Turning 50 is weird. I don’t FEEL like I’m fifty. I feel more like 35. 37, maybe. Max. Maybe younger, some days.
On Monday, my boss sent me an email informing me that she had scheduled me for 1 hour today to train our newest team member, who started last week. “Can you please go over guidelines, logo, brand, templates, etc.?” she asked. I replied in the affirmative, no problem, since this kind of training is part of what I do.
But jetlag the last couple of days has been kicking my butt, so I was really tired at lunchtime today. “Ugh…” I groaned. “I don’t want to do training this afternoon,” I said to my officemates. “Training is fun!” chirped Helena. “If I wasn’t a zombie brain,” I grumbled. Training IS fun, normally, but it also requires forethought, can-do enthusiasm and general on-the-ballness, all of which have been at lower than usual levels the past couple of days.
I met Erik outside the conference room and we waited a minute for the people using it to finish up so we could get in and start. I logged in, and started opening up presentations and websites and server windows, while starting to fish for what areas had already been covered for him so I didn’t inadvertently repeat anything he’d already learned. Suddenly, voices started singing in the hallway and the door opened and my team mates started pouring into the room. “What? Oh. OHHH NOOO.” I said. They were singing Happy Birthday to ME.
Totally surprised!! I had no idea. I mean, I figured there would be SOME sort of acknowledgment at some point since Axis makes a big deal out of big birthdays but I wasn’t expecting it yet. I had thought maybe Friday, but Pia totally snuck one by me. Flowers and a huge card signed by all my co-workers “Dear Liz, Happy Birthday! I’ll always be younger than you” read one greeting. 😀
And lovely presents, to boot! A Pandora bracelet with 4 pretty beads (including a cupcake, a hugging family, and a passport), and a KINDLE! The Kindle is actually arriving tomorrow because it’s being hand-carried from the UK by another colleague. I would probably never have bought a Kindle for myself, and I read a LOT, so I will be sure to make good use of it, even though I doubt I will ever give up paper books completely. Mmmmm books!
Then we had cake, three kinds, and then I went back to my desk and perused the Pandora catalog that had been in the bag with the bracelet. Then I went and had my hair done in Malmö. So much for getting anything else done at work!
I hope the jetlag is almost over though. I have three busy days ahead (book group! Wonders! More birthday goodness!) and I’m tired of that achey around the eyes feeling.