I don't even really want this birthday

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This has been a crappy year. From summer to summer I have been plagued with computer bugs, never-ending debt, loneliness, professional failure. The only thing that has increased is my waistline.

Well, almost.

When I asked myself what I had to be grateful for, if at all, over these twelve months, I ended up with these things:
My hairline is not receding and my hair is still almost wholly black. Not bad for a 43-year-old male. I owe this to my mother's side of the family, made up of tough old buggers who generally died at 95-plus with all their hair still on, and that hair not even white but grey. Thanks, Mamma.
I have had a good deal of help and support from my mother and brother, which has allowed me to keep my head above water and even make a little professional advance. Thanks again.
And I have made a lot of new friends. For this I am particularly grateful, and that is why I am writing this entry. Thank you (in alphabetic order):
adeodatus, agatha_s, aphoenix2007, artemisiabrisol, avus, beckyemerson, briana_rose07, bufo_viridis, cathy_white, cette_vie, chthonya, curia_regis, dreamer_marie, enelya_oronar, goreism, jennilee, kagome_sama, kennahijja, kikei, lazy_neutrino, lyssiae, pandoraculpa, patchworkmind, privatemaladict, purple_mirie, rfachir, rubix1229, sevenorora, synaesthete7, tashmania, thepreciouss, theregoesyamum. You have made a great difference. Give or take the odd disagreement or ten thousand, it is still wonderful to know that people like you exist.

Comments

[aphoenix2007.livejournal.com]

Awww... you're welcome. ::hugs::

Glad to get to know you, too.

[patchworkmind.livejournal.com]

Cheers.

[purple-mirie.livejournal.com]

That's sweet of you. :)

And as it's already the 24th where I'm at, happy birthday! May this year be a good one.

[rfachir.livejournal.com]

You're just hitting your stride. Congratulations on knocking down the preliminary rounds and may the next half century be fabulous. Best of luck with the stuff I don't understand - careers and computers - and best wishes for the important parts - family and friends and all the stuff we make a living to support. Have a drop-dead gorgeous day!

[curia-regis.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday!

And thank you. :) I'm glad I know you as well. It makes for very interesting discussions.

[thepreciouss.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday. I, too, am glad to have you as a friend.
(Though, personally, I think I have the advantage. You get to read my insipid rants, and I get intelligent political/cultural/historical insight.)

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I get to witness the growth of a warm, intelligent, brave and profoundly religious young woman. The advantage, I think, is mine.

[lyssiae.livejournal.com]

Gefeli met je verjaardag :D

And..eh...woo I got a mention in someone else's LJ! *dances along to the lonely goatherd in celebration*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_redux/]

I wasn't mentioned, but i'm saying happy birthday anyway. :)

~b

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I am very fond of you and I consider you a friend and a very good writer. The only problem is your politics - I can't really live with them, and I don't want to start an argument every time you make a statement about "hmophobes" or any other of your idiosyncrasies. I really do think you would be happier without all those Scandinavian superstitions, but I love you anyway.

[gunderpants.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday dude. You're cool to the pepsi max and you piss the bastards off and put 'em in your place. You're like a likeable, actually moral Derryn Hinch.

Many Happy Returns though I don't ever say that in real life and I also have no idea what it means.

[jennilee.livejournal.com]

You've got it absolutely correct and this is indeed a birthday to celebrate and be grateful for.

No receding hairline and still naturally dark hair at 43? Man, you've got it made. :D

[pandoraculpa.livejournal.com]

*great big hugs*

Happy birthday! I'm pleased to be getting to know you as well; intelligent commentary is hard to find these days, and you provide quite a lot of it. Here's wishing you a great year!

[adeodatus.livejournal.com]

My hairline is not receding and my hair is still almost wholly black.

I can't even escape the cold, hard truth on LJ. I should have just become a Franciscan ... it feels like I'm just a hair or two away from having a tonsure.

Happy Birthday!

[privatemaladict.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday to you! And I hope your next year will be an improvement on your last. It seems like you're overdue for some good times. :)

[bufo-viridis.livejournal.com]

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The birthdays are just like this: they come if you want them or not :) Many Happy Returns!

And it's not sormy at all and most certainly not a petrel (just a common gull Larus canus in fact), but here you go as a birthday postcard from Crimea

[tashmania.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday :) I can say with complete sincerity that I'm glad I found you as an LJ friend. Hope the next year is a good one!

[rubix1229.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday, indeed! I'm glad I stumbled upon your LJ through Stephanie.

[dreamer-marie.livejournal.com]

Felice compleanno, un po' in ritardo. Spero che hai spento una giornata bellissima e che hai mangiato tanti dolci quanti ne puoi senza ammalatirti.
Non ti preoccupare a proposito di tuoi amici : l'amicizia è uno scambio eguale, e prendo molto piacere a discutere con te. Mi hai imparato molto, cosa è straordinario in un'amicizia che è vecchia di una settimana (e mi hai fatto scrivere quelcosa in italiano, cio che non ho fatto da qualche anni).
Marie