Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Happy Verday

Hullo.

It's my birthday.

You may be wondering what I'll be up to this evening. I believe Ver will be enjoying a swanky dinner in the city tonight, you might think. Or perhaps she'll be at an intimate fête with her inner circle. Maybe she will indulge in a spree of the shopping kind.

Those are fine guesses, my little birds. But I'm afraid you're not even close. For tonight...tonight I am in charge of Math Night at R & V's school.

Semi-groan.

The good news, though, is that I finally succeeded in putting the thing together (3 teachers, 2 translators, 8 parent volunteers, 2 student volunteers!). The bad news, of course, is that a cursory look at the school calendar showed that this was the only logical night on which to have it. And so we will postpone the revelry (which, after all, will really just amount to fulfilling my fervent and long-standing desire to eat fish tacos in Half Moon Bay) 'til the weekend.

Did I tell you I'm reading Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières? I am terribly drawn to his writing, to the unabashedly Garcia Marquez-ness of it, the lushness, the mourning. At the end of Chapter 5, we read this from the character of Drousoula:

I am just an old woman in exile, I have no education, I am ugliness personified, but if I could break open my ribs with my bare hands, I would show you that I have a heart grown huge with love, and grief, and memory.

And these seem like fine words to read on one's birthday. Because at the end of it all, there doesn't seem like much more to ask from life than a heart grown huge with love, and grief, and memory.

So, yes, this is a happy verday. Diet Pepsi and lumpia for everyone!

23 comments:

bjanepr said...

happy birthday ms. ver. have a beautiful (so rainy!) day. and now i'm intrigued by this book; wish i had an attention span.... :-)

Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor said...

Hippapy Bithudidy! (As Pooh Bear would say)

Tonight is Science Fair night at our school as well as Reconicilliation....there's a tie in there somewhere (forgive me Father for my child's project became unweildy, necessitating the installation of a new power conduit, three astronomy grade mirrors, and a 40 piece mariachi band...)

I hope your night is as stress free as possible and that you get a chance to enjoy your birthday soon!

j-ro said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VER! Yes, have lots of diet pepsi... it balances out the oiliness of the lumpia.

A. D. said...

happy happy verday!

rcloenen-ruiz said...

Happy Birthday, Ver.

ver said...

Oh, you lovelies. Thank you!

profile said...

feliiizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!

nother time, felizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

nother, oh.

h-bday, doll!!!!

OBermeo said...

feliz cumpleaños, dear lady

when i get to the bay- the first scoop of mitchell's is on me!

ygcldwk! (child speak for- praise your god and pass the ice cream cake!)

ver said...

Well, lookeee here: two fine fellas from New York. Thank you both!

ob, you better bring the sunshine with you; I think this is like our 457th day of rain...

Anonymous said...

Happy Bday! I thought i was gonna be all sly and break the bday news on your blog and lo and behold! You've outed yourself!
Have loads and loads of fun this weekend!

Ian Rosales Casocot said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Ver!

:)

ver said...

Thanks Ian! Thanks Kuya! Extra lumpia for you, since you're my brother and all...

Tracey said...

Happiest Birthday! Math night?? WTF?

However, the book you are reading is of extraordinary lushness, I'll be eager to hear what you thought if it upon finishing...

cornshake said...

please tell me you will at least be wearing those wonderful feather shoes for math night/your birthday!

happy math and the promise of fishtacos,
A

ver said...

Thank you oh mighty women of the East Coast! I did not wear my feather shoes for math night, but I do believe feather shoes and fish tacos will make a good match...

Jean Vengua said...

Belated happy birthday, dear Ver!

ver said...

Thanks Jean! OKIR is much missed...

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you call it Verday.

Strike that. I can believe it because you're smarter than me and skipped 6th grade.

It was also PQIs bday on Sunday. I actually went to Half Moon Bay to celebrate but had no fish tacos. Just whiskey and beer. And I learned about Cougars.

I like those words "a heart grown huge with love, and grief, and memory". Throw adobo in there somewhere, and that about takes care of it.

Happy Verday Ate Ver Smarty Pants Skipper of Grades.

ver said...

Thanks Luj! Battlestar Galactica? I hope you don't love it solely for the metallic jumpsuits.

Devil's Slide is closed still, which totally effs up my Half Moon Bay plans. And, um, I didn't skip 6th grade. It was 1st grade. And it was only because I'm a superlative speller. (Though I am losing my touch as I age)

BTW, while I was still lounging around in my room this morning, I overheard the following conversation:

Vida: Remember that time we kept pulling Uncle Luj's pants?

Risa. Yeah. Remember what he said? [puts on gruff voice] "Next time remind me to wear a belt!"

Vida: He was wearing checkered underwear.

Risa: I think red checkers and grey checkers.

Vida: That was so funny.

Risa: Yeah.

Gladys said...

oh my god. i missed the verday party by, like, two days! so sorry. and so belated happy birthday/verday!!! the good thing is, the whole month is your birthday (although vermonth sounds and looks a little too much like part of a martini). let's hear it for april birthdays!

Princess Leia said...

Belated birthday wishes, prima! Hope you had a terrific day!

the last noel said...

Happy Belated!

ver said...

Thank you, dear belated ones! My youngest wanted to know how old I was, so I told her, and she gasped. Then she whispered, "Is that almost...one hundred?"

I told her yes.