Day 80 (2 August 2011) - 'It's my party...

...and I'll blog if I want to'

So, its the 2nd August.  This date means a lot to me: 

• It's the 214th day of the Gregorian calendar (215th in a leap year)
• The American Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776
• The US invaded Iraq in 1990
• It marks the birthdays of Wes Craven, Edward Furlong, Peter O'Toole, Sam Worthington, Alan Whicker, Donna Air
• ...and me!

As I turn 31...ok....35...oh, alright 37 (typing that makes me physically shudder), it seems like a good time to re-evaluate me as a person and what I've achieved in the 36 years that have gone before.  Of course, I could fill several blogs with all the detail (more in hope than expectation), but I'm already taking up too much of your time, so let me summarise it for you:

1. I've lived in Cambridge, Nottingham and London
2. I've got 9 GCSEs, 3 A'Levels, a Combined Hons. Degree in Humanities, 25% of a CIM Diploma in Marketing (with a further 50% to be added next week, fingers crossed), a clean Driving Licence, a Virgin Employee of the Year award (East Anglia Region), five Marathon finisher medals (3x London, 2 x Paris) and membership of the Tufty club.
3. I've worked at Sainsbury's, Virgin Records and Macmillan Cancer Support
4. I've never been married, have no children but have three nephews, one niece and three Godchildren
5. I've had ribs broken twice, my nose broken twice and my heart broken once
6. I've been on the TV four times, the radio c. 20 times and have met three members of the Royal Family.
7. I've been to Ireland, Spain, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa, Tanzania, Morocco, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Mongolia
8. I got fat, then thin, then fat again, then thin again, then fat again, then thin again and am now heading upwards scale-wise
9. I didn't eat pasta until I was 19, Chinese until 24, a brussel sprout until 30 and still won't go near an olive, strong cheese or offal

...and that's me really!  It doesn't look a great deal on paper, but there are people who have done less.

However, it's 12.27pm on my birthday and in those twelve hours I've received 9 cards,  5 phone calls, 13 texts and 20 Facebook messages and am looking forward to spending a lovely evening with 9 of my closest friends.  This may read like a mere list of numbers, but this tells me that my 36 years on this planet have been richer, more fulfilling and more valuable than words could possibly describe.

Thank you :-)