Happy Birthday to Me!

April 29 was my 26th birthday, and I had a lovely time. I spent most of the day relaxing in my apartment. I watched The Muppet Movie and cried during the finale ("Life's like a movie. Write your own ending. Keep believing. Keep pretending. We've done just what we set out to do... thanks to the lovers, the dreamers and you!") You can laugh if you want, but I've always found that scene so moving and inspiring. I'm glad I haven't outgrown it.

I fielded some birthday calls from the family, and that night I joined my best friends. Laura, Madrid, Chris and I met up at La A'nnam for supper. I didn't want to carry leftovers around, so I ate and ate and ate WAY more than usual. My friends could have warned me. The could have, but they didn't.

"I have to go to the bathroom," I said.

"No," Laura replied. "Don't go yet. I'm telling you a story."

"But I have to go to the bathroom."

"No."

"Why not? What, did you get me a cake," I joked, "because if you did, they're sure to bring it the minute I leave."

"No, we didn't get you a cake," she replied, just as a waiter carried up and adorable chocolate cake with a fudgy center and they all began to sing. So I was stuffed to the gills, but of course I had to eat it anyway! And it was fabulous.

Then Chris went home. The girls and I bought a deck of cards and met up with Carolina at Blue and Gold for some libations, conversation and card-playing fun while listening to the best jute box around.

The card game was Cat's Circle of Death, a game I've never played without having a great time. I'm not sure I'm following the rules correctly (because it's a drinking game, and it's hard to remember the rules of a game you've only ever played while under the influence of booze). Here it is as closely as I can remember: An ace means you get to make a rule. Cards 2-5 mean you take as many drinks as the card says. Cards 6-10 mean you get to "deal out" the number of drinks on the card (for example, you draw a nine and make Carolina drink three and Laura drink six). A jack is a "social," so everyone takes a drink. A queen means "questions," which we play as a round of "Never have I ever" (eg. "Never have I ever worn handcuffs," and if you have, you drink). A king means "kategories" (for example, "Types of beer" or "Beatles songs" and the first person who can't think of one drinks).

Madrid quite evilly made the rule "Any time a 9 is played, anyone whose birthday is April 29 has to buy a guy a drink and get a guy's number." By the end of the night, I was VERY popular, but I the bartender probably thought I was a total slut. You see, somehow the 9 got played SIX TIMES. I was too drunk to really call my friends on their cheating.

"But I've got four numbersh already. Did you guysh put that 9 back in the deck?"

"No, we swear," Laura replied.

"Well, then you bitchesh sent me out on a six!"

"Oops," Madrid replied. "Oh, well. Go!"

I make it home safely an woke up the next morning with a crumpled pile of numbers on my bedside table. My twenty-sixth year? So far, so good!