Happy Birthday Auntie!!!

Today is my aunties birthday and she had a party at her house...yes on a Monday night and it was crowded. It was really nice. Her apartment was packed with family and friends. She had such a good time. I was so glad to see her happy and enjoying herself...isn't that what life is about? We also kicked off her birthday by going away for a little weekend getaway in New Jersey with my other Aunt who is here from out of town. My auntie booked a room (right on the beach) in this fancy hotel and we relaxed, dinned and even shopped a little (well they shopped alot more than me). While we were there, my out of town aunt was sharing a funny story with me about when she was born. We got on the topic because I asked her how were deaths recorded back in the day in Nevis, which is where she is born. She was telling me how recording vital statistics such as deaths and births were done manually, individually and often inaccurately. In other words if someone was born it was their responsibility to go to the registrars office and record the birth. I assume this is because back then most births weren't in a hospital. The women gave birth at home. According to her, on her handwritten birth certificate it said "male" under sex. She said her father (my grandfather) was the one responsible for going to the registrars office to report her birth. Well apparently there were a couple of bars on the way and grandpa stopped off at a few and had one too many celebratory drinks. By the time he got to the registrars office, let's just say he had been "under the influence" and couldn't remember if it was a birth or death that he was there to record. If that wasn't bad enough, he couldn't remember if it was a boy or a girl. He took a lucky guess and told the registrars office a boy! My aunt said that years later she and my grandmother had to go to court and be sworn under oath that she was in fact a girl!!! Can you imagine? I was cracking up. Well you know what they say, if you want something done right, get a woman to do it.

The weekend ended with a wonderful breakfast at one of the hotel restaurants and a sunshine filled drive home. Many many more auntie!

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