I admit, birthdays are one of those mixed blessings. Yes, it means you’re another year older, but it’s better than the alternative. My father used to say, “Birthdays: another year older, another year closer to death.”

When you’re a kid of course, you’re desperate to grow up. You are “10 and a half,” or “8 and three quarters.” Even when I was in my mid-twenties, I would forget how hold I was. I was 25 for three years because I didn’t pay enough attention to keep track. When you’re in your mid-twenties you’re old enough to do everything and too young to worry about your body falling apart.

When I was in my late thirties and early forties, I was constantly disappointed by my birthday. It never lived up to my expectations (I blame TV sit-coms!). Of course, life goes on and hockey games, meetings, and dinner still need to get done whether it’s your birthday or not. One year my birthday was a take out pizza around the kitchen island before we all continued on with our other activities. It was kind of depressing. I readjusted my expectations and put them in line with reality, and I’ve been fine ever since. Although I do find that every year the day comes and goes and I feel like I’ve been missing, well, something — I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

This year I decided to take my birthday into my own hands and create one super duper awesome extra fun day! So when my husband said, “What do you want to do for your birthday?”

I replied, “It’s a surprise!”

He looked at me puzzled and said, “But it’s your birthday — shouldn’t I be planning it?”

I said, “Can you read my mind?” — a rhetorical question, answered by an eye roll from him.

The point is, I realize that in my family, I am the only one who truly knows what I want to do for my birthday. What I really wanted from him was just to tag along and do stuff he wouldn’t do on his own. And I knew my kids would have absolutely no interest in the activities I had planned.

I was lucky, because this year my birthday fell on a Saturday and I really took advantage of it. What I planned was:

Something fun: A chocolate festival called Je t’aime en chocolat at Marché Bonsecours in old Montreal
Something foodie: an awesome lunch at Olive and Gourmando
Something cultural: the new Pompeii exhibit at the the Musee des Beaux Arts and the really fun bird exhibit;
Something social: Drinks with friends
A nice dinner out: Brasserie T!

I had also planned something sporty — skating on Beaver Lake, but we ran out of time — go figure. Hmm, I just noticed the entire day seemed to revolve around food, but it’s not surprising when you live in a foodie city.

It was a nice way to spend a typical gloomy and blah February day and I’m glad I got to do what I wanted to.