beat! beat! beat!

I'm sitting at the computer after a lovely birthday celebration at a friend's house. To me, B seems young at only 53, though he says he feels a huge difference from even 5 years ago.

A neighbour who has recently celebrated her 93rd year, says she can't remember when she was 80.

There is a beat! beat! beat! from across the road.  WHAT IS THIS?!  Oh, yes, our neighbours' son is half-way grown up now; he walks up the street with 'girls' on either side.  He used to go each Saturday, early, to the Oak Bay yard/dump with his dad, where he claimed all the electronics, no longer working, from the giveaway table.  Our old stereo lives in his room, with cumbersome, but excellent oversized speakers.

So, why am I surprised to hear loud, thumping music from across the street?  How has he grown to be a teenager while I seem not to have noticed the change?  His parents look the same.  Or do they?  And me?  If I'm not getting older, why do I keep making my garden smaller?  Why do I attempt to cover the circles under my eyes and add highlights to my greying hair?

And perhaps an obvious example of my aging self is that I fully, totally intended to write this blog entry about Tofino!  Brian and I returned last evening from 4 1/2 glorious days there.  I took 845 photographs.

Tomorrow.