Hangin' on

So last Tuesday I was having a pretty good day, it was warm out and I was enjoying the spring weather. Plus, I was still 28 (clearly, I have learned to appreciate the small things). While it was my last day as a 28 year old, I wasn't really thinking about it too much, it was too nice out! That is until everyone had to keep reminding me I was no longer going to be 28 for long.

I had a doctor's appointment that day, and the first thing they asked me when I walked in the room was "how old are you?" which is weird, because I can't ever remember that they have asked me this before. I mean, my birthdate IS in my chart, is my age REALLY the thing that needs to be on the top of the piece of paper, perhaps more important information should be there, like my blood pressure or something? So I emphatically answered "twenty-eight" and then whispered under my breath "twenty-nine tomorrow" (wow, that still sounds old, even though I've had a whole six days to get used to it). The nurse smiled and laughed (at me, I'm sure), but wrote 28. I felt relieved that I still had one more day and walked happily home. On my way home I saw the girl from Little Miss Sunshine, which was nifty too as I hadn't had a celebrity sighting in awhile.

I continued walking home, enjoying the city, the weather, and trying to think on the bright side. After a 20 minute walk, I again became content with becoming older, mostly because I forgot about it. Later that night, however, we went to the gym and the damn elliptical machine asked me for my age. First the nurse, now the workout equipment, WHY IS EVERYONE SO CURIOUS? Can't I slip into 29 without anyone noticing? Why, oh why, does everyone need to know so badly? I love birthdays, I always have, but I do not love getting older. Getting older is stupid. So now at this point, I was annoyed because I was at the gym, and I was annoyed because of the nosy workout equipment. Usually, what happens at this point, is that I get mad and then have a good workout and forget about it.

But on this particular Tuesday evening I did not forget about it. STUPID machine. At the end of my workout I slowly climbed off the machine and met Jeff at the stretching area. I cooled off and was standing up to get ready to go when I noticed a poster on the far wall, not wearing my glasses or contacts I couldn't actually see it, so I walked over to it. The poster had information on it like what your optimal heartrate is, etc... It also had the optimum number of push-ups given your age, well, given your age group. And the groups were by decade (20 - 29, 30 - 39, etc..), which I didn't notice at first, but Jeff did (since he was no longer in the same age grouping as I). So as we looked more closely we realized that the optimum number of push-ups for him and me were the same! ha! Given that he was male, his optimum number was naturally higher than mine, except that he was now in the "thirty" age range so his body is presumed to be on the decline. poor guy. Good for me though, I'm not thirty! Of course now that means I need to practice my push-ups so that I could actually do as many as Jeff, but no matter, it reminded me that I'm still in my twenties! For one more short year!! even if I wasn't going to be 28 anymore like everyone had reminded me, it didn't matter, I have one more year! one more year!

details to come on the big birthday dinner...I promise!