ReverendMother had a birthday this week, and while RevGalBlgPals have done the birthday thing before, she gave us more questions to ponder...

1. "It's my party and I'll [blank] if I want to..."
Favorite way to celebrate your birthday

Travel. I love taking a trip on or around my birthday. I've gone to Vancouver, Great Britain, New York and Vermont on my birthday. Only Vancouver was with someone. The rest of them were solo travel. There is something nice about broadening my horizons on my birthday.

2. "You say it's your birthday... it's my birthday too, yeah..."
Do you share your birthday with someone famous?

My crew is pretty special: Marilyn Monroe, Andy Griffith, Morgan Freeman, Alanis Morissette, Rene Auberjonois, Edward "The Equalizer" Woodward, Pat Boone and Nelson Riddle. There's also Ron Wood from the Rolling Stones and Danny Zavatsky from No Authority. But none of those are the same year.

3. "Lordy Lordy look who's forty..."
Milestone birthdays:
a) just like any other birthday--they're just numbers, people.
b) a good opportunity to look back/take stock
c) enjoy the black balloons--I'll be hiding under a pile of coats until the day is over
d) some combination of the above, or something else entirely.

d) I tend to fret more over the birthday BEFORE the landmarks. 39 was much harder than 40. I tend to be such a regular navel gazer, so a special birthday doesn't cause much extra examination. It is nice because the milestones tend to lead to more parties. That being said, 40 was all about Vancouver, though the church did get me a cake.

4. "Happy birthday, dear... Customer..."
Have you ever been sung to in a restaurant? Fun or cringe-worthy?

Hmmm...Let's see.
When I was an attorney, I was involved in recruiting for our firm. My birthday is in the summer, when our clerks were there. This was always an excuse for something fun and silly...in the main conference room, with the whole firm in attendance. Among those who 'seranaded' me: a Marilyn Monroe impersonator (see #2 above), Barney the Dinosaur, a Barbara Eden/Jeannie lookalike, and a lady jester. In restaurants, I've been sung to many times...also on recruiting outings and family times. It's never really bothered me. (Those who know me know that being the center of attention has never been a burden for me...LOL)(TO clarify: I didn't seek out these 'celebrations' and was never told in advance they were happening.)

5. "Take my birthday--please"
Tell me one advantage and one disadvantage about your particular birthday (e.g. birthday in the summer--never had to go to school; birthday near Christmas--the dreaded joint presents)
EDITED TO ADD: This could also simply be something you like/dislike about your birthday (e.g. I like sharing a birthday with my best friend, etc.).

My birthday was always the first birthday among my pals after school let out, so the pool party/birthday we did all through grade school was a huge gathering. I felt really popular...but I think it was the pool. :-) Also, I loved the fact that my birthday was almost 6 months from Christmas...just when I got tired of my toys and presents, I got new ones!