MSGID: 1:153/757.0 fcd633e8   
   REPLY: 1:135/392 429818a7   
   TZUTC: -0700   
   CHRS: LATIN-1 2   
   > I've only made a big deal of my birthday five times.   
   > The first was when I turned 13 (a teenager!) 16 (drivers license!), 18   
   > (on my own!), 21 (full adult!) and 66 (retired!).  Otherwise they were just   
   > another day.   
      
   You don't retire at 65 there? I thought you retired, but were pulled back in,   
   & are now planning to retire again soon?   
      
   I've only had two real birthday acknowledgements -- Age 19, when my   
   girlfriend  was planning a surprise party, but I blew it by predicting the   
   date, time, &  location, 5 days ahead of it.   
      
   Then at 40 when another girlfriend(ok, we were too old for those particular    
   labels, but you get my drift) took me across the street to the pub; tried to    
   have them give me a cake she'd brought, but they forbade that, then when she    
   began taking photos of me, they balked & pointed out that it's actually   
   illegal to use a camera in a drinking establishment here  (I'm blaming married   
   cheater  pols who are afraid of facts creating election-painful scandals)   
      
   I wasn't happy with service that day at all -- the waitress pent her time    
   mugging for tips to a group of loud 20-something "bros" whom she could flirt    
   her way into bigger tips -- smart enough to realize a guy on a date with his    
   woman isn't open to this but not smart enough to realize I was a regular    
   customer with a memory.   
      
   But I was still touched that someone took the time to plan some t hing for my    
   birthday. That same year (of turning 40) whenever a mate asked what I wanted,   
   I said lunch out for AYCE Japanese at my favourite joint -- got a few of   
   those  that week!  Now it's just routine, acknowledged with a greeting & card,   
   but  mostly only by Facebook messages in response to FB telling them it was   
   my  birthday that day..    
      
   I'm fine, but I'm demanding a big deal when I hit 100, & every 50 years after!   
      
   --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-6   
    * Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)   
   SEEN-BY: 1/123 15/0 19/38 50 90/1 105/81 106/201 633 987 120/340 123/131   
   SEEN-BY: 124/5014 5016 129/305 330 331 130/330 153/7715 218/700 226/30   
   SEEN-BY: 227/114 229/110 111 112 206 307 317 400 424 426 428 452 470   
   SEEN-BY: 229/664 700 266/512 280/464 282/1038 292/854 317/3 320/219   
   SEEN-BY: 322/757 342/200 387/25 26 396/45 460/58 633/280 712/848   
   PATH: 153/757 280/464 396/45 229/426