said they ALL happened, you'd be correct. And those weren't even the issues why I was attending. CRAZY!!! Cheaper than a movie with all of the drama.

Although there was no smoking in the city council meeting I went to. Not so much of an issue in Vicco, Ky. Check this out:

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