Everyone in my neighborhood is turning 50 (50 year old gifts and Pinterest research)

This year has been a year for my friends turning 50. It started in February with my friend Colleen – and now that I’m thinking about it, I think I may have forgotten to get her a present. I kinda suck. Anyhow when we were all talking about her birthday, I argued with her that it could not be 50 because she’s 3 years older than I am and I’m not….oh my God I am, or will be (in February it was “would be” but I’m writing this in July and so already am) FORTY-SEVEN. Holy shit, so her turning 50 was really more about me realizing I’m not in my early, or early-to-mid forties, but now in my mid-to-late-forties. What the hell!

And now we’re celebrating another 50^th. A mutual friend is throwing her a party. I’m used to being in my mid-to-late-forties so it was not such a shock and I actually decided to do something creative. And by creative I mean stealing someone else’s creative idea. Because that’s MY talent – recognizing good ideas and copying them.  So I got onto Pinterest and looked up a bunch of fun ideas for birthday presents. Found a cute idea here:Imperfectly Beautiful Blog

Here’s my rendition of it. As you can see, mine looks like a hack job – but whatever, it’s the thought that counts…and any way, I added a gift certificate for a pedicure, so that really rocks.

Speaking of pedicures. I could not remember if she liked pedicures (and really who hates pedicures? I guess some people do because I recently remember being in a conversation with someone who did hate them but couldn’t remember if it was her). So I Facebook messaged her husband – who had no idea. I had the bright idea of inviting her and another friend to a girl’s day at the spa (little place next to Safeway with massage chairs with people who may or may not be licensed and who barely speak English). She said she would love to. YAY, so now I know she likes pedicures. Then she tells me, she’s only had one pedicure and that was from a gift certificate I gave her three years ago. OMG, if only I had remembered that, I wouldn’t have had to gone through this whole ruse to find out if she liked pedicures....but I needed one, terribly, and it was fun to hang with her an our other friend (oh, the one I mentioned before who turned 50 in February). So above present, hopefully will be much enjoyed by her.

I texted another friend (one who is even younger than I and really likes to remind me of it – especially when I’m showing her pictures of presents for people turning 50) a picture and said, look what I stole from Pinterest. She wrote back – not ‘stole’, ‘researched’. I love her spin on that. That’s what I’m totally going to say from now on.

Because we're like 12 and had to post our pedicures on Facebook

I got all prettied up (capris and a linen shirt – but I did put on eyeliner and a necklace so yeah, totally dressed up).  And showed up at mutual friend’s door at 5. Turns out my early onset Alzehimer’s is going to manifest itself in some weird time thing. A couple months ago I woke up in a complete panic that my husband and second born did not make it back from Grand Cayman (father son trip celebrating the younger one’s 13^th – we’re not actually Jewish, well my husband kind of is by blood, not by religion so this wasn’t a Bar mitzvah, just a nice thing we do for the kids). Anyhow, I woke up at midnight, they weren’t home yet and I had a major freak-out for about an hour until I realized they were supposed to come home that next night. A couple weeks after that, I had another freak-out that our morning meeting wasn’t going on, I texted co-worker asking if there was an issue with the conference call and she texts back, “did the meeting get moved to 0715” – I look at clock and text back ‘um, no, I’m just an idiot’. So I arrive, promptly at 5 because I like being on time, only to find out the party is at 630.

See a necklace, and I actually combed my hair. I just realized I still have Good Luck written on the chalk board in my cool command center where I'm supposed to list our weekly activities. I wrote that Good Luck and drew the dice when I hosted Bunco -- like last February. I hate those bloggers who have the cool command centers and actually use them. .... and my best friend who uses hers too, although doesn't blog it, so I don't hate her quite as much (the one who is younger and constantly reminds me of it.)

But while chatting with the hostess, I find out we’re also celebrating another 50^th  as well, sort of a last minute add on. What the hell is wrong with my neighborhood and all these people turning 50.  By the time I turn 50, no one’s going to want to celebrate any more because ‘been there, done that’.  Good news is I had time to ‘research’ another 50 year old gift and go put it together. I um ‘researched’ it from this shop on Etsy (which I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to pin...but oh well).

 And here’s my rendition – again, not as cool as the original. But whatever, it was last minute. Oh who am I kidding, I am not going to take the time to place the stickers in the most appropriate places, even if I had plenty of time, I still would have hand wrote it.

Because that’s more personal and thoughtful – yup, that’s it, I was being thoughtful, not lazy.

and here are the birthday girls -- on the left, Sherry, and the right Martha. You won't find two more lovely ladies. I'm so glad they've been a part of my life over the last 10 years.