Happy, Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Me... and to You

Hey kids,

I don't know if the above claim is true or not, but it's the opening line of chapter 14 of Annie Proulx's "The Shipping News."

Don't know why that line set off a storm inside my head seven or so years ago when I was casting about for a name for the unborn Jakob. Maybe because I'm a Pisces, maybe because I've lived large portions of my life on or about the water and have ocean in my blood, no matter how high into the high desert or mountains I retreat.

So Jakob wound up being a Jakob, and I was sad that such a great name had to go to waste. But lo and behold, I got my girl, and named you Wavy. The whole "Waverly" thing is a cover story. Something palatable for the masses. Your real name is WAVY, and sad as it sounds, you have never been to the ocean.

That's all gonna change somewhere on or about March 12, 2010. My birthday is the 13th, and my present to myself is to take you for your inaugural trip to the ocean.

I'm taking my vacation that week, and we are all off to Fort Bragg, Calif. for a cold, foggy, relaxing week of beachcombing, whale watching, redwood hiking and other birthday mayhem. Oh, and Glass Beach.

It's a mecca for sea glass collectors. It's a wonder that there's any left; I've been there at least three times and have hauled away bags full of the stuff. Officially, visitors are not allowed to take anything away, but...



... this particular batch of sea glass from Glass Beach has been sitting on various desks or window sills of mine for 15 or so years.

Speaking of birthdays, Wavy, I never got to share your birthday photos from way back in 2009, so let me do that here real quick:


Your cake.


Grrrrl's Day Out began with lunch at Josef's Vienna Restaurant and Bakery. We got Raspberry Chocolate Mini-Cake to go and ate it at Bartley Ranch Park.


The cornerstone of Grrrrl's Day Out was a trip to the egregiously overpriced Build-A-Bear, where you Built-A-Panda and dressed her up suspiciously like yourself.

Anyway, to bed. Dreams of gyring and gimbling in the wabes. Love you. Polar Bear Swim tomorrow! As spectators, not participants.