I turned 41 on Friday. Hubby John was having a hard time with the nausea associated with his treatment – so we haven’t done anything at all to celebrate. My gramma sent a card and so did my friend Sharon, and I got wonderful calls from my mom, my brothers, and my uncle. My friends Bev and Carol and Kate called. Bev sent me a really beautiful Indian tablecloth all in white, red and green. Carol sent a flyswatter with a big fake daisy on it, and a little box with a Klimt reproduction on the cover, and one of her signature cakes – which is all John will eat, even today. I got a bunch of ecards and notes from friends online, and two of my groups even made special birthday pages for me.

I really had no reason to feel so sorry for myself – especially since I’m really bad about remembering other people’s birthdays – but it didn’t stop me.

I moped around most of the day, taking care of house and home – but after everyone went to sleep, I had a couple of Hornsby ciders and watched “Love Actually.” I had been saving it, and it was worth the wait. What a terrific movie! I laughed, I cried, I completely enjoyed it.

Then, at about 1:20 or so, I flipped through the stations and landed on one of those late late shows just as Dinosaur Jr. was about to play. I nearly had a heart attack. When I was in college, my boyfriend was their manager for a while. They had all grown up together in Amherst, and I knew them when they were still Dinosaur. My friend Artie (who I would dearly love to hear from again) was the face they used for the sun on one of the album covers. Yes, it was still albums then.

They busted up sometime in the late 80’s. I was shocked that they were kicking off a reunion tour – not least because of what I had heard through the grapevine about the troubles of my favorite of the guys – Pat Murphy, the drummer. Then, an even bigger shock – J Mascis appeared to have bleached his hair blonde! Carol had told me that he had gone grey, and I was hoping to see those long grey locks – not some Garth-attack! I couldn’t even see his face – only the edges of his glasses. It may have been a postmodern parody, but the song was not recognizable. It seemed to me that J missed a cue, maybe even most of the song. I could just imagine hearing that familiar refrain after a set – J shaking his head and saying “we fu**ing sucked.”

In all these years, this was supposedly their first television appearance (I’m not sure that’s true). I don’t think J ever liked me much, and I didn’t really even get to know Lou. Pat was the one who talked with me. Still, it was somehow like seeing old friends – I was filled with affection for all of them. I hope the tour is fantastic, and that they come to Atlanta. It would drag me out of the house if anything would.

After all, it was a pretty decent birthday present.