Birthday's are funny. I mean, really, it's like everyone is saying, "Happy Birthday! You lived through another year -- here's hoping you survive one more!" It's like a mini-celebration that death hasn't gotcha yet. Life is good. Death is bad. Here's a cake. Which may or may not lead to your demise.

Last week on the way home from work I had these intense urges to do crazy things with my car. It was a weird experience. I mean, I'm the sort of guy that when someone suggests doing something crazy/funny (you know, like those "50 Things To Do In Wal-Mart" lists?) I laugh and think, "Yeah that would be funny! But I could never do it." Well last week I had these serious tempations to do a few nuts-o things (that would most certainly get me into trouble) and I had to literally will myself not to do them. But I had a few good laughs.

For example, at one point on my way home the road turns into two lanes. Well, at that point I was driving the speed limit (because at that time of night there are a lot of cops around) and there was a car sticking pretty close to me. When we got to the two lanes the car passed me -- and it turned out that it was a cop afterall. My first reaction was relief -- that I hadn't sped up. But my immediate thought following that was how funny it would be to lay on the pedal and fly passed him -- he was only going a few km's/h faster than me. I just started laughing and then noticed I was speeding up! I had to conciously force myself to not do it, arguging that I couldn't afford a ticket (or an insurance hike).

The second thing was only a little ways further up the road. Going through this one city, there is a bend in the road and on the corner is a pub. On that particular night there was a group of young people (well, my age anyway) standing on the corner talking. I all of a sudden had this insane desire to swerve towards them and lay on the horn, and then pull away at the last second. I was laughing so hard when I passed them -- for some reason I just had this perfect mental image of their expressions. But then I realized one of them might jump in a car and chase me. So I decided against it.

I realize as I write this you may be thinking that I shouldn't have my license. But the lesson here is that I didn't do it. And also that such antics have never crossed my mind before. So there.