I love February - and not just because it's Black History Month!

February is birthday month in my family.

My niece, Whitney, turned 11 on Feb 1. I mailed her a card and recounted my memories of her birth. My dad had just picked me up from Girl Scouts and told me that Brian and Lori had had their baby. I remember thinking, "Puh-LEASE let it be a girl." Brian and Lori had picked out the name Clay for a boy, and I remember thinking that Clay was the most God-awful name I had ever heard. Thankfully, she was a girl, and at nine years of age, I became an aunt to Whitney Jane. After all of this, I scribbed into the card that I was happy that Whit's mom and dad had gotten better taste in boys' names by the time Holden came around. Whitney called me tonight during my copy desk shift and told me that her mom said I wasn't invited to their house anymore. Actually, she informed me that the name in question was actually Cody - not Clay - which is ridiculously better, not because Cody is a good name but rather because Clay is just THAT BAD. Whitney said she agreed with my sentiments, however, so both of us are very pleased that she is female.

My infamous brother, Scott, turns 19 tomorrow. There's really nothing momentous about turning 19. I mostly liked it because I have a thing for odd numbers. I hope he has a good birthday, nonetheless. For his sake, I hope his hives are gone by then.

I come next on the 17th. I love the date of my birthday. I suppose I'm happy to be turning 21. It seems quite grown-up, as 20 still screams teenager to me. It's really too bad 'being grown-up' in our culture translates into drinking alcohol. I really would just like to flash my ID, though. So torn! I think it's so funny because whenever I tell people about my weekly Saturday shift and how my birthday also falls on a Saturday, they're like, "It's your 21st? Well, NO WAY can you work on your birthday then!" And inwardly I'm like - heck no, I can't! - but not for the shots I won't take. I can't wait to spend the night of my 21st birthday in bed between my parents watching CSI: Criminal Intent.

My cousin Sean hits his golden birthday four days later on the 21st. Those four days have been the bane of his existence growing up. I cannot tell you how many times I rubbed it in his face.