Shiny, Happy Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday and I wasn’t happy about it. It wasn’t just an age issue, though I do identify with the sentiment of this birthday card.

The bigger problem was that I’ve been stressed and depressed in general. I didn’t want to go to dinner with the family if it meant I would have to change out of the clothes I’d been wearing for nearly three days straight. What?! Did you think I wear Zang Toi gowns and faux-ny tails all the time? Au contraire. I had decided black Acne Generic Girl jeans and an AIDS Dance-a-thon sweatshirt from 1994 were my new signature look. What’s not to love about an outfit that is comfortable to fall asleep in at 6 a.m., yet appropriate for dog-walking when one rolls out of bed at the crack of noon the next day? I told MrB that I didn’t want to go out and hid under the covers when he said he’d made a reservation anyway.

I cheered up a bit when my IT department (aka GeorgeB) arrived to tackle the computer problems that have plagued me for months. I cheered up a little more while reading emailed/Twittered/Facebooked/blogged birthday greetings from (I hope I’m not missing anyone here): Jen D., Cobie, Zang, Rick, Gwen, Beth, Johnny, Rachel, MaryClaire, Kristin x 2, Joanna, Cheryl, Susan, Fabulously Broke, Rowena, Daniela, Marcy, Anu, Jane, Lindsay, Melanie aka George, Fernando the iHog, Mai, Najeema, Jennine, Jordanna, Lisa (F@#!), Shari, Nancy, Moira, Kristin, Debra, Sara, Elena, Adriana, Jen W., Chris, Lori, Matthew, Erin, Monica, Ela, Sofia, Kathy, Deirdre, Wendy L., Grant, Kara, Vyque, Arushi, Sue, Barbara L, Avanti, Kirie, Christian, Amanda, La Belette Rouge, Miss J, Natasha, Stephanie, Stef, Laura, Fiona, PPIEW, Annie, Emmi, Tammie, Alyssa, Fifi, Amy, Cheryl, Daisy, Kate, Sue K, Steve, Deanna, ENC, Georgina, Kim, Brie, Erkki, Yilin, Janet, Micgar, Sally, Suzanne, Janet, Paul D., Siobhan, Denise, Tavi, Textstyles, Frockologist, Nouvelle, Shebreathes, Annie W., Marian, Cherie, TheBeautyFile, Aline, Nicole, Diana, SkinnyPurse, Yilin, Elizabeth W., Lady Cameron XIII and Tina … plus the peeps who commented on yesterday’s post.

I enjoyed the 1981 Altered Images video that Stacy sent me. (Singer Clare Grogan had my dream hair and earring combo.)

I even laughed a little when I opened a box from my sister Terri Berry and her family to find 24 Cadbury Flakes.

These will be gone in a week.

But I still didn’t feel very lively and, accordingly, planned on wearing a flouncy-sleeved black vintage Donald Brooks dress (mournful yet festive!) until I realized I’d last worn it on December 22, 2008. I’d be continuing my strange streak of wearing the same clothes on the same day or close to it each year. In times of fashion confusion, Twitter can be helpful, so I gave Tweeps a choice between the Brooks dress, the happier-looking Jacques Tiffeau dress or my gold sequined Antik Batik Golden-Girls-gang dress. The majority voted for sequins. I’m glad I gave democracy a chance because I found it impossible to be surly in that dress.

Shiny and happy.

Also thanks to the tweet, Frockology told me that the Donald Brooks dress is in the collection of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was excited by that piece of fashion trivia.

I wound up having a lovely time with MrB, GeorgeB, BarbaraB and my two youngest B stepchildren (out of four total). I don’t think I’ve ever posted a clear photo of the youngest B stepchildren because I didn’t want to embarrass them. I envisioned their friends finding it and asking, “Why is your stepmother yelling at me?!?” Now that StepsonB is 18 and StepdaughterB is 20 — practically all grown up — I’m going to take a chance.

StepsonB and I had a good time talking about the Jersey Shore reality show.

The B stepchildren gave me two lovely pairs of gloves. I have to hold off on showing you those until I take the traditional glove-pose photo. I do have a picture of the beautiful bag that MrB surprised me with, even though I’d told him that I didn’t want any presents … from anybody … ever again.

The little scarf attachment came with it.

I also got a card from my Aunt Susan and Uncle David saying, “Hope you have a fabulous birthday — what will your blog say??” Hmmm. I guess the blog says you all helped me have a shiny, happy birthday despite my best efforts and that I thank you from the bottom of my shiny, happy heart.