Happy Birthday To Me!

**singing** Hey shawty, it's your birfday, we gon' party like it's your birfday!

I've always loved my birthday, and I truly do not understand those who do not. I've never "feared" getting a year older. To me, it's always been something to be celebrated. I mean, hello, you get free Starbucks and other food and drinks, and discounts! Just kidding (mostly)! One thing I've been doing on my birthday for the last couple of years is taking off from work. It's the best gift I could give to myself. And that means I get "Dani Day." What happens on "Dani Day" you may ask? Whatever I want! Mostly I just sleep in, eat cereal, read books while listening to 90's hits like "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia and "Never Ever" by All Saints, watch terrible TV, and eat too much takeout. So basically, I like a quiet day to myself. This time I will add in a bit of house cleaning/straightening up since my Mountain Mamas may stop by on Friday after my birthday dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant. Friday is also our work party, and on Saturday my mom is taking me out, location TBD. 

I was going to post some things I want to learn this year, or beliefs, but I did that last year. So today I'm sharing some birthday prompts borrowed from Tanya.

What is your favorite birthday cake?
Ice cream cake (with extra chocolate crunchies!)

What is Your Favorite Birthday Gift?
Events, hands down. Concerts, musicals,... one year my friend took me out for a paint night where we painted wine glasses- that was so much fun! When I was 9, my mom took me on a Big Red Boat Disney cruise from Florida to the Disney island in the Bahamas. I don't remember too much besides the Midnight Breakfast with Chip and Dale, "pirates" on the island, and not wanting to leave the Embassy Suites Hotel pool and room service in Florida to go to Disney World (even after sitting through an hour of timeshare sales to get the free vouchers!).

What is Your Favorite Birthday Meal?
Chicken Parmesan, and more specifically for the last 5 years at my favorite little BYO restaurant around the corner from my apartment :) 

Who are Your 5 Dream Birthday Party Guests?
(People you don’t know but admire or would possibly stalk if stalking wasn’t wrong)

Hmmm, this is a hard one. I don't want to seem unintelligent so women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg are out. Reese Witherspoon for sure... Leslie Mann is hilarious... J. Lo, Julia Roberts since I've loved her since Pretty Woman annnnnd... Kelly Clarkson? Mindy Kaling? Melissa McCarthy? They all seem real, so they can come too! (I was going to add some favorite men like Joe Manganiello, Jason Momoa, Dwayne Johnson, but they'd be too distracting!)

Do You Have Any Birthday Traditions? 

YES... I take off from work! (And if it falls on a weekend, I take off either Monday or Friday!) Also for the last 5 years I've taken a birthday vacation with Blue. It's perfect because my birthday falls right before Christmas so it's like getting a break before the "craziness" of the holidays really sits in, and though it's not always to a "warm" place, it's still time away! Recent trips have been The Bourbon Trail in Kentucky, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Nashville, and Jamaica!  

What is Your Favorite Birthday Memory?
The cruise mentioned above, my 17th when I got my (used) dream car (black Mazda Protege with a sunroof!) with a giant red ribbon on it, my 21st where I made the bartender check my ID and my first legal drink in a bar was a muff dive (!), my 25th at a hookah lounge, 30th, 32nd, and 35th birthday dinners, and all of the birthday trips, but particularly singing/screaming at a Lady Gaga concert with Blue and one of my besties, Marissa in Vegas (also 35th).

What is Your Birthday Wish for This Year?

I had a birthday wish for a few years but it never came true, so I don't make that wish anymore. So I guess just another year of good health, love, and happiness (generic I know, sorry-ish!). 

What do you like to do on your birthday?