Happy Half Birthday to Me!

Jun 092011
 

Growing up, my birthday always landed sometime during or right around Channukah…meaning that it often got forgotten, and that I only got to ask for items I liked once a year. My ever creative parents decided to spread out the love and goodies, and so, my family began to celebrate my half birthday, June 9th, instead. I still had my party in December, so it didn’t confuse my friends, but we’d have a nice family dinner in the summer on June 9th, and get my presents then.

Even though I haven’t lived with my family in years and years, we still celebrate my half birthday now, as does my partner, while my friends celebrate the actual date of my birth in December.

So today, happy birthday to me! I’m actually presenting both a conference workshop and a strap on 101 class, so I’m a busy lady, which is just how I like it!

Shanna

You Say It’s Your Birthday? It’s My Birthday Too!

Dec 092010
 

Hurray! I’ve finally made it around to another birthday, mostly alive, and pretty much in one piece. Since this time last year, I’ve been lucky enough to get a full time job that I love, travel to and present in Portland, San Francisco (twice!), Seattle, Denver (thrice!), Las Vegas (twice!), New York City, Long Island and am heading to Long Island/New York City yet again on the red eye tonight. Despite a few trips to the late night kitty ER, all the cats are in good health, I have a new-er and working car, I’m still in epic debt but am able to get by keeping my head above water which is more than many are able to do, and I have a wonderful and amazing partner to whom I became engaged and will wed in a queer-tastic celebration of love next fall. All in all, I’m a pretty lucky girl.

That said, I like to make a request. If you a few extra bucks lying around, please please please donate them to Scarleteen. They are an amazing website providing real and accurate sex education in a non-pornographic way to youth and whoever else can use it, and they always, as do most not profits, need a little extra financial love. Even $5 from every reader would really go far in helping them out. So that is what I’d like to ask for my birthday, is for you to support sex education however you can. Attend my classes (or those of other educators), read our books, watch our DVDs, train to be a peer health educator, reach out, and/or financially commit to sex positive organizations like Scarleteen. That would be such an amazing birthday present!

-Shanna