Full of hot air

I really should comment on my birthday past (despite it’s being a week and a half gone). It’s one of those celebrations that as you get older, they really have less significance. A recent discussion with friends collaborated on a general conclusion about birthdays. They’re a big deal until you’re 30, then you go by decades until you’re 60, then you revert back to celebrating each 5 years until you’re 80, then every year you just celebrate being alive. So, I have inevitably fallen into the decade category and hence don’t really feel the need to celebrate. Ironically enough, all my friends felt differently, and I received more international packages then ever before, along with several extremely funny e-cards. Of course, I can not discuss this event without mentioning the extreme preparation taken by Jason for this day. Highly suspicious for the week leading to this event, discussing “stuff he had to do for stuff”, I became increasing suspicious until I found a small piece of burst balloon on the floor. Inquiring Jason as to the origin, he smugly replied he knew nothing about it. However, I realize this was only an impetus for further preparation. For when I woke on Saturday, and summoned downstairs, I was greeted by 150 self-inflated balloons strewn on the floor. He figured that even if my friends couldn’t make it for the celebration, I still desired a party. I have now learned that I should never question a kiwi boy about blowing up a dozen balloons, because it will quickly escalate to 150.

As has been my tradition now for the past two years, I decided to celebrate by putting my body through three months of training for two hours of running glory at the Taupo half marathon. Again, one of those flickering thoughts that seem good at the start, but quickly looses its appeal as the training runs become longer. Still, I was determined to beat my previous time and make my two hour goal. Unfortunately, the wind had different thoughts and presented itself full force into my body for the entire second half, causing the miss of my goal achievement by a mere ten minutes. Oh well. At least I still had 150 balloons at home to celebrate my accomplishment.