It’s Wednesday, agonizingly middle-of-the-week, thank-god-it’s-not-Monday-but-it’s-still-not-Friday-yet, Hump Day–like if you can make it past the “hump” of today, you’ll be well on your way to the glorious weekend.
It’s also my birthday. Only I’ll be over the hump of 45; just past the middle of my 40s, arguably the very middle of middle-age, well on my way to the very middle of a fucking century. I feel more than slightly uncomfortable about this number. (By the way, this article doesn’t help. Nor does this one.) I find it incomprehensible to be 46, given that I “feel” mostly like I’m still in my mid-30s, only not as messy. Let’s be honest, some days I feel like a highly functioning 15-year-old. But I’m so not. In fact, I’m more than THREE TIMES that age. Shouldn’t I feel like I’ve evolved some kind of super power?
Anyway, I don’t wanna be one of those ladies who refuses to turn another year past 39, unable to say her real age out loud. I want to own it! I want to celebrate it! I want to recognize that I’m still alive and in good health and happy and isn’t that amazing isn’t that what all my deceased beloveds would want for me? But even as I plan out the fun of my day, I’m also noting that it’d be a good time to start taking a multi-vitamin. And to try and remember to bring my reading glasses with me.
In an effort to be okay with today’s birthday, I looked up other ladies currently who share this age (or will this year): J. Lo. Sheryl Sandberg. Tina Fey. Sarah Silverman. Padma Lakshmi. Shonda Rhimes. Queen Rania. So yeah, okay…
Also, further research on the number yielded the following fascinating facts:
- It’s the number of human chromosomes.
- 46 is the largest even integer that can’t be expressed as a sum of two abundant numbers.
- It’s the atomic number of palladium.
- It’s the code for international direct dial phone calls to Sweden.
- It’s the name of a defense used in American football, which prompted coach Bill Walsh to say, “I had to use every bit of knowledge and experience and wisdom I had to come up with game plans to attack this defense. It’s really the most singular innovation in defensive football in the last twenty years.”
The underlying message seems to be that I’m now at an age that warrants more dancing in my PJs while my newly adopted dog friend stares at me in confusion. Without further ado, here’s the morning edition of today’s living room dance party playlist:
- “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder)” – Maxwell
- “Town Called Malice” – The Jam
- “The Passion of Lovers” – Bauhaus
- “Babel” – Massive Attack
- “King Cartel” – Hank Williams III
- “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” – Seu Jorge
- “New Rose” – The Damned
- “Losing My Edge” – LCD Soundsystem
- “Villain” – The Duke Spirit
- “To Catch a Thief” – Lovage
- “Go To Sleep” – Radiohead
- “Fun Does Not Exist (New Mix)” – Natacha Atlas
- “Safe From Harm” – Massive Attack
- “Ave Cruz” – Ceu
- “Mer” – Chelsea Wolfe
- “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve?)” – Buzzcocks
- “The Flipside – Radio Edit” – Moloko
- “Lovely Head” – Goldfrapp
- “Love Will Tear Us Apart” – Brazilian Lounge Project
- “Under My Sensi” – Boozoo Bajou
- “Ghetto Rock” – Mos Def
- “Amen” – Leonard Cohen
- “Motherfucker” – Faith No More
- “The Look of Love” – ABC
- “New Kind of Kick” – The Cramps
- “Unfinished Sympathy” – Massive Attack
Happy birthday to me. And to all of you who also share this magical number this year!