Last year, when I turned 46, I wrote a silly little non-rhyming birthday song inspired by evolution and loosely based on the children’s classic (“Happy birthday to you/ You live in the zoo/ You look like a monkey/ And you smell like one, too”). It went:
Happy birthday to me
I don’t live in a tree
But I look like a primate
Because I am one.
Today I’m turning 47. (A fact that I’m ever so slightly freaked out about, as it means I am now officially in my late 40s). So I’ve decided to keep this tradition going, and have written another evolution- themed self- aggrandizing birthday song. And this one even rhymes! It goes like this:
Happy birthday to me
I evolved from the sea
I’m a cousin to plankton
And the rat and the bee.
So happy birthday to me… and Happy New Year to all of you!
Happy Birthday indeed.
And nice poems.
Very best of birthday wishes to you, and well done on the poem. Your choice of cousins to mention speaks to me as well, having had several pet rats over the years, and being a big fan of honey – guess I’m indifferent to plankton, except for that character on SpongeBob Squarepants. Happy writing & editing in 2009 – looking forward to your continued edifying influence.
Happy Birthday!
Greta,
Happy birthday — here’s an e-rose for you:
@—–>—–>—–
Happy birthday and happy New Year to you!
Happy birthday, sweetie! I’m sorry I couldn’t see it in with you in person this time — I hope it’s been fun!
Have a great year with many wonderful things, including much more trenchant prose.
Happy Birthday.
(My 46th is in a few weeks.)
I really like the earlier song, but then I’m a fan of unexpected non-rhymes.
Happy Birthday Greta!
Happy Birthday! Love the rhymes, and we’re the same age, cool.
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday Greta, and may you and Ingrid have a wonderful New Year.
Happy birthday, and here’s to another year of outstanding reality-based blogging!
Happy Birthday and Happy New Year!
Have a great b-day, and thanks for everything!
Happy birthday. Hope you have something wonderful planned for today. Of course, if you rang in the new year last night, you might need today to recover. In any case, hope your day is a good one.
Happy birthday! I would never, never have guessed you were in your 40s from the photos of you you’ve posted!
Hey! I stumbled on your blog today and haven’t been able to get away from it for hours. You and your articles are quite awesome 🙂
Happy birthday and huge thanks for what you are doing!
Happy birthday, Greta, and a happy new year to everyone!
Happy Birthday, Greta! Keep those great blogs coming. Late 40’s is great. I’m going to be 50 in March, so I’d love to be “only” 47 again (but only if I knew then what I know now).
Party hearty!
Happy b-day, Greta, from the Midwest. I’ve been reading your blog for about a year now, and I am constantly impressed with your writing–stylish, informative, witty, entertaining, incisive…and several other adjectives! LOL
Happy 47th, Greta, and many happy returns. 🙂
Happy Birthday to you, Greta! I reached 47 just one day earlier than you, but sadly discovered your blog only today. As if I didn’t already have enough to absorb me…
A very merry un-birthday, and a belated Happy Birthday to you, Greta!
Happy birthday my cousin extrodinaire! I loved your songs for last year and this year so much! The line about plankton was my favorite!
Love you
Caity
Happy Birthday Greta!
Happy birthday, dear Greta! May your wishes come true, so you have space for new ones!
Hey GC, long time lurker here… just wanted to say Happy Birthday to you!
And i love the birthday songs, they are made of awesome 😛
Happy birthday, my fellow new-year’s-eve baby! *starts singing the Beatles* If I weren’t attempting to be rational lately, I would say something about this meaning that we have some sort of cosmic connection 😉
Happy birthday, belatedly.
Happy (belated) birthday!
darn it! I haven’t made time to catch up on blogs for a week or so. My birthday is New Year’s Eve, too! I turned 43 on the 31st.