September is a big month in our family. It's a big month because three of us have birthdays this month. We have a small family so having three in just one clump is notable. I think that most families, large and small, seem to have clumps of birthdays in one month. My friend Stu has December birthdays in his family. My sister's husband Ian has April birthdays. Whenever I say that September is a big month to someone they always mention that they have a big month, too, and tell me what month it is. Then we go through the whole, "9th, 14th and 26th" and then comes: "the 2nd, 12th, 17th and 28th!"
So that's how it is. I guess I often mention that I don't like birthdays. I always sort of go over that mantra and wonder why it is that way. Girlfriend likes them. In fact, today is her birthday.
I remember I had a sleepover on my 12th birthday and invited five friends over. My sister Dooze was a newborn so we were relegated to my tiny hot bedroom and were told to keep quiet. That party was so fantastic that one girl had an asthma attack, and while on her breathing machine begged to go home. When my other friends saw how brave she was to admit she wanted to vamoose, they begged to go home as well. An hour later, I was alone in my bedroom failing 12-Year Old Level Sleepover, Intermediate Status.
There was also a time when a boyfriend found a datebook of mine and proceeded to invite everyone in it for a surprise birthday party. When I arrived, I was surprised by a room of people I hardly knew. Anyone else ever fill out a datebook with people you don't really know, just to fill it up?
I will never. do. That. again.
But there is knitting! Lots of it. One of the items I can show you is my latest Sunshine Yoked Beret from my Custom Knits Accessories book. I made it for a family member. It's a little big on Girlfriend, but you get the drift. (Two skeins of Koigu KPPM. Fantastic stuff.)
In other news, not knit news, but news: Our fish tank continues to be the Tank of Doom. Remember how Jumbo the Shrimp and Godot the Frog Who Never Showed Himself (Except to Freak Me Out When I Looked for Him in the Cave)? We found Jumbo on Girlfriend's floor after he jumped out (too late), but Godot was missing missing missing. Someone, in comments said: "Oh, you'll find him . . . eventually" and she was right. The other day he turned up under some clothes in the clothes hamper, petrified. Ugh.
And yesterday, I did my daily head count and there's no Ian. Ian is our one fish who has survived beyond all others. I thought he got sucked up into the filter, but no. He's just gone. Where'd he go? (And no, there is only a small opening in the top of the tank. For him to get out would be pretty unbelievable. But if he did. I know who ate him. Her name starts with an "L.")
We have a salt-water fish tank and various fish have expired for various reasons but one did just "vanish." We've never figured it out either. I thought for months that he died and the other fish ate him, but that didn't really fully explain away the situation.
May your tank of doom see happier days!
Posted by: Caroline | September 14, 2012 at 05:04 PM
Happy birthday to Girlfriend! I'm with her on the birthday thing...I love 'em! And I love the new beret! Gorgeous!
Today I caught our cat in our empty hospital aquarium on the kitchen counter. With our resident monarch butterfly in his mouth. Ugh.
Posted by: Kerry | September 14, 2012 at 05:23 PM
I know that fish eat other fish, but this happened within about a two-hour span. I saw him and then, whoosh. He was gone.
Posted by: Wendy | September 14, 2012 at 05:37 PM
Happy Birthday Girlfriend!
Posted by: Denise | September 14, 2012 at 07:06 PM
My son had a fish tank when he was about 10 to 13 years old. (He's 33 now!) A little crab got out one time and we didn't find it for ages. I finally found it in one of my shoes - dead. Other fish were always throwing themselves out of the tank - was so glad when we could put it away for good.
Happy Birthday to your daughter!
Posted by: Sammie | September 14, 2012 at 10:16 PM
Happy Birthday to Girlfriend (we've talked before, and I believe that she's caught up again to my girl child :) ). We don't have a clump of birthdays, we have one a month April, May, June, August and October...crazy most of the year it's "almost someone's birthday".
We had oscar fish Oscar and Meyer, they used to jump from the tank and we had to keep a brick on top. Amazing to think you can lose something that lives in a tank and yet they still manage to escape!
Posted by: Cheri | September 15, 2012 at 06:24 AM
Happy birthday Girlfriend! :) She looks très chic in that béret!
Posted by: Katrina West | September 15, 2012 at 10:25 AM
goodness, fish tanks are horror movies. truly.
Posted by: flossie | September 15, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Happy Belated Birthday to your little one! I'm also not a big birthday fan, but my daughter LOVES hers. So, I do my best to celebrate hers as big as possible and not disappoint her when I keep mine low key.
Posted by: jennifer | September 15, 2012 at 08:18 PM
Happy birthday to your lovely daughter. I'm not a birthday fan either. Mine quickly approaches, and in my small family it marks the beginning of a steady trickle of birthdays until April. I guess April is our month--mom, and two sisters-in-law.
Anyway, I do like the colors in that chapeau. Very pretty.
Is (was) that frog white? My old boss had a freshwater tank with these albino frogs that just hung in the water with arms and fingers splayed, and eyes bugged out. Gave me the willies. I never saw them move.
Posted by: JenW | September 17, 2012 at 08:33 AM
Your story about the fish tank is making me seriously reconsider the idea of ever getting one. It's not like I was planning to get one soon, but I love watching fish. The idea of having surprise fish on the floor is daunting!
Posted by: Seanna Lea | September 17, 2012 at 09:01 AM
Godot was a dark green color and he would go in the cave and hang in there with his arms splayed and star at me. Ugh.
I think, once you have tackled all the newbie issues when it comes to a tank, it becomes more fun. There's a lot of trial and error and lessons learned.
Posted by: Wendy | September 17, 2012 at 04:26 PM
Nice article, thanks for the information.
Posted by: sewa mobil jakarta | September 19, 2012 at 11:21 AM
September birthdays are no mystery. Blame New Year's Eve.
Posted by: Erika | September 19, 2012 at 02:24 PM
The clump of birthdays means we get fertile around the same time of year. In our extended family we have several Aug. & Oct. birthdays. I do love birthdays - mine & everyone else's!
PS I thought only octopuses escaped their tanks...I guess none of those critters liked being trapped & wanted to be free...
Posted by: quiltyknitwit | September 22, 2012 at 10:59 AM
Nice article,thank you for your sharing
Posted by: jimmy choo | September 24, 2012 at 06:53 AM