Friday Five: Birthday, Redux

Yours truly had a birthday this week, and while we've done the birthday thing before, I'm going to do my best to come up with new questions...

1. "It's my party and I'll [blank] if I want to..."
Favorite way to celebrate your birthday (dinner with family? party with friends? a day in solitude?)
Definitely a dinner with family and friends. No presents, just good food, good beer/wine, good conversation, maybe some music, and a sober ride home afterwards. Couldn't get any better than that.

2. "You say it's your birthday... it's my birthday too, yeah..."
Do you share your birthday with someone famous? (Click here to find out!)
Karl Marx, Brian Williams and, I had to giggle at this, Tina Yothers.

3. "Lordy Lordy look who's forty..."
Milestone birthdays:
a) just like any other birthday--they're just numbers, people.
b) a good opportunity to look back/take stock
c) enjoy the black balloons--I'll be hiding under a pile of coats until the day is over
d) some combination of the above, or something else entirely.
Not having reached 40 yet, I'd honestly have to say B. That may change in 8 years.

4. "Happy birthday, dear... Customer..."
Have you ever been sung to in a restaurant? Fun or cringe-worthy?
The worst punishment any sadistic restaurant can force on its employees. Somehow it always sounds like the staff singing to the boss in Office Space. I've told family and friends that if we ever go to a restaurant and they start singing the Birthday song to me, I'll walk out of the place. I mean it. Let me celebrate in peace and I'll even tip you better afterwards if you don't pretend to care.

5. "Take my birthday--please"
Tell me one advantage and one disadvantage about your particular birthday (e.g. birthday in the summer--never had to go to school; birthday near Christmas--the dreaded joint presents)
EDITED TO ADD: This could also simply be something you like/dislike about your birthday (e.g. I like sharing a birthday with my best friend, etc.).
Well, considering I look about as Mexican as Benny Hill, sharing Cinco de Mayo is less than great. But really, no complaints. I get about halfway to Christmas and then I get presents, the weather is usually nice enough to grill some mean cow, and I don't have to dodge holiday commitments. What's not to like?

LATER EDIT: I can't believe I forgot to mention that my birthday usually fell during spring semester finals week. Actually, I can believe that, because I remember so little about those birthdays. My 21st birthday was Friday of Finals week when I lived with Cousin Eddie, one of the hardest-drinking people I know. He and a few friends took me out for the obligatory bar crawl, back in the day when Lincoln bars still gave away free drinks on your birthday. I do remember drinking my first stout that night (not a good combination drink), wasting everyone's time at the strip bar because I was embarrassed (still would be) and getting into a Citron-slamming contest to close out the night at the "Band" bar, P.O. Pears. I have not touched a drop of Jack Daniels since most of the shots I drank that night ended up on the curb outside of my friend Erik's apartment. What didn't end up on the curb ended up in my trashcan the next morning. Now I've traded that experience for Synod Assembly. Funny how my head winds up aching either way...