the origin of kickass

so i considered titling this post 'the evolution of kickass' and giving you a variety of photos in which you could bask in the lightness that is me as i embark upon my own little birthday celebration today. then i remembered a little junior high-era photo highlighting my stellar choices of feathered hair, a 'flashdance' shirt (that's right, baby, a little bare shoulder for the school photographer!) and a foul look that clearly says "fuck you, mom, if you think this one's going in a frame in the living room." instead, i decided perhaps it's just best to stick with what's always cute from my earlier works.

what i dig about this photo is that at eight months of age, i'm already perfecting the kickass attitude (in a pink bikini, no less). the little shoulder lean. the smile that rides the fence between a smirk and demure. coy like no other and in a way i've perfected over the ensuing years.

without any thought, i know i pull these same moves today, many (many!) months and fewer bikinis later. you could be chatting with me about anything (anything!) and at some point i'm going to give the 'lean in' coupled with the 'look.' depending on the topic, it will fluctuate between the smirk and demure. i'd like to opt for the smirk as often as possible, thank you.

cripes. i'm so full of myself. but it's my birthday. totally entitled to don my pointy hat and grab the biggest piece of cake with extra thick pink frosting. much like i'm supposed to the remaining 364 days of the year.

i'll be spending this year getting ready to knock on the door of a new decade. according to the men i hear speak of it, this new era in life is supposedly (say it with me!) kickass for women. of course, men can slide into any new decade and only seem to improve with what seems to be much less work than we with the x chromosome put into it. obviously my mission will involve fewer slices of that cake with pink frosting (but savage in some pink frosting? hmmm....).

so here's my little whispered "happy birthday to me." ("i'm feeling thankful for the small things today" - ah! a little lyrical diversion. first person to name the group without googling it gets to help me blow out candles. yeah! you know you're all hot at that idea now!).

thanks for joining the party (oh, yeah, ftn, if you happen to stop by, the answer is by all means male strippers. and the pay is merely my smirk of delight. surely that's enough, no? or do i have to lean in to make sure you see it clearly?)