It happens once a year like Easter or Christmas, but earlier!
Another year less newer than the year before. I think I lost the new car smell long ago and am acquiring an odor something more reminiscent of my father.
I will spend the rest of 2009 as 44 I guess. “Be 44 in ’09” is this year’s slogan. It was going to be “Save the Earth until You’re Green” , but I don’t think that’s as catchy … or has any significance for other people.
44: it’s not a bad thing … or a good thing … it’s just a thing like that funny Volkswagen car, the rock guy in the Fantastic Four, and the monster in some John Carpenter movie. (I forget the name of that movie all the time)
My friends really outdid themselves this year!

They came over to my place on the evening of January 4th.

We did the big countdown with the clock on my Ferris wheel like we usually do.

We lit off a few fireworks: a couple of screechers, a pack of sparklers, and a roman candle … from Rome I guess!

My friends gave me a birthday cake that looked like a street scene. I guess they were making up for last year’s cake that looked suspiciously like a cupcake. They put on a candle for every day I’ve been more or less alive too!

Then we looked at a picture of Yokohama’s downtown area.

In the morning, some of my other friends came to wish me happy birthday.

Kelly Pettit showed up in the hat I bought him for Christmas.

My friends rented Meiji Shrine in Tokyo for the occasion. I guess they didn’t want a repeat of my bad Cheap Trick karaoke from last year’s birthday at the Budokan.

Everyone threw money in to the big white area and made wishes for my health and junk like that. The policeman wore a visor so he didn’t get coined in the face. I don’t get any of the money though: it all goes to “The Charity For People Who Need Money So They Can Donate To Charity Too“.

Here’s what it looked like from the side. If the policeman heard change jingling in pockets, he sent the people back into the crowd again until they didn’t jingle anymore.
And that was all that happened. If I’m lying may G… Ow!
note: I was going to list a bunch of other famous people who are 44 or were at one time, but that kind of stuff changes from day to day … and probably would be more than 100 names.
double note: past 14 birthdays; after that it gets a bit foggy.
2008: work
2007: went to an “all you can eat” meat restaurant in Brazil and then had ice cream afterwards.(also in Brazil)
2006: on a long distance bus trip with hemorrhoids in Argentina. (I had the hemorrhoids, not the bus)
2005: work
2004: work
2003: work
2002: work
2001: work
2000: in England at my buddies place; He even gave me a Wallace and Gromit cake with those little sheep on it!!
1999: work
1998: drunk in Indonesia
1997: drunk in Thailand
1996: drunk in New Zealand
1995: probably sober and in Victoria, Canada I think! (in Victoria, Canada for sure)
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