Time won't stand by forever

When I was in high school, I loved the song "29" by the Gin Blossoms, for some reason. My best friend at the time had the CD, and I'd asked her to include it on a mix tape she was making for me, but she didn't, and I was super pissed. I was kind of a bratty adolescent, now that I think of it.

Anyway, today I turned 29, which is for some reason a little tricky for me. I guess I feel as though there's a lot of pressure to get stuff done before I turn 30, and now the clock is really ticking. And it's also sort of been hitting me that life is short.

So today, rather than go to work and attend a bunch of meetings that I really probably shouldn't have missed, I spent the day with my mom, bookended by quality time with the Smelmooo and Tucker, and I wouldn't have changed a thing about it.

The Smelmooo, Tucker and I stayed up until midnight so I could open my presents, and they both gave me beautiful birthday cards.

Today, my mom and I went into the city to see Martin Short's new show, Fame Becomes Me, which was pretty good. My favorite part was when he was in character as Jiminy Glick and brought up an audience member (this afternoon, a guy named Herb) and did an improv segment with him. There was also a song called (or that should've been called) "Big Titties," which the Smelmooo would've loved, but during which I could not make eye contact with my mother.

We tried to go to lunch at this French restaurant where the Smelmooo and I had gone with Seth and Leslie (happy healing, Seth! We're thinking of you!!), only to find that it's being gutted for renovation. I think I have been tapped with some kind of restaurant-closing curse. So instead, we went to John's Pizza, where I'd never been and which I found to be super-yummy.

We walked around the city; we chatted on the train; we just had a lovely, easy day together.

And I came home to find that the Smelmooo had put our new coffee table together, and we ate extraordinary Thai food for dinner, followed by Carvel.

And it was absolutely perfect. Tucker is hanging out at our feet, the Smelmooo and I are catching up on The Closer, and life is awfully good.

When I first heard the Gin Blossoms song, I don't think I could've even fathomed what 29 would feel like, where I'd be. Probably I thought I'd be married with a handful of kids, maybe I'd be an English teacher, but mostly I just thought I'd be old.

But today, I don't feel old -- I just feel lucky, and loved, and incredibly happy.