So tomorrow I will have aged another year. Birthdays have stopped being meaningless for many years now, aside from entering my third decade on Earth. This weekend we will be playing tourist in our own backyard. No, not the parks, just the hotels. Who wants to go to the parks this time of year? Not me! I don’t plan on blogging from Thursday until maybe Monday, but I’ll probably be on Twitter if I’m not in the pool.

Anyway, I was born in our nation’s bi-centennial. Almost made the date too. Oh well. Nothing exciting happened on the day I was born according to the wikipedia. No one of importance was born, died, and nor did any significant event take place on this day. I guess it was just an average day around the globe. Except for my parents of course.

Both this year and my birth year fall on a Thursday. I’ve been on the planet now for 12,419 days. 298,056 hours. 17,883,360 minutes. 1,073,001,600 seconds as of midnight anyway. I dunno what time I was snatched from my mothers belly. Doesn’t matter, no need to be exact. Thanks mom for making me alive.

Since I am 34, I thought I would share 34 things about me.You know, since I don’t have an about me page.

1. I am a sports fan. Pretty much like anything, but NY Islanders hockey and NY Mets baseball are my top 2. I can play any sport competitively as well. My best would be golf, hockey, soccer, and softball. Basketball is where I fall short on interest though. At five-six, it’s never been my thing.
2. I love all kinds of music. Seriously, all kinds. I have some of everything on my iPod. I prefer rock to anything else, especially acoustic rock. I really love music in person but that’s a rare occurrence for me these days. Too expensive, too late, and I have rules like requiring a seat.
3. I have been married for 12 years come September and with the same lady for 15 years. We have 2 amazing girls.
4. I am an IT Manager by trade. I manage a team of programmers specializing in front end web development with a Java background. I’ve been doing this kinda stuff for about 13 years now at only 4 different places.
5. I love gadgets. Pretty much anything Apple makes, I’m interested in it. I’m not a fan-boy or anything, I just like stuff that works and works well.
6. I don’t have many friends, but the ones I do have I keep close.
7. I am extremely shy and do not like socializing situations. When I find myself in them, chances are I will try to avoid a handshake so you don’t notice my sweaty palms.
8. I am decent at and really enjoy playing video games. But nothing that requires a lot of time to dedicate. With 2 young kids and a full time job, there’s just not enough time for anything I can’t start/stop for 20-30 minutes. So I mostly play sports games or things without “stories” and depth.
9. I am ultra-competitive in just about everything I do.
10. I am a bit of a loner in the grand scheme of personalities.
11. I have suffered from depression and insomnia since I was about 12. I have been off and on meds at various times for both. Ambien is a great thing.
12. I am an active dad and savor every second I can spend with my children.
13. I don’t dance. Not ever. Occasional slow dance but that’s it. No exceptions.
14. I seriously lack self-confidence.
15. I have poor self esteem and a poor self image.
16. I love dogs and although I don’t mind cats, I will never have one as a pet.
17. I have an absurd talent where I can hear a few notes of a song and tell you what or who it is. Especially 80′s hair metal. Not the obscure crap, but much of it.
18. I’m really handy with home electronics.
19. I’m a pretty good cook and I’m not afraid to try to make any recipe.
20. I’m not a handyman but I can do some simple things with decent instructions. That does not apply with cars, I am not a gear head.
21. I do not consider myself a manly man, but I’m not girlie either. I just have girlie features and would look good in a dress and makeup if I were into that sort of thing.
22. I am a night owl and not a morning person. Although I like when I have a reason to get up early and get in a “full” day.
23. I was born and lived in Long Island, New York until I was 12.
24. I prefer the beach at night unless we’re playing games(volleyball, paddle-ball, football, soccer, etc…).
25. I like movies far more than television. I hardly watch any TV.
26. I am pretty good at giving advice, but not very good at accepting it unless I ask for it. I’m kinda stubborn and prefer to learn by fire.
27. I can be really lazy at times.
28. I fear major life changes and major purchases.
29. I will not have any more kids because I went through some permanent male birth control. It was easy too.
30. (knock on wood) I’ve never broken any bones or had any major surgery that required anesthesia. I was hit by a car when I was 8 or 9 and fractured my skull with a punctured eardrum, but it was minimal and not nearly as serious as it could have been. Out of the hospital in about a week. No permanent damage or hearing loss. However, some may say that’s debatable.
31. I’m not a violent person. I haven’t been in a fight since the 3rd grade.
32. I am writing this while wearing a shirt I have had and worn for over 10 years. It is my favorite shirt. Also, the jeans I’m in I’ve had for about 5 or 6 years. I don’t grow much.
33. I have a strange selective memory. What I do remember though usually comes with great detail.
34. I prefer quality to quantity.

So there you go. One nugget of info for every year of my existence. I don’t have an about me page, so this will have to do. Have a good weekend my friends.

As you may or may not know, I will be in the building at BlogHer this year. I only have a party pass but that should be good enough I think. Anyway, my buddy Adam put up a cool post the other day that I’m totally using now for my own purposes. It’s okay, I told him I would. I modified it though because some things will not apply to me and my roomies.

1. What’s your name? You can give your blog name or real name.

2. Have we met? Please know I suck with names and faces. I have people I played hockey with say hello to me and I have no idea name or anything.

3. Are you going to this year’s BlogHer? If not, do you live in the NYC area and do you want to meet up with me and the wifey while I’m there?

4. Do you want to meet me? If not, send me your schedule and I’ll try to avoid you.

5. Have you been invited to any exclusive parties? Do you want a date? How about 2, my wife kind of needs to go to?

6. Who’s the blogger you’re the most excited to see? Obviously other than me, it’s okay. I won’t tell them they’re your number 2.

7. Are you sticking around after for a few days like I am? Anything good planned?

Today is the official first day of summer if you live in a climate that actually has 4 seasons. We only have 2 here in Central Florida, summer and not summer. There isn’t a whole lot in between there and that’s fine by me. I like playing in wintry settings, not living every day in them.

Aside from being the first day of summer though, it is also my mother’s birthday. Today she will be sixty-something. I need a calculator to determine exactly what that something is. I kid, I know the number but I’m just not going to disclose it here. Respect your elders people.

Anyway, I did not send a card in the mail as I am using my blog here to do that for me. After all, if it was a card it would have been over several words ago. This will also last much longer.

My mother is a truly gentle soul. She always has and always will put all those nearest in her heart before herself. She would without question give you her last slice of bread or the shirt off her back if you ever needed it. She is an even better grandmother that my children adore. I am sure that your parents are looking down on you with pride and adoration. I know your husband is as well.

Your children though look at you with adoration today. Your grandchildren even more so. I say even more so because you haven’t grounded them for anything. Haha. I probably deserved it though so that’s okay.

Anyway mom, today is your day. I hope it is happy and since the Mets aren’t on tonight, I hope you curl up with a good movie. Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman, or Sound of Music, or any other of your romantic cinema favorites. Just think, anything you put on will not be followed by a “not again” from one of your rotten teenagers. However when I call you this evening to say happy birthday I may say it just for old times sake. If you have a movie on that is.

Happy Birthday mom, we love you.

(since its your birthday and made me watch this 8 gazillion times….enjoy!)