Thursday, October 16, 2008

Yay. I'm old.

Today is my fortieth birthday. I guess I'm supposed to be all depressed about it and stuff, but I keep returning to two facts:

1. The health problems have nothing to do with my age, and

2. I would not re-live my teen years for a million dollars.

So, I'm having a hard time getting worked up. I did tell my mother-in-law this morning that I wish I could have the body I had at fifteen and the life experience and education I have now. She laughed and said something to the effect of "Good luck with that."

Plus, I got presents.

The husbeast got me knives. Of course he got me knives.

At the top, is a boning knife. I've been saying for years I needed a good boning knife, and that's as good a knife as I'll ever get, at the prices I'm willing to pay. (Henkel's four-star.) Chefs pay truly insane amounts for knives, into the thousands of dollars; I'm sure at that price I could get a better boning knife. But I wouldn't pay that even if I could afford it.

Below the boning knife is a backup Girl Knife. (For those unfamiliar with the concept/legend of the Girl Knife, click here.) I'm told I need another one, a Benchmade. (The husbeast says "It is a Reptilian." I assume that's the model thingie.) The other was a Spyderco. Now I am properly equipped for all pretzel-bag emergencies. (This isn't counting the rest of the knives he got me while trying to replace the original Girl Knife, or my beloved Swiss Army knife that I've had since college.)

We both agreed that knives as a fortieth birthday present was oddly appropriate.

Then, I also got more German lace-knitting patterns. You know, because I've knit through the thirty I already have.

I ordered this from Lacis myself, when it arrived, gave it unopened to the husbeast, and said "This is my birthday present." (He, no dummy, said "Okay. What did I buy you?") So today I finally got to open it up and admire the patterns. Of the two sets of German patterns I've bought from Lacis, I would say this set - with the red cover - would be the best to start off with. There is a larger/bigger variety of patterns, and some smaller doilies, for something of a learning curve. It's not all advanced to super-advanced stuff; there are a few I'd even use for teaching lace knitting, if I were to ever do that. (Anyone want a doily-knitting tutorial? Anyone?)

Then I ran out to the fabric store (my sister-in-law sews, I want to batik some fabric for her, for Christmas) and they had... ribbon... on sale.

All in all, a pretty good day.

Oh. And I got a copy of Vogue Knitting, holiday 2008. Brace yourselves. The husbeast was actually laughing at my palpable disgust when I flung it on the floor last night.



In other news, I may be raising an artiste. The other day, the Goob drew this:

She says it's a mosquito bite. Now, if you skip the literal interpretation and go with how a mosquito bite FEELS... well, I'm pretty impressed, really.

17 comments:

amy said...

Happy Birthday!! When we go out to breakfast, we go to a place that has a pretty wide clientele, including the local university students. One morning we were there and four college girls slunk in, in sweats, all bleary at 11 am, and I told my husband, "You couldn't pay me to be 21 again." Ugh. Just the thought of it...

Barbara said...

Yay! Happy 40th!! I've loved my 40s the most; I'd go back any day. Knives are excellent presents. I love my tiny Swiss Army on my keyring. That's exactly how a mosquito bite feels. Wow, you're going to have fun keeping up with her. I always hoped I could run just fast enough to stay ahead of our kids, but I'm afraid you might have fallen behind already. Happy Birthday!!!

deirdre said...

Happy Birthday!!

Rose Red said...

Happy Birthday! I'm so with you on the teens - I totally wouldn't go back there - unless I could keep what I know now.

I've only seen the internet previews, but so far I'm liking Vogue's holiday edition way more than IK's. Look forward to the review (as always).

Bells said...

Oh happy birthday! 1968 was clearly a great year since I know so many great people turning 40 this year (Sean included).

A great boning knife is a thing to be treasured. Write up how it goes.

I have only one lace knitting book. I want more. Like yours.

Have a fabulous day!

RobynR said...

Happy Birthday!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday.

I am loving my 40's. Much more than my 30's. I can only hope that the 50's are as good.

I agree with the Goob. That is how bites feel.

pam

April said...

Happy, Happy Birthday, Julie!

It's also my boyfriend's birthday today. I guess all the good people are born in October.

Am I the only one that read your new lace book as "Kunt Stricken"? Now there's a word for you.

Anonymous said...

hippo birdy two ewes...

hippo birdy two ewes...

hippo birdy, but not for goober...

(not today anyway....)

hippo birdy two ewes!

Anyone here remember the Paula Boynton cards from the 1980's that all us teens thought were so cool? Anybody? (The above version of Happy Birthday came from one of those cards.)

I'm 42. The 40's are soo much cooler than the teens or early 20's.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday!

roxie said...

Hippo birdy two ewes! You were born the year I graduated from highschool. I thought, when I turned fourty, I would have to wear twin sets and pearls and be demure, and I was pretty bummed by it all. Then, the day after my birthday, I was rushing out of the library wearing turquoise jeans, a t-shirt that said, "Let got of my ears. I know what I'm doing." printed upside down on the back, and a levi jacket embroidered with goldfish whenI saw that woman wearing the twinset and pearls. And it wasn't me! somehow, it has freed me from birthday depression ever after. The next decade will be filled with revelations.

Anonymous said...

Anyone want a doily-knitting tutorial? Anyone?....me,me,me! You are on my DAILY blog gottahaveitlikeIneedcoffee list.
Happy, happy birthday! You are making MANY people here in IN laugh as I retell the bwoken butt story.
Happy Knitter

Anonymous said...

my late father claimed it was bad luck to give/get knives as gifts and insisted on "paying" a penny apiece for them. (surprise the husbeast w/2 cents. what could it hurt?)

on the other hand, the catchphrase in my kids' longtime fave film, "surf ninjas," was "money can't buy knives." my kids are in mid-20s now, and that line still crops up occasionally.

happy birthday from someone 24 years ahead of you -- life may not "begin at 40," but there's a lot to be said for the perspective that a thinking person like you acquires by that age.

celebrate good times --- come ON! (do-do-do-doot-do-do-doo)

Tina - omme i London said...

Happy 40th - oh, and that's not old at all (says she, who turned 40 some months back...) :)

Alwen said...

I think I was 38 when I started saying "I'm old enough to know better and young enough to do it anyway."

(I spent all of 37 telling people "I'm not old: I'm 37!")

I got (myself) shiny pointy stabby things for my birthday, too: Knit Picks dpns in the 2.5 and 3.0 mm sizes, two sets of each. Ting!

I'd say the Goob is right, and that must be the bite right there in the middle, eh?

Amy Lane said...

Happy Birthday ! (Late--I'm sorry I picked this week to start missing posts!) I love the fact that you get a girl-knife for your birthday--there's a good husbeast!

Brewgal said...

Yay 40! Congratulations and Happy Birthday!