Today I’m officially 30 and a half. In my family, we always celebrated half birthdays with the same aplomb as regular birthdays. Part of the reason was for the milestone, and part was because what other better reason is there to have a cake in July? (Or March and April for my all fall-born family.) We took the half birthday so seriously that one March 25 when I was in college, my mom called to chastise me for not calling my sister to wish her a happy 18 and a half.
But after a while, the allure of celebrating half birthdays kind of fell away, and I went most of my 20′s without a proper half-birthday party. I think tonight’s going to be cakeless as well, mostly because my refined-sugar-free July is actually succeeding. I am planning on treating myself to some Thai food for dinner (I’ve been planning it for a week!) and maybe, just maybe, I’ll treat myself to half a Tofutti for dessert, not because a whole Tofutti would be too much, but because it is tradition to have only half a treat for the half birthday.
On this day of half-assed reflection, I find myself asking myself if myself feels older and wiser. The answer: not really. But I did notice a tiny wrinkle on my face while trying to fix my contact lens in the car this morning. And I made what I consider a wise decision on how to deal with that: never look at my reflection in natural light ever again.
And, it turns out that as I get older, I never stop learning. In fact, I most recently learned about traffic light sensors. Being a generally observant person, I know that some traffic lights are triggered by the presence of a car. But being a generally slow-on-the-uptake person, I never knew how the sensor worked. This was especially frustrating because when I ride my bike home from work, I have to turn left out of the parking lot, and I couldn’t get the traffic light to turn for me on my little bike. All these years, I thought that the sensor was on the light itself, like the motion detector for the spotlight outside my house.
But you know, that’s not how it works. The sensor’s actually in the pavement, as I learned from this Wiki How that coincidentally was the featured Wiki how the day after I ran a red light with my bike and almost got hit by an oncoming car because I was tired of waiting to go left.
Ever since I learned about the Di-pole loops and the Diagonal Quadruple, I’m now kind of obsessed with looking for them in the pavement, and mentally logging which traffic lights have them and which ones don’t. And if you didn’t already know this fascinating fact, you’re welcome, and may you be 6 months older and wiser, too.
Addendum: speaking of July 11, happy birthday, FDP! I’ll never forget it, being this lovely milestone that we share. Hope you’re enjoying Switzerland today!
Addendum 2: Alluded to in my last post, my cat Micki was sick. She spent all Wednesday night sneezing, and then she hacked up something nasty, and then she wouldn’t come to bed, and in the morning, she was cowering behind the television stand, and wouldn’t eat breakfast. But when I came home from lunch, she was bouncy and happy and whiny again, just like her usual self. I honestly believe that it was a catnip overdose. I’ve been nipping up the cats in an attempt to make them get along better, and it’s possible that Micks just had too much. Just say no, kitty, just say no.
Posted by 3carnations on July 11, 2008 at 9:36 am
Celebrating half birthdays – That’s great. We used to do that for my dad because his birthday is so close to Christmas.
My half birthday is on Groundhog Day!
Posted by Hope on July 11, 2008 at 10:14 am
Natural light is the worst! Especially in cars. I’ll look in the mirror before I leave the house and it’s all: “I look aiiight!” and then I get in the car, go to look in the mirror on the visor and then it’s all: “YIKES!”
Posted by lizgwiz on July 11, 2008 at 10:23 am
Happy half birthday!
I used to drive a tiny little Suzuki Samurai, and there was an intersection right by my house with one of these pavement triggers and my car just wouldn’t trigger it. I’d sit there waiting to turn left forever, and it wouldn’t turn green until someone came up behind me. I tried stopping in slightly different places, more to the left, more to the right, etc., and finally just changed my route to work.
Posted by Deb on the Rocks on July 11, 2008 at 11:07 am
Happy Half Birthday. I’m all about the half birthdays. But don’t worry, you get a whole cupcake. Two or three if you want. With sprinkles.
I think I’ll have one in your honor!
Posted by Kristabella on July 11, 2008 at 11:43 am
Happy Half Birthday!
One time my cat was all weird and lethargic and then she peed on her little cat bed. So I took her to the vet thinking something was wrong. Nothing was wrong. She’s just a bitch.
Posted by Adorable Girlfriend on July 11, 2008 at 11:52 am
Wow, I want to be in your family. People think AG gets all crazy on her full birthday, AG cannot even imagine a 1/2!!
Enjoy the Thai food goodliness.
Posted by cadiz12 on July 11, 2008 at 11:52 am
hope you have a great half birthday! mine is on Valentine’s Day, so it sort of gets usurped by all the flowers-and-candy hoopla that goes on that day.
Posted by Pants on July 11, 2008 at 11:56 am
Happy half birthday!
My cat doesn’t know when to say no – so I had to put an end to the cat food buffet implemented by my parents.
Posted by The Modern Gal on July 11, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I totally respect you and your family for taking the half-birthday as seriously as it should be taken. You should have half of the mystery bouquet.
Posted by apollocreed on July 11, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Did you know that cockroaches can live for 9 days after their heads have been cut off?
No? Now you have learned something else.
Posted by nancypearlwannabe on July 11, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Happy half! I was 29 and a half in May and I didn’t even realize. Now I’m closer to 30 than ever!
Posted by bing on July 11, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Happy half birthday! I knew about road sensors, but never exactly where you had to go to make them trip. Thanks for the link!
Happy weekend!
Posted by kir on July 11, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I’ve never been able to get folks on board to celebrate my half birthday (which is the Fifth of July). Many think it’s a stupid idea — then I kindly remind them that they never got me a present for my b-day because they thought that my Christmas gift counted as both. Jerks.
Happy Half Birthday!
Posted by Meghan on July 11, 2008 at 1:41 pm
What a great tradition. You must spend a lot on birthday cards though.
Posted by deutlich on July 11, 2008 at 1:47 pm
this half birthday thing is a super cute idea.
i love it
Posted by Howling Hill on July 11, 2008 at 2:22 pm
When I was a kid my birthday parties often got snowed out because I was born in the full-assed cold month of January. I begged my mother to celebrate my birthday in July but she wouldn’t hear of it.
Happy half-bday, Noelle. And many half more!
Posted by alexa on July 11, 2008 at 2:29 pm
you are never to old to celebrate half birthdays noelle!!! drink one for me tonight
Posted by Dingo on July 11, 2008 at 2:42 pm
So glad Micki is feeling better.
Happy Half-Birthday! I never get tired of birthdays. And cake. I don’t think I’d be able to stop at half a treat though. That takes willpower.
Have a drink tonight on me! And send me the other half.
Posted by Allie on July 11, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Happy Half-Birthday! Your family is so freaking cool.
Posted by jennifer on July 12, 2008 at 1:30 am
I ALWAYS get a laugh when I come here. Always.
*note to self* get huge refined sugar eating ass over here more often
Happy Half!
Jen
Posted by Abby on July 12, 2008 at 7:41 am
I thought the traffic sensors were on the traffic lights too, until an engineer I was dating explained them to me. Then I wanted to explain them to everyone, especially the drivers who manage to stop at a light but not over a circle in the pavement. Happy half!
Posted by supersobe on July 12, 2008 at 7:50 am
H p y i t d y
Or something like that.
YAY!
Posted by Aaron on July 12, 2008 at 11:45 am
As I was looking in the mirror at work the other day, I thought I saw something on my face. After trying unsuccessfully to brush it off, I realized they were gray beard hairs.* So, yikers.
Also, I found gray chest hairs last week. Apparently I am not long for the world of youth.
* – I hadn’t shaved in like, a day; I don’t mean to imply that I grew a beard. Because yuck.
Posted by Vanessa on July 12, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I love the idea of a half birthday and may start celebrating myself, along with having my half treat!
Posted by Laurel on July 13, 2008 at 7:26 pm
My birthday is in July, so I always celebrated my half-birthday in school. Gave me a chance to bring treats and be the center of attention.
AS turned 31 on Saturday… you two are ALMOST 6 months apart!
Posted by courtney on July 13, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Your family celebrated half-birthdays? That is so awesome.
Yeah, kitty, the first step is admitting you have a problem.
Posted by Stefanie on July 13, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Happy half birthday! We used to celebrate a friend’s half-birthday in college, but that was because her birthday was in the summer, when we didn’t see her. I love that you did it every year, just because.
I knew about traffic light sensors, but I didn’t know you could SEE them! You’ve taught me something new today, Noelle! Yay.
Also, who knew cats could get hangovers? (See? Learning all sorts of stuff. Wow.)
Posted by freeandflawed on July 14, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Happy belated half birthday!
Posted by greenpam on July 16, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Ever since reading this post, and the linked page about triggering green lights, I’m obsessed with looking for these tell-tale markings. So helpful!
Posted by FDP on July 24, 2008 at 6:01 am
Thank for the B-day shout-out my friend!! And happy belated half-birthday to you
As it happens I was in India, riding an elephant on my big day…it was my idea of perfection!!