The Origin of the Cupcake Countdown List

I love my birthday. Really. Love. My. Birthday. Always have. (Anyone who has known me for five full minutes knows how utterly ridiculous I am about it.) I am completely baffled by people who say things like "I'm not having any more birthdays" or "It's no big deal- just another day".

WHAT? The day that the world was graced with your presence is definitely a day that is worthy of CAKE. (Preferably with buttercream frosting.) Seriously, people...this is the one day of the year when people actually will light something on fire in your honor! This is good stuff. Not to be missed. In fact, it is my firm belief that a birthday should be celebrated for a minimum of one week, if at all possible.

A birthday is the one day out of the whole year that is really all about You. And there is no need to apologize for that. You were, after all, born. (Thanks, Mom & Dad.) And you are still here, right? You've made it this far in life, another year along, and that, my friends, is reason enough for a celebration. All the people in your life who care for you have a chance to say that they are glad you are journeying with them... with funny cards, fun little presents, lunches out (preferably including a delicious dessert), and much ado in general.

I think as you get older, there is all the more reason to celebrate your birthday. A birthday is a perfect opportunity to look back on all those years past in which you have been growing and learning - to stop and appreciate where you have been and who has been there along the way. And a chance to look forward to where you are headed - and make adjustments to your course. In my humble opinion, a birthday, even more so than New Year's, is a great time to stop and evaluate your life.

And so, on the eve of my 38th birthday, (which is today, by the way) I peered ahead to the big 4-0h my gosh! looming out there like a giant balloon bouquet and thought maybe it was time for a little evaluation of my own...in between the cake, presents, and other related fanfare.

We all have that mental list...that one that niggles in the back of our minds...the one of all the things that we would like to do -"One Day"... "Someday"- if we ever had the time, or the energy, or the...whatever. I decided that before I got to 40 I wanted to bring that list to life. I only had two rules: a) the items had to be able to be accomplished realistically in the time before my 40th birthday, and b) I had to REALLY want to do whatever it was on the list. (Not WANT TO want to do them...and you know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you?)

So, after much lengthy explanation, here it is (see left)...my Cupcake Countdown List. My master plan is to blog about each item as I go along the list, in no particular order whatsoever...and provide some (hopefully) humorous and thought-provoking commentary on my quest to get everything done before October 8, 2011. I welcome your encouragement, your thoughts, even your sarcasm (you know who I'm talking to) along the way. And at the end there will be an uncommonly spectacular birthday celebration! I am excited about this experiment, and I hope you will come along for the ride! (There will be cake!)

So Happy Birthday to Me...and Wish Me Luck!