El dia en que tu naciste
Nacieron todas la flores
El dia en que tu naciste
Cantaron los ruiseñores

Yes, today is my birthday and that is the first of many verses of the Mexican birthday song. Luckily for me, no one appeared at 3am outside my window to sing it to me.

What did I do on this 61st such day? Well, for one thing, I had a dentist appointment. It just shows you how unaware you can get about birthdays when you get old. I made this appointment, they clearly said the 13th of February and yet it didn't dawn on me until a couple days ago that it was on my birthday. So, off to the dentist again I went. Only to be saddened by the fact that it was not my last appointment but maybe my 3rd from the last.

Also, this birthday was on a Tuesday. Now in the US a Friday the 13th is considered unlucky and I was thrilled in my teenage rebellious way to have my 13th birthday on a Friday the 13th. But in Mexico, a Tuesday the 13th is the combination believed to be unlucky. There is a ditty in spanish that says to never start a voyage or anything else on a Tuesday the 13th. Phooie! I feel lucky to be here and enjoying such a wonderful life. When I was 20 something I fully believed I would not live to be 30, another one of those affectations of youth - "die young, stay pretty". Since I've more than doubled my anticipated life span, I'm feeling really lucky.

After the dentist, we went to the shopping center and I looked at every little thing in the store while Mimi did the laundry. These tasks both took the same amount of time. I'd been complaining that I was forgetting to buy stuff we needed because we just ran in and out of the store and if I don't go down every aisle and look at everything I don't know what I need. I don't do lists.

Oh, I forgot. First we went to my latest addiction, the fish taco place on the highway. Friends told us about it several weeks ago and now that's the only place I want to eat. Mimi hates fish but she likes their shrimp tacos so at least there is something she can eat. Still, it's definitely NOT her favorite and today she even offered it as a place for lunch without me whining and making deals! I mean these are some to die for fish tacos. They are light and really fresh and there is mayonnaise and some really hot, green habanero sauce to put on them. I ate three. Also, they are soft which was a good thing after my dentist appointment. A cold Sol cerveza and 3 fish tacos from La Floresta are a little bit of heaven.

So, then we went to the Chedraui to shop and wash clothes. It worked, I remembered the tooth paste and the light bulbs and shampoo, all the stuff I'd been forgetting because I didn't go down the right aisle. and... that was it! My big birthday. We came home and Mimi carried it ALL up the 3 flights of stairs (with a little help from our neighbor) and I only brought up the bag with the rum and the kahlua in it, the important stuff.

De las estrellas del cielo
Quisiera bajarte dos,
Una para saludarte
Y otra pa' decirte adios