Zach Turns Eight I am one of those people that thinks that everything in their entire childhood happened in one year. Rather, one year defines a period of life. For me that year is eight. This is probably actually my 9th birthday, since there are 9 friends present (that's how it went for a while, I could invite as many friends as I had years). I am blowing out the candles on my mom's awesome rocket cake that she made me, and behind me (L-R) are an array of my childhood friends: Mia, Tony, Zach, Brian, Jason, Courtney, Julie, Nathan, and Jeff. Courtney and Julie were my simultaneous girlfriends back then. Yes, at the same time. Although I really had no idea what that meant. Anyway.