Birthdays

It's weird, but I can't remember ever getting Gretchen a birthday present. And I can't remember if she ever got anything for me either. We always had joint-parties, so I find it inconceivable that we didn't exchange presents.

Hmm. Megan and I were talking about wills and about stuff from Gretchen tonight and that's what made me think about it. Back at the parental homestead, I know that I have a set of marbles that Gretchen got me when I went into the hospital (because I'd lost mine, ha). I remember stickers. For our "Royal Ball" birthday party, we each got magic wands -- I still have mine.

She was the one who named my teddybear "jinglebutt."

I remember mix tapes. I remember writing each other stories. I remember notes that filled entire notebooks. I remember bad poetry about boys in bands and tales that I used to write her in spanish about a parrot and a monkey named (creatively) MI PAPAGAYO y MI MONO (always in all-caps). I remember secret codes (well, their existence) used to write out the lyrics to Guns 'n' Roses songs.

I don't remember birthday presents. It's weird.