So last weekend I turned 30. 30! Can you believe it? The idea that I've been alive for 30 years is somewhat mind-blowing. 30 years is a long time, even though it really isn't.
I have never been one to put much stock in numerical age. Jack Benny was once quoted as saying "Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Too right. The truth is, I don't mind. Oddly, I sort of feel younger than ever at this point. Suffice it to say, 30 is not going to be one of those "hard" birthdays for me. Though I felt I'd be wasting a perfectly good excuse if I didn't buy a shitload of booze and get wasted. Hey, the last drink I had was a good four years ago in Las Vegas. I'm fairly certain I was over due.
I'm not big on celebrating my birthday much, mostly because I don't care to be the center of attention. We usually just group my birthday in with the rest of the October birthdays in the family (there are two others) and that's good enough for me. But hey, 30 is a big milestone. I've come a long way in life and made it through some pretty big trials and I figured this year was a good one for celebration. And by celebration, I meant drinking. And eating. And partying it up with my nearest and dearest. Really, over indulgence in every way, shape and form.
On Friday my sister Amy and nephew William treated me to a lovely lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. I love the Cheesecake Factory! Talk about the perfect place to over indulge. If I thought it prudent at 11am, I probably would have started boozing it up right then. Instead, I chose to intoxicate myself with flavorful iced teas, oat-crusted rye bread with far too much creamy butter,
this amazing shepherds pie,
and, of course, cheesecake.This, my friends, is an orgasmic combination of two of my most loved confections: red velvet cake and cheesecake, covered in a cream cheese frosting and white chocolate shavings. To. Die. For. I almost did, too. Between the delicious food, the dessert and the always wonderful company of two of my favorite people in the entire world, it was one of the most enjoyable birthdays I can remember.
Thanks, Amy! Love ya, sis!In contrast to my usual tradition, I also decided to throw a party. For once I wanted to gather
my closest family and friends together all in one place and celebrate. Since my birthday falls just before Halloween, I opted for a costume party. I can't remember the last time I dressed up for Halloween. Most years I just throw on a witch hat while wearing my pajamas to answer the door to Trick-or-Treaters. I don't mind, but this year I wanted to go the extra mile. Something fun and humorous, yet easily recognizable. I went through countless costume ideas before finally settling on.....
...Amy Winehouse.She was perfect! Totally outrageous and very distinctive. And it was such a fun costume to wear, from the wig down to my rub-on tattoos.
For me, one of the best parts of Halloween is seeing the fun, humor and creativity that is put into the costumes. It's also what I love about my friends and family. They're an amazing group of fun and creative people and I took enormous pleasure in ringing in my 30th year of life with them.After a rough few years of distressing issues with my health, it felt
indescribably good to let my guard down and let go of inhibition and just have fun. That night, I didn't have a care in the world. Forget my physical limitations, forget work and to hell with MS. We ate too much and drank even more. We sang and danced along to Michael Jackson, Peter Murphy, Oingo Boingo...even Beyonce'!I caught up with friends old and new, getting a chance to chat with those I don't see as often as I'd like. I received some very lovely cards with some lovely things
written inside. I'm a big fan of the greeting card, especially when one takes the time to write something heart-felt inside. I keep all my cards, I have shoe-boxes full of them. The ones I received for this birthday are all still up on my fridge, a daily reminder of what amazing individuals I have in my life. I kinda don't ever want to take them down.It was a really fantastic birthday this year. Better than I could have expected. I thank all my friends and family (you know who you are) who made a special effort to make this event what it was...terrific! You guys are the best. I love you!
I feel as if a new page has been turned over in the book of my life. I welcome my thirties with open arms and look forward to the adventures this new chapter of my life will bring. Something tells me it's gonna be good....
