Merry UnBirthday!

Merry UnBirthday to you!

There are 225 posts filed in Merry UnBirthday! (this is page 2 of 23).

The history of Oktoberfest is much bigger than beer

On Oct. 12, 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. A huge public festival was held on the fields outside the gates of Munich, including a horse race in the royal couple’s honor.The horse races were held again the following year, growing the festival into an annual occasion: Oktoberfest.As the festival grew, it added more and more rides, carnival games, agricultural shows and circus acts.The signature draw of the festival — beer — was initially offered at a few scattered stands. Those were soon replaced by massive tents and beer halls capable of seating 94,000 people.The beer served at Oktoberfest must be brewed within Munich and conform to various specifications. In recent years, attendees have downed over 6 million liters of the famous brew.

Source: The history of Oktoberfest is much bigger than beer

Do You Still Write With a Pen?

There is, still, something I like about writing by hand that I miss when I’m typing on a keyboard. There is a smoothness to the pen and paper and I like having good penmanship. There is no penmanship at all with a keyboard.

Today I found a note from Perfect Pen, a site selling pens and etc. They say 95% of people write their name first, when they get a new pen. I don’t know if its true. How would you find out about that. Chances are someone selling pens and seeing people test them before buying, would know. So it could be true. What did you last write, by hand? I wrote a grocery list. But I also sent out handwritten Christmas cards this year.

I write down ideas for stories or non-fiction ideas for posts to my sites. Sometimes they never become posts. Lots of ideas are written and just don’t develop further, or get mislaid somewhere, one way or another. But, I still like writing ideas more than typing them. My brain works differently while writing.  A bit slower and not as directly focused on the idea while I have the distraction of the pen, paper and penmanship. More than likely that changes how the ideas develop. Typing is so instant.

National Ballpoint Pen Day is June 10th. It’s the day the patent for the ballpoint pen was filed.

Have you ever gotten into calligraphy, with fountain pens? I did a little of that. In high school I had a fountain pen. It was fun to write with but not as clean as a ballpoint pen. Of course, there have been pencils since the age of the dinosaurs (not literally). Pencils are just not the same, though artists still draw with an assortment of them.

Today, even though it isn’t Ballpoint Pen Day, take a look at all the pens you have collected, scattered, around your home. Get some scrap paper out of the recycling and test all your pens. Not many have the option to be refillable and reused now. Or, people almost never seem to do that. Too many freebie pens given away to take the time to recycle them. Unless you have a favourite pen. I did have a favourite ballpoint pen but it was kind of exotic and I couldn’t find ink to refill it. If you can find a use for the pens that no longer work, got dried out, or broken, that’s great. Most likely the best you can do is get rid of them and have that much less clutter around.

Happy pen testing. Will you scribble something or ring true to the theory that the first thing you write with a new (sort of new) pen is your name?

 

Birthday Cards for the Dead?

Have you ever seen a birthday card for someone already deceased? I don’t mean recently, someone who passed away but people still have a memorial sort of birthday for them. What about when it is your Father, long gone.

Today is my Dad’s birthday. I forget how long ago he died, it has been about 15 years, possibly more. I can’t give him a pretty or funny card. I didn’t find any wise or witty quotes. Not a single birthday card found for the deceased.

Has no one else ever thought of this? I will see what I can think of. Nothing brilliant so far.

What would you write, draw, create as a birthday card for family or friends long dead?

Gorgeous Poinsettia Fabric

I found this fabric at an Etsy shop today. It’s perfect but I don’t have any project in mind to use it for. I was just looking for poinsettias. I’m posting the picture so I can see it again and again. I especially like poinsettias around the winter holidays.

I’m going to use the image as wallpaper for my desktop computer. That will help to cheer me up over the next few months.

What is the Best White Elephant Gift?

Do you know what a white elephant is?

A white elephant is something you’d like to get rid of, its not useful and usually too expensive to use or keep. People sometimes have white elephant gift exchanges, like re-gifting, presents they have been given and would like to get rid of, graciously. The idea is to try finding someone who will love, or at least like, the extravagant, and not useful to most people, gift.

What would you bring to a white elephant gift exchange? Coffee table books, they look nice, they tend to be big with a lot of photos but almost no one actually reads them. Trendy gifts often become white elephants when the fashion turns out to be a fad. There are a lot of small kitchen appliances created for very specific things which are otherwise useful and just taking up space. Or, things which could have been useful if they weren’t too exotic, or embarrassing to use. Things which are personalized, too exclusive to be re-gifted and not likely to be accepted for resale at most stores.

My white elephant, from years ago, came with good intentions and thoughtfulness. It was an espresso machine from people who knew I enjoyed coffee but didn’t know I had no idea how to get an espresso machine to work. All my attempts ended in kitchen clean ups, not too many steam burns luckily. I never got the hang of it. But, I appreciated the thought.

  • art socks
  • magnetic poetry
  • pet rock

Not the entire list but a few I picked from: 34 Best White Elephant Gift Ideas – FudgeMyLife.

How to Have a Happy Birthday When You’re Alone

Your birthday comes around once a year—every year—whether you like it or not. Don’t be in denial; be proud! Celebrate yourself. Age really is just a number; it’s all about how you feel! Choose to feel good, and if you’re celebrating alone, make it special. It’s your day, so do what you want!

Celebrating Your Birthday Alone? Make It Special

Spending your birthday alone is not a bad thing at all. I have family and a few friends, and that’s more than enough for me. I don’t mind going for a b-day lunch with loved ones, but I also enjoy spending my birthday alone. After all, it is my day.

I like to take my birthday as an opportunity to do things I like to do. I love having a day set aside during which I don’t have to stick to someone else’s schedule or worry about rules and the needs of others. I can really do things my way, and I can even go a bit overboard because it’s my birthday.

The following is a list of ideas about ways to spend your birthday on your own. They are somewhat random and presented in no particular order. I wrote them as I thought of them, but I wanted to create a real list. So many lists online are more about scoring SEO points, and they only offer fluff—stuff everyone else has already said. I wanted this list to be different, and I hope it has at least one great idea for everyone.

Of course, your birthday is your day. Take the ideas you like and leave the ones you don’t. Or just ignore the whole list. It’s up to you! Have a happy birthday and don’t worry about being alone. Being alone just means you can choose how you spend your time without any commentary from others about your choices.

Things to Do by Yourself on Your Birthday

  • Take the day off work. Whether you work for yourself or someone else, arrange to have the day off. Use a sick day, a personal day or whatever works.
  • Eat what you want. Seriously—whatever you want. Think about dieting, budgeting and health tomorrow.
  • Write letters to the people you care about. It’s old-fashioned and may seem to take up more hours than you want to give it today, but it can be nice to pause your own celebration and give thanks for what (and who) you have. Mail the letters—don’t forget!
  • Wear something great. Pick an outfit that makes you feel good and gorgeous.
  • Give yourself a compliment. Look in the mirror and say it again.
  • Wear something with colours you like. Go with an accessory like a scarf if you don’t want too much colour.
  • Dress in a style from your past or wear something you still have from when you were a kid, like a scarf, a pin or a hat.
  • Buy a birthday pin or ribbon at a greeting card shop and wear it all day.
  • If you have dinner, lunch or breakfast at home, go all out and decorate the table. Use the good dishes and cutlery. Add a centrepiece too.
  • Spend time on whatever your hobby is. Knit, sew, build a ship in a bottle, go metal detecting, make muffins . . . the list goes on.
  • If you have a car, take a drive. Go to another town and pretend you’re someone famous for the day.
  • Get a manicure and a pedicure—even if you are a guy. Forget outdated gender roles and treat your fingers and toes to a makeover.
  • Buy new underwear and/or pajamas and recycle the raggedy-looking stuff you’ve been wearing for ages.
  • Clean something special that’s been gathering dust bunnies for a while. That antique mirror from your great-grandma could sparkle again—a job well done.
  • Organize something you’ve let get messy. Maybe the family photos could be sorted out. Perhaps your sock drawer or the surface of your desk has gotten pretty cluttered. Getting rid of clutter feels nice.
  • Start the day by getting up early, even if you would rather sleep in. See the sun rising on your birthday and the world (at least your part of it) while getting ready for the new day.
  • Buy yourself something new to wear. It can be a whole new outfit or something small and pretty like a brooch or fancy hat you’d never dare to wear on an average day.
  • Use every flimsy excuse to tell people it’s your birthday. You may get a bonus like a free coffee, but at the very least, a lot of people will wish you a happy birthday.
  • Go out for a fancy coffee or tea in the morning when everyone else is planning their day. Get a window seat where you can see the street and the people commuting to work, dealing with errands and wondering how they will get it all done. Meanwhile, there you are sipping tea or coffee and watching the world rush and work and scurry past your window seat.
  • Pick up some extra groceries. It sounds silly, but get something—simple or fancy—that you really like. I love to get a steak and cook it myself—as close to rare as I want—while no one is there to “ewww” me about it.
  • You know what you really want to do. Don’t tell anyone else (unless you have to explain it to someone to get it done). Celebrate your birthday by doing that thing you want to do but keep putting off cause you don’t have the time, the patience, the energy or the money. Today is the exception to the normal rules.
  • Make amazing plans for the next year. Don’t worry about being too practical with your list. Write down anything and everything you might want to do.
  • Visit at least one local attraction, event or touristy thing. Pretend you are a tourist for a while. I recommend visiting a museum.
  • Weather permitting, give yourself a picnic in the park. Bring a good book and a blanket to sit on.
  • If you can manage to stay overnight in a hotel, you can even get late-night room service. That is still one of my favourite things to do for my own birthday. I like getting a hotel right in the downtown area of the big city.
  • Take a long soak in the bath. Use fabulous scented soaps and bubbles. Pull out the candles and bring a book into the tub with you. No phones allowed.
  • Watch some of the movies you’ve got collecting dust on your shelves and in drawers. Pop some popcorn and enjoy a beverage of your choice.
  • Have champagne or cocktails. Treat yourself to a drink somewhere fancy, get all dressed up and go. Just have one and then leave . . . like a man or woman of mystery.
  • Send yourself flowers, bake yourself a cake and get yourself a birthday card. Don’t skimp on the traditions just because you’re alone.
  • No matter how old you are, put a lot of candles on the cake. It looks pretty, and no one will crack jokes about your age . . . unless of course you laugh at yourself.
  • Put on music and dance and sing along. No one’s watching or listening. Be your own DJ.
  • Choose your own adventure. Take a few “wrong” turns and see where you end up. Go to places you’ve never taken the time to see before.
  • Try something new and a bit risky or bold for your usual style. How about rock climbing, going without cosmetics, reading a book that makes you blush or talking to an interesting stranger. You could even get a new haircut.
  • Send yourself something in the mail. It could be a gift card from a store you like to shop at. It’s like giving yourself a surprise present—you won’t know exactly when it will show up.
  • Don’t spend your birthday catching up on laundry or dishes or other endless household chores. They will all still be there tomorrow. If you have to, get dishes and laundry done the day before so they don’t bug you on your birthday.
  • Have a fancy, deluxe birthday cake, even if you buy it somewhere instead of making it. Don’t count every calorie on your birthday.
  • Walk somewhere. The beach and public parks are nice, even in winter. Take a camera along and be a photojournalist for the day.
  • Do something for someone else. Visit an elderly relative, spend an hour babysitting your sister’s kids or run an errand for your mother. Limit the time you spend on this, but remember that it’s nice not to make your birthday all about you all day.
  • Write about your day at the end of the day. Start a journal if you’ve never had one or find your old journal if you used to keep one. A journal is a great way to wind down, organize your thoughts and give yourself some time with your thoughts.
  • Tell one lie about yourself to a stranger. Yes, it sounds silly. But just for today (your birthday), let someone think you’re more impressive than you think you really are.
  • Buy a lottery ticket. Don’t forget to check it!
  • Create an invitation to your own birthday for the next year. Buy a pretty card or make your own.

I originally published this to HubPages May, 23, 2012.