It’s not easy being a Sagittarius, lemme tell ya.
Being born anytime between Thanksgiving and Christmas can pretty much guarantee that you get one gift that covers both holidays. If I had a nickel for every time someone said, “Happybirthdaymerrychristmas!” I’d probably have enough saved up to get new double pane windows for my house.
Which reminds me. Another downfall of being a December baby? This might not be such a big issue when you’re a kid, but as an adult I have a hard enough time thinking of items to put on my Christmas wish list (at least things that cost under eight thousand dollars, but having to come up with more ideas for my birthday list too? It sends me over the edge every year, although lately people who really know and love me just bring me a bottle of cheap champagne or expensive vodka.
Another problem I’ve been complaining about for years is the fact that going out to eat dinner with friends on my birthday has become next to impossible because either all the good establishments are booked for parties on my birthday, or all my friends are booked with their own holiday office parties.
My efforts to get Christmas to step aside and move to another month have been fruitless. Christ just won’t budge his mass for little ol’ me.
When I was a kid, I was jealous that my little sister, a Leo, always had fun August outdoor birthday parties with lawn games and slip ‘n slides, while all of mine were indoors and very happybirthdaymerrychristmassy. In addition, half of my friends were missing because they were sick with whatever runny nose-cough-sore throat-vomit malady was going around. Let’s call it the Bahum Bug.
Finally, when I was about 10 and a big snowstorm shut down my birthday party (I’m making this up, I have no idea what finally triggered this), I threw a tantrum over it. My parents sat me down and said, “Christmas is basically a big birthday party for Jesus. But everyone knows he wasn’t actually born in December. And you don’t have to celebrate your birthday in December either. Why don’t you have your birthday party in April or May, when it’s warm outside and everyone can play in the backyard?”
I know. My parents are brilliant.
So I did that, for a couple of years. And it felt like I actually had two birthdays instead of one.
But to be honest, I love being born on 12-12. In fact I was born on 12-12-66, and 6+6=12. For awhile there I was even under the impression that I was born at 12 o’clock (totally not true). So when I turned 12 on 12-12, I went back to celebrating myself on the 12th of the 12th month. A few years ago when my birthday fell on 12-12-12, it was a pretty big deal, although I also had myself convinced that I was 12+12+12 that year, a whole decade younger than I really was.
The other thing I’ve learned as I’ve started to embrace 12-12, is to just invite friends over to my house instead of trying to venture out into the big office party-filled world. And I’ve got to say that some of the best times I’ve had on my birthday have been those where I just stayed home, and for the most part stayed out of the room with the Christmas Tree. I hold court in my kitchen, open a few presents, over indulge in good food and bubbly, and don’t even have to drive anywhere afterwards. It’s glorious. Almost like…Christmas!
A few days ago my friend Monica asked me who was going to DJ my cozy birthday gathering this year. You already know who, dontcha? The Mistress of the Mix, that’s who. And so, even if you’ve already got office party plans on my birthday, you can still tune in to the 12-12 birthday party playlist, pour yourself a glass of cheap champagne, and party with the Mistress. And you’re always welcome to drop off gifts ahead of time at the office!
Here it is, the birthday girl’s party playlist. 48 songs for 12-12-2014.
Enjoy!
- Jim The Jinn – DePhazz
- Mambo Craze – DePhazz
- Uptown Funk – Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson
- Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
- Got To Get You Into My Life – Earth Wind & Fire
- Good Feeling – Flo-Rida
- Bang Bang Bang – Mark Ronson
- Birthday – Selena Gomez
- Let Me Be Him – Hot Chip
- Call Me The Breeze – John Mayer
- Hayloft – Nickel Creek
- Rabid Animal – Lake Street Dive
- Funky Vodka – TJF
- The Whip – Locksley
- Uh – Fujiya & Miyagi
- Brick House – The Commodores
- You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate
- Good Times – Chic
- Short Skirt/Long Jacket – Cake
- Once In A Lifetime – Talking Heads
- Ride On/Right On – Phosphorescent
- Sexomatic Venus Freak – Macy Gray
- Planet Claire – B-52s
- You Don’t Know Me – Bend Fold & Regina Spektor
- L’Amour – Rouge Rouge
- Toujour L’Amore
- Waters of March – Sergio Mendes
- Arrastao – Ursula 1000
- The Golden Age – Asteroids Galaxy Tour
- Yo, Deejay – Jah Sound
- Over & Over – Hot Chip
- I Know You Want Me – Pitbull
- Back in Time – Pitbull
- Come Get It Bae – Pharrell
- Valerie – Amy Winehouse & Mark Ronson
- Dangerous – Big Data
- It’s My Birthday – will.i.am
- Sexy Back – Justin Timberlake
- Get Lucky – Daft Punk feat. Pharrell
- In These Shoes – Kirsty MacColl
- Secrets – Mary Lambert
- Happy Birthday – Altered Images
- Happy Birthday Valerie – Birthday Song Crew
- Satisfy My Soul – Bob Marley
- So Nice – Bebel Gilberto
- Close Your Eyes – Bebel Gilberto
- Tudo Bem – Trio Mocoto
- Latazz – Funky Lowlives
Valerie Ing-Miller has been the Northern California Program Coordinator for Jefferson Public Radio in Redding for nine years and can often be found serving as Mistress of Ceremonies at the Cascade Theatre. For her, ultimate satisfaction comes from a perfect segue. She’s the mother of a teenage daughter and a 7-year-old West Highland Terrier, and can’t imagine life without them or music. Valerie wakes up with a song in her head, she sings in the shower and at the top of her lungs in the car.
A News Cafe, founded in Shasta County by Redding, CA journalist Doni Greenberg, is the place for people craving local Northern California news, commentary, food, arts and entertainment. Views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of anewscafe.com.
