Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Birthday Week - Day Ten (6-20)

I was up much earlier than anyone should have to be the day after they turn 30, but it was all really my own fault. Seeing as I had scheduled brunch and all. Originally I thought that there would be houseguests and people crashing after the party. One party left me with five folks there the next morning, and I ended up making them all pancakes that day. I figured it was birthday week so I’d just schedule a brunch into that day after and not have to make pancakes for anyone. Of course it turns out that this was the first party ever that I didn’t have anyone in my apartment the next morning.

Oh god. I hope this isn’t a bad sign for my thirties - a future without overnight guests!?!?!? Not good. Um… I’m a little worried now…

Yeah. I’m not going to think about that. Anyway. A few folks were actually popping by for brunch despite not staying the night so I had to be up and dressed and ready to go. Traveler was even coming in from Connecticut just for brunch. Because he is the sweetest ever.

I was actually up and dressed and tidying a bit when the Traveler arrived. Then Muffy and Steph. There was some miscommunication with Vader, so we ended up hanging out in the backyard for a while, the four of us just chatting and enjoying the really, really pretty day. Finally we all headed over to Lobo for brunch. Eggs and guacamole and spicy Bloody Mary’s and excellent conversation make for a sterling morning after brunch. I was really happy we did it despite my lack of morning after guests.

Then Muffy and Steph drove their grill home and the Traveler headed off. Vader and I hung out in my backyard chatting for ever and it was really pleasant. The weather was gorgeous and it was just fun, lazy friends who’ve known each other forever (21 damn years. Wow. Our friendship can go out drinking now sitting out back dishing. Perfect way to wrap up Birthday Week I think.

Eventually I let the poor woman go home so I could watch some TiVo (yay TiVo) and get to bed.

I can’t wait to do this all again next year. Yay!

Birthday Week - Day Nine (6-19)

I had a Fresh Direct order coming between 9 & 11 and had to make sure I was home by 9. Which was a lot of fun considering I was exhausted and kinda hungover. But surprisingly I caught an awesome cab driver (who did not hit on me) who got me home super fast. The food didn’t actually get there until about 10. Which wasn’t so bad. I mostly sat in my chair drinking water and moaning a little. It wasn’t a horrible painful hangover. It was just one of those things where you’re really tired and your tummy hurts a little and you feel like you might get a headache but then don’t actually get one. It could’ve been much worse.

But then the food came. And I had starchy junk food to munch on and soothe my tummy. And then Muffy came on over to prove her awesomeness as a friend for the three millionth time. And she brought me coffee. We sat and enjoyed our coffee and giggled and moaned (well, I moaned - she was quite pleasant) and I started to feel better. While moaning and coffeeing we opened my bday gifts from Mom. All kinds of cute things she picked up in China like a pretty barrette of lacquer and mother of pearl. I’m afraid to wear it because I don’t want to hurt it. And fancy tea. And slippers and a pretty bracelet and all sorts of things. It was my birthday and all. Some gift opening had to happen and I told all my friends not to bring gifts. Turns out my friends are a disobedient bunch.

At about noon we started working on getting the pad in shape for the party. Which was not fun. We moved furniture and put together the hammock - which is a FABULOUS hammock. We moved crumbling stone garden boarder pieces into the basement. I dropped one on my foot and it hurt real bad. Muffy thought a trip to the emergency room would be a bit of a downer during Birthday Week, so luckily we didn’t have to make one. But it HURT. It didn’t bruise much though. I got a really ugly bruise on my left forearm that didn’t hurt at all though. That’s the one that had everyone worried all evening. Strange. And there was lots of cleaning and all. Eventually I started on my minimal cooking. Normally I spend days making about forty different things but this time I didn’t want to stress myself too much during birthday week and all. So sausage (vegetarian) balls, artichoke (baked Mayo!) dip and Tex-Mex dip were about it for me.

While I was cooking, Muffy went all Martha Stewart in my backyard and it was awesome as well as adorable. She set up all the furniture and arranged a cooking area and seating areas and so on and so forth. I really needed to have taken a picture of it all before everyone arrived, but I’m a slacker and was running behind (as always when it comes to parties). You’ll just have to try and picture it in your mind.

Anyway, she headed home to rest and get prettier and all that and I showered and went back to cooking. Rock Star Fran showed up first - with gifts. It’s All About Me Earrings and pretty slippers that I put on right away. And then I put her to work making most of the Tex-Mex dip because she is a good friend. Then others started popping in with meat and beer and gifts (shame, shame - but very sweet). At some point Muffy & Steph showed up with the grill (because they are far better to me than I deserve) and got that going. I really had very little to do with the grilling as I don’t much care how my veggie burgers are done. At some point Muffy asked me for them, I gave them to her and then a little while later I had a plate with cooked veggie burgers on a bun with cheese. Muffy is kinda magical, y’all.

It was a lot of fun. Tons of people showed up. Well, twenty or so, but that seems like tons. Everyone kinda gathered around the table on the porch area, breaking up poor Muffy’s lawn seating area to bring chairs over to the table. Though I guess that is where the chips and dips were gathering so it makes sense. And there was chatting and beer drinking and hat wearing and all that. At one point DKE got out and had to be fetched and put back in her carrier - adding some nice scratches to my very sexy bruises. Muffy and Steph ran off to get me cupcakes (that whole better than I deserve thing). They were very suspicious upon leaving so I told everyone they ran off for a quickie. I’m pleased with how easily most people believed me. I am a bad person.

Couples kept sneaking off to lay in the hammock and everyone showed proper awe for my excellent backyard. I kept wanting to sneak off for an nap in the hammock due to being completely exhausted and all but thought that might be a little tacky. Actually I did sneak off for a bit after it was dark. But everyone kept looking back at me so I was only in the hammock for about two minutes. Heh. Besides, I really couldn’t handle the idea that there was fun going on and I wasn’t part of it.

At some point Turnip called to wish me Happy Birthday and to tell me she loved me. Because she is cool like that. Sadly I kept getting called away and I think she managed to talk more with everyone else at the party than with me. Oops. Everyone seems to like her though so that’s nice. And she got invited to Monkey Man’s housewarming party by his roommate even though I hadn’t even been invited. And the party doesn’t actually have a date yet…

Nothing horribly exciting happened. Well, there were fireworks or something that we could hear at one point. The group said they were for Olympic Torch ceremonies, but I think we all know that it was in honor of me. And at some point the wind really picked up outside and it got kinda cold. I was actually handing out sweatshirts and shirts and things. Charlotte even put on Ed’s Shirt just to be a little warmer. So we cleaned up out back and then headed in.

We wrapped things up with Vader, Muffy, Steph and I giggling and being dorks in my apartment, putting goo on Vader’s forehead and making dumb jokes and all that.

I think everyone was out of there not long after 1AM and I got to crawl into my pretty, pretty bed feeling a little bit better about being 30. Okay, a lot better about being 30.

My friends are awesome. Really. I’m too lucky. Don’t deserve any of you.

I guess it doesn’t make for an exciting story, but I had a really great day nine.