How To Turn 51

I think this will be my first birthday in my entire life that I haven't made a plan for what to do. I think the birthday in that picture may have been the last one I didn't plan, or maybe I planned that one too. Mom was telling me the other day how odd (and easy) it was for her that she would come home from work one day and I would tell her that I was going to need potato chips and onion dip and a birthday cake. Of course she would always suggest ice cream, because she was old school and thought cake should be served with ice cream, but I never got that. Cake and ice cream together always seemed sort of redundant to me.
~
I always gave her at least a week's notice. And there was nothing she could do to stop this train because by the time I gave her my list, I had already invited everyone. To me, my birthday was A BIG DEAL. Always a big deal. It was like Christmas, but all about me. And with cake (but not ice cream).
~
I have many, many great memories of my birthdays past and I imagine that's because I always did make it a big deal. Heck, I think I spent about 18 months planning my last birthday. That's why it's so weird that I have nothing planned for this year. I was in Dominican Republic one year, on the local news (in Greensboro, N.C.) one year, at the beach with three girlfriends one year, camping with friends and family one year, watching the U.S. Olympic beach volleyball players in a tournament one year....and so much more.
~
So why have I run out of things to do? Was I born with a 50 birthday limit? Am I just too preoccupied with going to the beach in May? Have I lost my creative spark? Did I just become dull and boring? Maybe I just can't figure out how to turn 51.