Jodi and I share something in common besides having been music partners for ten years now. Jodi and I share a birthday.



Jodi's birthday is today, October 1st, and my birthday is October 3rd, two days from now. As a result, for ten years now I've had someone to celebrate a birthday with, party with, exchange gifts with, drink a toast with, as well as someone who gets to remind me once a year that I'm getting old and she's still ten years more youthful :).

During the first week of October Urban Tapestry always has our Jodi and Allison birthday celebration. These have taken assorted forms through the years but almost always involve digging in gift bags, draining a glass or two of plum wine and celebrating with a dinner out. We -claim- to be having an Urban Tapestry practice (no doubt we'll claim that when we get together tomorrow night, too :)), but it tends to be a party night.

Debbie often plots birthday conspiracies during the first week of October. Jodi and I have learned to be wary. Some years she has set up virtual birthday parties on-line where friends have dropped by throughout the week and left messages for us. One of the most amazing conspiracies she ever pulled off was the year of the Birthday Conspiracy Tape. She wrote to several of our filk friends and asked them if they would send her a taped message or song to put on a compilation tape that she would then copy out for the both of us. It was an astonishingly thoughtful gift. I was amazed and moved and I still pull that tape out to listen to the songs and words of those dear friends.

One of the most memorable birthdays that Jodi and I have shared together was the year we were Interfilk guests at ConChord in LA during the first weekend in October, 1994. The concom was given the heads up in advance that we both had birthdays that weekend and they filled the weekend with wonderful birthday surprises. After our Interfilk concert the crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to us and we were presented with T-shirts signed by almost everybody at the con. We were also given large chocolate bars and birthday cakes. I remember one of the birthday cakes had gotten kind of broken and we were told it was an official California earthquake cake :).

So, everyone lift a glass of plum wine...

Cheers, Jodi! Have a great day! Sharing a birthday is great fun. See you tomorrow night!