It is your birthday.

Well, it's actually my birthday. I turned 29 today. Today is the first birthday I've actively dreaded. I suppose that won't end any time soon now.

I actually really enjoyed 23-26. Those were good birthdays and years, really. Turning 23 was fine because it was still early 20s. And I was able to justify 24-27 as mid-20s.

My 28th birthday made me a little uneasy because it was uncomfortably close to 30, and it is most decidedly late-20s. You can't spin 28. And you for damn sure can't spin 29. I'm now one away.

As the joke goes in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, you've got a great career ahead of you. You have, like, four years until you're 30.

How in the world did this happen? Fuckin' a, man. I graduated high school 11 years ago. I started college 11 years ago in August. I graduated from undergrad SEVEN years ago this year. What the shit.

This won't be a sad-bastard post though. I'm not sad, really. I haven't been this happy in just about as long as I can remember. It's been a tough few months up until this point. There were some issues that needed exorcising. The issues were there for years based on things I did and needed to do in untenable situations. I've written about some of these things over the past couple of weeks, and maybe I'll write about more of them more specifically later on.

But right now? I'm 29 fucking years old man. I'm in a better place mentally than I've been for quite some time. Physically, I'm looking and feeling better than I have in years. I'm not all the way back, but I'm getting there. Progress. I has it. I have a little less hair than I'd like, but hey. What can you do? I didn't win the hair genes jackpot. It happens.

I have my health. I have an amazing family. I get along spectacularly well with my parents and brother and sister. I have uncles, aunts and cousins that, no matter how long we've been apart, when we get back together it's like we never left at all. I have friends that would drop everything for me if I needed it, as I would for them. I have the best dog in the history of dogkind.

The Yankees are playing well. The N.C. State basketball irrational hope and optimism express is ramping up again, as it does so often. I just feel good. You know?

I love where I live. There really is nothing like living in the DC area. It's amazing. Plus, there are SO many job opportunities around.

It could be so much worse. I have so much to be thankful for, and I feel so incredibly lucky. Thank you to every one who ever comes to this page and reads my thoughts, however random and unimportant they may be. This is fun for me. I like to write. Sometimes I can be funny, though probably not nearly as often as I think. But I'm having fun writing again.

I got to spend last night with two of my closest friends from the old college newspaper. When you work at a college newspaper, you are in the trenches with these people. You become family. Because everyone hates the college paper. It's always terrible writing, and you can't get shit done because people look down on you as "just a student." Shit's tougher than it looks, man. So these guys are family.

And then tonight, I'm going out with my best friend and his girlfriend. This guy man. We've known each other for 17 years now. We have been through some shit. It goes beyond friend with him. He's a brother to me. So we'll probably go through some more shit tonight. Like you do. Debauchery. Party of three.

So you know what? Yeah. I'm 29. I feel good. I'm looking better. I'm approaching the best shape I've ever been in. I'm healthy, safe and happy. I've shaken off the doldrums that plagued me for the past several years. Life is good, man!

Today felt like a good day to look back at how things have gone and where I have them going. It's a real benefit to having a birthday almost exactly halfway through the year. Plus, with turning 29 and with all the changes that have been going on lately, I have felt even more nostalgic than the usual "a lot." Thanks again for reading.

I'm heading back up north tomorrow, so I'll be back writing on Monday!

As for today, happy birthday to me! LET'S GO!

-BG