OK, so this is not exactly Hamlet, but I am debating whether or not I should bother celebrating my birthday this year. For me, "celebration" has always meant doing something with my friends.
It's on February 10th. (If I celebrate, it won't necessarily be on that day---if for no other reason than because somebody I want to come may not be in town that day.) I'll turn 31, which is a prime number. It's very important to keep track of the number-theoretic properties of one's age. (For example, I was perfect when I was 28, but so was everybody else.)
If I celebrate---and I'm vacillating back and forth on whether I should bother---it will probably take the form of dinner at a fancy restaurant. I've narrowed that down to Gyu Kaku or the new Brazillian place at the Paseo.
Bah... I am still having bouts of grumpiness. If it weren't for that, I doubt I'd be having much of an internal debate.
Anyway, you can vote here and maybe then I can find out who all the lurkers are. (I know you're out there.) Just think of it like a Hamlet reality show in which you're voting whether or not Hamlet should commit suicide---not to display my occasionally morbid sense of humor or anything. :)
I'm going to not vote, but post an opinion instead.
ReplyDeleteIf you enjoy going out to eat with friends, and would like an excuse to do so, whilst being prepared to put up with the birthday association, i'd go for it. (and similarily, if you'd like to avoid that birthday association when you go out to dinner, just let people know that's the case :)
If you don't wish to be reminded it's your birthday, i'd avoid doing something special.
If you tend to get depressed about your birthday (this happens to me a lot), i'd highly recommend arranging to do something on that day, especially with friends, who can remind you that you are treasured no matter what age you are.
Judging by your grumpiness, but also willingness to talk about it, my opinion would be that you should have a birthday dinner and maybe invite people over to play board games beforehand (or after), as it will keep you occupied and with friends.
Z: Thanks for the message---much appreciated! (Probably more than you realize.)
ReplyDeleteThe age thing isn't bothering me. It's more a conglomeration of multiple things making me grumpy, subsets of which I have talked about to varying degrees offline with a couple people. None of this is long-term (at least I don't think it is), but too many things have been causing frustration at once and I normally have at least something working out locally to offset bothersome things in other areas.
I have plenty of long-term things working out incredibly well, but a couple months of frustration makes it pretty easy to forget that (at least for me), which makes me grumpy, which makes me harder to be around (which potentially makes people stay away from me) and makes other things bother me more than they otherwise would, which makes me even grumpier, and so on. It's quite the vicious cycle. (I feel bad for Lemming---he's really had to experience me dish out quite a bit for a while now. I rant a lot anyway, so you can imagine how much he's had to take.)
The thought of people smiling because I'm there is obviously a very good one.
The thought of sleeping is very welcome as well.
Anyway, I'm currently leaning towards doing something, but it would be nice to get out of this extended rut (though with a few really great isolated moments mixed in, despite everything).
Whoa -- Mason, in view of your comment and Z's, I'd suggest a really sumptious dinner at one of the restaurants you mentioned, and then a group sleepover where everybody actually sleeps (perhaps preceded by a very boring game time which will increase everybody's sleepiness.)
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree about paying attention to the number-theoretic aspects of one's age. (Ask Z sometime about when he and his sisters will again all be prime numbers -- he can probably tell you this...)
Wish I could be there to help you celebrate! Maybe I'll take a nap in your honor. :-)
The sleep comment was just referring to when I was writing that particular response.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure about having a sleepover party. :)
I know one thing I'll be doing: working on my book. I believe we're going to have the "official" text in a couple weeks or so. I have about 30 or so hours of work ahead of me to incorporate the edits from an external person that I like and to change a couple other things I noticed.
At some point I'll write what I learned as a result of writing/editing my first book (recent issues with which have been one of the primary causes of my grumpiness), but I know that part of that is to become absolutely scared shitless at any words resembling "facilitate" or "consult."
Food.
ReplyDeleteI, too, vote for food. I'd really like to try that new Brazillian place.
ReplyDeleteAnd I vote Hamlet should kill himself and end the damn play already. I really hated that play.
My e-mail says Gyu Kaku but as long as Jing doesn't mind (she's coming in from Irvine and has her birthday on Feb 9, so it will be a joint celebration), I wouldn't mind switching to the Brazilian place.
ReplyDeleteLanth, that gives me a great idea for murder/performance art:
ReplyDeleteSmuggle a gun (or better yet, some sort of massively-exothermic device) into the theater during a performance of Hamlet. The very moment Polonius finishes saying, "and since brevity is the soul of wit...", end the play a little early.
Trust me, once the survivors are out of therapy, they'll be laughing it up.
Hmmm... now Lemming is reminding me of the old spam about the thermodynamics of Hell.
ReplyDeleteMeat sounds good. This is your celebration Mason.
ReplyDelete-jing