The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

44 Today!

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I’m 44 today.

Well what do you know? I’ve survived yet another year...

Apparently other 44 year olds who celebrate their birthday today are, Carl Miller – a professional British basketball player - and Lionel Charbonnier – the goalkeeper of the French National football team that won the world cup in 1998.

Considering I am one of the least sporty people on the planet, I think we can safely say that Astrology has a few holes in it.

But with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, also having turned 44 a couple of weeks ago; his deputy and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, turning 44 in 3 months time; the leader of the opposition, Ed Milliband, being 3 years younger than me; and even Barrack Obama being only 5 years older, it seems my generation is the one that has now assumed power.

The Baby Boomers have now been replaced by Generation X.

Had I lived in different places (and had rich parents to send me to the exclusive educational establishments), I could have been in school with these chaps. In fact I could have been in the same classroom as the UK coalition leaders.

Scary thought.

Imagine the school reunion conversations:

“Since we last met, I became leader of a political party/the government/the most powerful nation on earth. What about you?”

“Me? I just kept my morals...”

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Meanwhile...

This morning, in among my birthday cards, my granddaughter, Poppy, had drawn a picture of me and her with my bouzouki on the inside of her card. I was so impressed I felt it worth sharing:


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53 comments

Eryl said...

44, you're just a spring chick – as my mother used to say about anyone who was younger than her.

Poppy is evidently going to take after her granny and become a great artist.

Happy birthday to you (and the sporty ones).

AA said...

Great picture!

Happy birdday Kim. :)

Attila the Mom said...

Happy Birthday, my Friend. Hope you have a wonderful day!

The Unbearable Banishment said...

And I thought it was going to be just another dull Monday. 44. Pish. That's nothing. I remember when I was 44...etc., etc. Happy BD.

Anonymous said...

You're catching up- keep at it! Lovely picture there!

debra said...

wishing you a grand year, my friend---actually a bunch of grand years. Thank you for enriching my world.
(o)

eroswings said...

Came over via Savannah to wish you a Happy Birthday!

Cheers and Best wishes for many more years of good food, good friends, and good fun!

.___iii___
[.*o*o*o*]
[+~+~+~]

savannah said...

happy birthday, sugar! i'm honored to know you and even more to be part of the celebrations! xoxoxox

Anonymous said...

came from PI to wish you a happy birthday ... I think we see each other around in teh blogosphere but I don't think I've ever been here before! have a wonderful day - if your weather is as good as that I am seeing over the Clyde, you are lucky!!

karatemom said...

happy birthday KIM !!
the picture is so cute :) special memories in the making for her and for you.
Have a most wonderful day

Mary said...

Happy Birthday!

hope said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you! Sorry, I had no music to accompany that but you have a talented family.

44 is not old...and that has nothing to do with the fact I'm older than you. No, I work with senior citizens who've redefined that definition. Besides they think I am a mere child. :)

Sausage said...

Did you say British basketball player ? Never knew there was such a thing. Anyway happy birthday, I will tip a few for ya over the pond.
Cheers, Sausage....

Brave Astronaut said...

Happy Birthday to you my good friend!

litzi said...

Hope your day is filled with sunshine and smiles, laughter and love.

Happy Birthday!

The Mistress said...

Happy birthday!

Are you related to cricketer Warren Ayres who shares your birthday?

Se2 said...

Happy birthday kim...I reallly wish that you continue touching peoples' lives...the way you did mine...:)
Thanks for that...

Falak said...

That's the best card ever. Happy Birthday Kim! So glad you're a blogger and not a politician. Your blog makes my day and inspires me to write better. Have fun :)

captain chaos said...

Happy Birthday Bearded One!

angryparsnip said...

What a great Birthday Card ! and I love your Granddaughters name.

Happy Birthday Kim !

cheers, parsnip

mapstew said...

Love the artwork by the little'un!

Seeing as you don't drink, i shall force myself to have a few on your behalf later in the local. Well it IS a bank holiday over here! :¬)

Brave Astronaut said...

My contribution to "International Kim Ayres Day"!

BB said...

Sir,you are a poet and a Warrior.
Happy 44th and may you live 4ever.
Big embrace from Portugal.
;)

The Weaver of Grass said...

44? Wish I was 44 again - happy birthday Kim - just popped over from Eryl's blog - she gave you such a fantastic write-up that I just had to pop over and see for myself. Love your birthday card - quite a good likeness from so small a child. Hsave a lovely day.

Pat said...

Lovely card. You're too young to be a Grandpa. Did you eat cake?

Charlie said...

Happy birthday, Kim. I notice from Poppy's card that we share an affliction with Michael Jordan, ex-American basketball player: skinny legs.

Lee Ann L. said...

Happy Birthday! You're two years younger than me. Of course, I'm not admitting to how old I am! Ha!

I do hope you will have a wonderful day and a blessed year! :-)

Chris H said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Dude... your g/daughter has talent! I popped over from Attila's blog.

Kim Ayres said...

Eryl - I think I feel older than I look. When I see myself in the mirror I'm always surprised that I look younger than I think I'm going to...

Adila - thank you :)

Attila - thank you. I've had a great day :)

UB - thank you :)

Starrlife - where you lead, I follow... ;)

Debra - thank you - and thank you once again for the wonderful gift of International Kim Ayres Day :)

Eroswings - welcome, and thank you. And I love the cake made from keyboard characters :)

Savannah - thank you so much :)


Roseneath - welcome, and thank you :) The weather was cold but beautiful today :)

Karatemom - thank you :)

Mary - thank you :)

Hope - we're all young compared to someone. Except the oldest person on the planet. But then there are 6.8 billion people younger than her (or him)

Sausage Fingers - thank you :) And no, I didn't know there was such as thing as British basketball players either. I just typed "born 25 October 1966" into Wiki to see what would come up.

Brave Astronaut - thank you :)

Litzi - thanks :)

MJ - thank you :) I'm not aware of any Australian Ayres relations, but I can only go back about 3 generations on the family tree, so anything's possible.

Se2 - thank you :) In the end, the importance of our lives is not in the money nor the stuff we accumulate, but in how we affect and are affected by the lives of others. It took me quite a few years to consciously realise that :)

Falak - thank you - waht a lovely thing to say :)

Captain Chaos - thank you :)

Parsnip - thank you :)

Mapstew - I appreciate your selfless act of sacrifce! :)

Brave Astronaut - many thanks :)

BB - I'm crap at poetry and too tired to wield a sword, but I appreciate the sentiment :)

Weaver - welcome and thank you :) Eryl's such a superb writer she can make anyone sound good. I read her piece and was thinking how much I'd like to meet someone like the person she describes...

Pat - I've been a grandpa now for nearly 7 years. And of course I ate cake. Far too much - also, of course... :)

Charlie - Thanks Charlie - so good to hear from you!

Lee Ann - thankyou :)

Chris - welcome, and thank you :)

Anonymous said...

Savannah sent me - and i do everything she tells me to do!

Happy Birthday, Sir!

PS: Britain has a professional basketball league? Seriously?

Kim Ayres said...

Daisyfae - welcome, and thank you :) And I had no idea about the basketball team either until I started investigating who else shared my birthday

Anonymous said...

Hello and best wishes! Congratulations to your birthday. Savannah sent me.

Fay Campbell said...

Happy birthday to you
I love the picutre, too
So much for the Gen X
'Cause I'm a Baby Boo
(mer)

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday!..Encore. Poppy's drawing is cute.

Jayne Martin said...

Happy Birthday, my friend. I loved my 40's. You're a mere pup. What an adorable growing. Clearly, the talent gene is prominent in your clan.

supernana said...

Happy Birthday!

Suelle said...

Happy birthday Kim!

Unknown said...

Happy Happy Birthday. Sent over here by Deb, but have treated your day as a national holiday here--did not take out the garbage, did not look at the mail, did not go to the bank. Enjoy!!

Joanna Jenkins said...

Stopping by from Attila's to wish you a very happy 44th. Any friend of Attila's is a friend of mine. Hope you have a great day... And your granddaughter is quite an artist.
Cheers, jj

Robin said...

Happy Birthday, Kim! Your granddaughter is a prodigy! I've always enjoyed your comments on Mary's blog, and now I'm glad I stopped over. It cheers me up immensely to know I'm in power. Mwahaha! Well, maybe not me exactly...

Ponita in Real Life said...

Wishing a Most Excellent 44th Birthday, Kim! You are just a young pup... I have almost 9 years on you. ;-)

Kass said...

Loved looking at your photography blog and sharing in your Birthday blogtivities. Eryl sent me over. Glad she did

Alan Richardson said...

So how's the first day of your 45th year?

Many happy returns of yesterday . . .

Alan

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Hi Kim, I heard about your birthday over at Pat's and would like to join in the party too toot toot!

Happy Birthday. It's never too late to use the word 'happy' is it?

Kim Ayres said...

63mago - welcome and thank you :)

Fay - thank you :)

Allen - she's a great wee artist :)

Jayne - thank you. As genes go, I have no claim on Poppy's talent, but she does get it from her granny :)

Supernana - thank you :)

Suelle - thank you :)

Distracted by shiny objects - welcome, and thank you :) I guessed it was a holiday monday in the US by a few comments I saw about yesterday

Joanna - welcome, and thank you :)

Robin - welcome, and thank you :) If you're not in power yet, it's time to start plotting...

Ponita - thank you :) And 9 years is nothing - my wife has 9 years on me too

Kass - I'm glad she did too :)

Alan - wet and windy, but I've known worse...

Guyana Gyal - welcome, and no, it's never to late to use the word "happy" :)

Tiffin said...

Hey there youngster! Gosh 44 seems young...anyway, hope your day was splendid and the year ahead is too. In numerology...which I don't believe in but have junque like this stuck in my head...44 adds up to the number 8. Yup, infinity symbol. So I'd say the world is your oyster this year.

Tracie Nall said...

That picture is great!

I heard over at Attila's place that it was international Kim Ayres Day, so I had to stop by and say happy birthday!

Kim Ayres said...

Tiffin - well, my birthday is the 25th day of the 10th month and 2+5+1+0=8. Also, my name, Kim Ayres, only has 8 letters in it. So clearly the world is always going to be my slimey creature in a knobbly shell... :)

Tracie - welcome, and thank you :)

Mary Witzl said...

Yay, Eryl's the first and I'm the 50th!

Happy Birthday week. Let that magic go on as long as it can!

Kim Ayres said...

Thanks Mary :)

Unknown said...

I think I said Happy Birthday to you on facebook, but I feel like I missed the whole celebration. I hate that. Anyway Happy Birthday a million times.

Kim Ayres said...

Thanks Carole :)

Siddhartha Joshi said...

hahaha...i like the imaginary conversation :)

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