September 27, 2004 - 11:45 a.m.

No, I Really Am 29!

It's my birthday, and I have reached that milestone year at which many women stop counting. I confess that I am not too pleased with the number, but it is all in my head. I don't look 29, I don't necessarily act 29, and I certainly don't feel 29. My biggest issue with my age is that there are things I wanted to have accomplished by now. I am okay with my career path and love my circle of friends, but I always thought that I would have found someone to settle down with and possibly even have started a family by now. Shows what I know! I know these things can't be forced, and I would never settle for a mediocre relationship just because I am getting older, but I still can't help wishing things were slightly different.

Most of the time, though, I focus on all the wonderful things in my life. I have a great job with three fantastic kids. I am on my way into a new career about which I am very excited. I have fabulous friends and a super family (though most of them are more distant than I would prefer).

I had a very nice birthday weekend, too. I went apple picking with the blind date, and despite a couple early snafus that created some awkwardness, I had a good time. Not a great time, but certainly good enough to warrant a second date if he's so inclined. The Red Sox won two out of three games in their series against the Yankees. And I went out for dinner and bowling with friends last night, which was a blast. We're all, with the exception of my brother, pretty pitiful bowlers, but a handful of strikes balanced out the gutterballs, and I think a good time was had by all.

So far, my birthday itself has been largely uneventful. The kids and their parents all wished me happy birthday this morning, but then we had to go about the usual business of getting the three munchkins dressed, combed, fed, and off to school, with the added complication of M being quite sore from her new palate expander and brackets. After that, I returned home and took a nap, since with the bowling and general hemming and hawing at home I was up late last night. Pitiful perhaps, but it is how I wanted to spend my birthday morning. :)

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