It was my habit, a few years back, to have a ‘birthday week’. This generally started on the night before my birthday, and continued for six days after the event. During this special time, I would do no housework, and complete no chores, of any kind. I revelled in the absence of responsibility, claiming that anything unacceptable was due to it being ‘birthday week’. I made arrangements to see friends, ate out a lot, and generally did whatever I wanted to.
I refused to cook or wash up, and any behaviour or silliness on my part was deemed to be acceptable. This once a year festival of my birth was taken extremely seriously, and no exceptions were considered to be allowable. They were good times indeed, and immensely enjoyed by me, if nobody else.
Unfortunately, age and responsibility have a way of creeping up on you, so my birthday week in 2015 just didn’t happen. Problems with the heating seem to have overtaken my justifiable celebrations. It is now working, but there is no hot water. So yet again, tomorrow I have to wait in for the engineer. I still have my normal dog-walking duties too. I cannot get out of those, or Ollie will suffer. Other things must be done of course, as Julie is at work all day. So, easy cooking has been the order, just stuff thrown into the oven. I have washed up too, and put out the bins, and most other things required of normal life.
The next few days do not have openings for further celebrations. The weather forecast is dire, for one thing, and I have no plans in place anyway. I am beginning to think that this ‘birthday week’ thing has had its day, and run its course. I’m going back to one day next year. It’s a lot easier to manage.
beetleypete 
Gosh, I have missed your blog so much. Spent the last hour browsing some of the entries I have missed during my “lost weekend”. This post is beautifully illustrative of why I love your blog. It was funny without, I suspect, intending it to be (“They were good times indeed, and immensely enjoyed by me, if nobody else.”) and contained interesting memoirs that always seem to move me. Today is my birthday. I am crap at celebrating my birth-day (let alone week!) and this has cheered me up immensely. A xx
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Happy Birthday A. It is my aunt’s birthday today; she’s 91, and also not really making anything of it.
Celebrating a birthday is hard work, but someone’s got to do it! X
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Oh, oh, it`s starts: you grow up! Only one day birthday! 🙂
I never heard about a birthday week, but I think that is a very good idea!
Hope your trip to the sea startet soon!
Best wishes from the German North Sea! 🙂
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A ‘birthday week’ is the best Irene. You should resolve to have one for your next birthday. Don’t worry, I haven’t grown up yet, just been a bit overwhelmed by ‘stuff’ this time around.
Best wishes, Pete.
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In the past I’ve celebrated Birthday week. Not so much in recent years but occasionally I’ll give myself a treat in the name of a belated (or early) birthday gift to myself. Hope you gift yourself a trip to the sea at some great moment in the future.
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We often make the short trip to the coast Gretchen, so will no doubt be there soon. I am glad to hear that you have also celebrated ‘birthday weeks’, as I thought it was only me!
Best wishes as always, Pete.
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Southerners!
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Aha! We have it so easy down South! I expect that you had to eat your shoes with candles in the lace-holes, instead of a birthday cake. And all the time suffering 20 ferrets down your trousers, before going down the pit for a night shift at the age of eight.
Proud to be soft and southern!
Cheers Eduardo.
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Aw…Pete, it’s a good thing I’m not close by, because I’d never let you stop your weeks worth of celebrating your birthday… The post before this one, told of happy times celebrating for a solid week, I’m sure there is a story behind how this tradition began.. So, perhaps next year might just surprise you with a fabulous week of enjoyment.. Heck, I’m thinking of doing that tradition for myself this coming August.. loving the thought of not doing dishes, etc… I say to you my friend,,, “Never Say, Never”
Take care and happy blogging to ya, from Laura ~
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I think you should adopt the tradition in Canada Laura. It’s a very personal thing to me, so you can blame it on Beetley! I just hope that your birthday isn’t at a snowbound time of year.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, I think so too, Summertime in the City for me {{Aug}} Great month for a week long birthday celebration, and my grandfather always made a BIG deal out of Birthdays too.. So, I’ll be a stand in for him and not let you let go of tradition… 🙂
Take care, Laura
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August is an ideal month to really do a birthday week justice. Go for it!
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I’ve already, after reading your post decided to do just that… Thanks for the great idea and newest tradition for me…
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My birthday comes at the tail end of the Holiday Season, and so falls prey to holiday fatigue. Oftentimes, people simply overlook my birthday because they’ve already focused their thoughts on the new year. If only one could reschedule one’s birthday….
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As a rule David, I am happy with March. Not too close to Christmas, and far enough away from the excesses of summer. Just didn’t work out quite so well this year though. Never mind.
Regards as always, Pete.
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Birthdays can be unfair, Pete. It all depends at what time of the year it falls. I would love to have a Birthday week if I had a birthday in the summer, but mine is in the dull depths of January – the very week when no-one has any money after Xmas, they’re still not going out or drinking and the credit card bill has just arrived. Having just a birth- day at that time of year can be pretty grim, let alone a whole week of it!! This time of year is a little better for you, but I’m sorry that things got in the way this year. Maybe we should have held out in the womb a little longer, emerging at a time when waiting for the heating engineer would not have been so essential!
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Very true Phil. My wife’s birthday is in January, and it isn’t the greatest time to have a celebration. March is usually OK though, and I have spent the majority of my birthdays at the beach over the years. Lucky for those with summer birthdays, but then everywhere is more crowded. They both have advantages, in different ways.
Thanks for the comment. Best wishes, Pete.
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Sounds like you had a great run of birthday weeks in the past though.
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I did Vinnie. Especially when I lived in Camden, and had lots of great places on the doorstep. No complaints really, I’ve done OK.
Cheers, Pete.
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Nothing like a good celebration of your birthday.
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Haha! 😳
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I suppose I had a good run…
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I guess we just have to make new traditions. As for cooking, maybe next year you can plan ahead and make up some casseroles or something you can freeze and just heat up when it is needed?
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That’s a plan Corina. It just used to be more of a week of socialising when I lived in London. But then I was a lot nearer to friends and family.
Never mind, I had some good ‘weeks’.
Best wishes, Pete,.
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Hahaha, goodbye to the one week holiday. I never tried that before, having a birthday week celebration. Maybe on my next birthday, I’ll set aside three days to not spend my time in front of the stove. Or maybe I’ll cook in advance then it would just he reheating to the max…hehe
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I think you owe yourself a ‘birthday week’ Arlene. Everyone should have one, at least once!
Best wishes as always, Pete.
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Next time, I will do that. Thanks Pete!
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