Kim Fest and Blog Goals

Well, we have returned from our fabulous trip to Indonesia! And it really was fabulous. But I have some catching up to do on blogging. For some reason blogging has just fallen to the back of my radar, so I am making a personal goal: instead of writing one looooooong post to catch everyone up on my birthday celebration, what we did with Darcy while we were gone, and an entire ten day's-worth of vacation drama, I am setting a goal to post once every day for this entire week (at least business days, and that leaves me Saturday and Sunday to catch up if for some reason I fall afoul of my goal). That will also allow you, the reader, to digest each day's blog in smaller bites, instead of being overwhelmed by one post that, let's be honest, you'll never ever return to.

So I thought I would start off my blogging goal by telling people about my birthday and how we celebrated here in the great land of Oz (have I explained that Australians like to call their country Oz? I think it's because it sounds like Aus... as in Australia... but they shorten it to the well-recognized, popular culture form of Oz. Also related to the "we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto" train of thought).

I need to first explain a few things. To the masses--and that would be the masses of people who are reading this blog post... riiiight--one would think that a birthday is nothing more than a celebration of the day you were born with a cupcake, a stubby candle that stays lit for maybe ten seconds, and an off-tune rendition of "Happy Birthday," or if you're a real old timer, "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." Yeah, I decided early on in my life that that was never really going to work for me. I don't do small celebrations. So for the majority of my life, I have claimed the entire month of May as Kim Fest (however I have generously narrowed my focus down to the week of May 5, kicked off by Cinco de Mayo [which, umm, is nonexistent here! who knew? Will and I even tracked down a Mexican restaurant and wished the waitress a Happy Cinco de Mayo. Blank stare. Awesome.] through May 12. I call the week Birth Week, though my actual birthday is May 10). Basically the point of Kim Fest is to be able to claim anything fun that happens within the month of May as an intentional tribute to the birth of Kim Stone--formerly known as Kim Hearon--way back in 1983. It's really a fun game. You should try it.

Of course, considering the week in which I was born, every few years I have to share my birthday with Mother's Day. Now, this hasn't ever really been too much of a problem for me because a) my mom shares really well and has always put my ego over hers (love you, Mom!) and b) I'm not a mother (yet) so it's not like I'm having to combine my birthday with Christmas, which, let's face it, would be awful. So for the past 26 years I have been able to easily forget that I am sharing my special day with a Hallmark-induced holiday.

However, this year was a little different. My birthday chose the one year I'm working in the service industry to fall on a Sunday, aka Mother's Day--the busiest day of the year for Melbourne restaurants, and the day that they need all hands on deck. Sigh. So this year was a lesson in humility, as I worked a seven-hour shift and served food and smiles to everyone else who was being honored for their special day. And I even kept my mouth shut about it being my birthday! Though I was tempted to go up to each table and let them know that they were being served by a birthday girl, I swallowed that particular disastrous inclination and just quietly served food. Who's proud? I know I am.

Of course, Will made my day special, too. He knew that I was going to be working all day so he got up early and made me pancakes and gave me a beautiful gift card for a massage (yay!), and reminded me that we were going out to celebrate the next night. We went to a steakhouse right around the corner from us, Squires Loft Steakhouse, and it was pretty fantastic. I mean, not quite Flemings (but then what is? Mac'n cheese, hello!), but definitely a good steak!

So all in all it was a great birthday, a fabulous birthweek, and one amazing birthmonth (hello Indonesia!). I declare the Oz version of Kim Fest a success! And lucky me... I have another few years before I have to deal with my birthday falling on Mother's Day again. Hopefully I'll be out of the service industry again by that time???