happybirthdaybigal

35 wishes

Dear Big Al,

It's Feb 22, 2013. Seven years have passed since my first birthday blog for you.

SEVEN YEARS.

It's a big birthday for you. You were still in your twenties when I started this blog. You're halfway through your thirties now. Wow!

You were married when I started this blog. Now you have an MBA. And a condo. And a new job. AND A SON.

Seven years doesn't feel like much when you reach adulthood. Work takes over, and one year melts into the next. Age differences don't matter much. You still drive the same car and listen (mostly) to the same music.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

And yet, so much has changed. Seven years ago, iPhones didn't exist. Neither did iPads. We weren't on Facebook (was anyone over the age of 18?) and we didn't follow anyone on Twitter. We didn't read e-books, and Kindle was a verb, not a product. Michael Jackson and Steve Jobs were still alive. No black man had ever been President of the United States. Amazing that these things are all normal now.

So, how should we celebrate your 35th birthday?

We could sip cocktails on a warm tropical island...

We could eat dim sum in Hong Kong...

We could have mezze for lunch in Istanbul...

When P and K are bigger, we will take them to Legoland and Harry Potter World (because we're still kids at heart, too).

But what I would really like to do is offer you 35 wishes.

1. I wish you a happy birthday

2. I wish you many happy returns

3. I wish you cake. And wine.

4. I wish you long-lasting health

5. I wish you laughter

6. I wish you never go grey

7. I wish the Giants win the World Series every year

8. I wish you gourmet meals

9. And I wish you the occasional junk food indulgence

10. I wish you win the lottery

11. But I wish you don't let the money go to your head

12. I wish you a large house with a garden and a garage and a swimming pool

13. And a guest room for your sister and her family

14. I wish you exciting travels

15. I wish you beautiful sunrises and clear, moonlit nights

16. I wish you peace and calm

17. I wish you continued curiosity and accumulated wisdom

18. I wish your wildest dreams come true (vote for Pedro!)

19. I wish you music and your own personal soundtrack

20. I wish you always experience kindness and never experience pain

21. I wish you long hours of uninterrupted sleep

22. I wish you lovely new clothes

23. And a closetful of new shoes

24. I wish you flowers and chocolate

25. I wish you success by whatever measure you choose

26. I wish you joy

27. I wish you all good things

28. I wish you adventures

29. I wish you will always know how loved you are

30. I wish you donuts

31. I wish you fun

32. I wish you never have to sit through a film as dreadful as Sex and the City 2

33. I wish you cool cars and amazing gadgets (iPhone 5!)

34. I wish I hadn't tried to think of 35 wishes

But most of all...

35. I wish you lived closer so that I could give you a big hug

I'm looking forward to spending time with you in France this summer. C'est dommage que j'ai oublié tout mon français... It was fun having a secret language when we were younger.

I hope you have a great birthday. I'm sad that I can't be in sunny California to celebrate with you, but at least we have the webcam to share smiles and a little peek into each other's lives.

Love from your big sis

Labels: birthday, celebrations

birthday blog launch

happy birthday!

love, big sis

If I Had £1,000,000

My Dearest Big Al,

I hope you enjoy your birthday present. I may not have a lot of money to spend on you, but here are some of the things I would do if I could. You're worth it!

This blog was inspired by the Barenaked Ladies song, "If I Had $1000000"... But who are we kidding? One million dollars wouldn't stretch very far in the UK, so I am amending it to one million pounds. As long as I am dreaming, DREAM BIG.

So without further ado...

If I Had One Million Pounds (GBP)

I would buy you a flat so you would be able to visit me in London more often.

I would buy you a bed for your flat, so you wouldn't have to sleep on a lumpy futon.

ikea.com

I would buy you an Old Mini...

...and a New Mini so you could zoom around town without a TravelCard.

I would buy you Persian rugs from Liberty

and rose granati lotion from Molton Brown.

I would buy you fake bling

and other trendy, shiny things.

I would buy you tasteful jewels from Swarovski and Rolex (with your very own personal assistant, courtesy of Kelly Temps).

I would buy you cosmetics from Selfridge's.

And a pair of Converse sneakers in every color
(UK translation: a pair of Converse trainers in every colour)

I would buy you a video iPod so you could entertain yourself on the long plane ride here...

...and I would pre-load it with songs like Gwen Stefani's Rich Girl.

gwen stefani

I would buy you Noro yarn and Lantern Moon knitting needles because they're just so beautiful.

I would buy you a Lego robot - isn't it cool?

And one million things from the £1 shop

And your very own SF Giants season tickets.

go giants!

I would book first class seats on the Eurostar...

eurostar

...and we could have dinner in Paris.

eiffel tower

You could keep track of everything in your new, red Filofax

(which is really what I wanted to send you for your birthday, but I just couldn't afford it. Boo hoo!)

and a Paul Smith bag to carry it in (which I really really can't afford!)

paul smith

If I had one million pounds, I would buy you all sorts of pretty things and pamper you the way you deserve to be pampered.

But I don't.

The best I can offer is my time, my thoughts, and a few laughs.

little britain

Keep a lookout for a package from amazon.com this week.

Enjoy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIG AL!

Hope 28 is a great year...

Much love,
Big Sis