Birthday Hangover

Don't worry, this isn't me! No intervention needed!

Yesterday was my birthday, and I am still 'feeling' the lingering celebration. One of my best friends in DC was very sweet and took me out to lunch yesterday. After that, I had a small gathering at my house in the evening for cocktails and cake. It was a blast, as the guests stayed til 2am, despite the pouring rain and the fact that my birthday fell on a school night.

Over 60 people wished me a happy birthday on Facebook, dozens of folks texted me their well wishes, and a few handfuls of people called me. I heard from all of these wonderful friends from a millions different facets of my life. It was so unexpected to see that many people want to send me their best wishes for my day. It was incredibly flattering, and I hope it may be catalogued and stored in my databanks the next time I feel particularly lonely and mopey. (It reminds me of that quote from Garrison Keilor: "They say such nice things about you at your funeral, it makes me sad to think that I'll miss mine by just a few days.") Ya, kinda like that. It was pretty sweet...

Speaking of sweets, I haven't really been eating much of them. I've tried to quit sweets altogether, and only eat salads and protein, but then my birthday came around. My mom sent her amazing brownies, and her world famous carrot cake (which got me a girlfriend in college – no fucking joke! Even she wished me a very happy birthday yesterday!) I didn't drink that much, and curbed my sugar cravings pretty well, but forgot that I had an early morning client meeting this morning when seeing my guests out at 2am last night. Fuck! I woke up exhausted and haggared, (but not as badly as this guy in this pic!) and *still* made it to work on time. Phew!

Even more friends called me today, and my downstairs neighbor took me out to dinner as a belated celebration. She's really peppy, and has always been super nice to me me. I think for a while she seemed to imply that I may have been the kind of guy she was interested in dating. (How much more can I dilute that statement???) But it always struck me as ironic that this uber-All American girl may have liked me because I seem to be the perfect boy next door.


















(My belated birthday dinner: the world's largest *pumpkin* pizza... It's actually trick photography, like the Lord of the Rings dudes.)

A few months back she started dating this new guy, who seems pretty cool. Things are working out for her, and the two of them are simultaneously moving out to southern California somewhat randomly. We talked a great deal about where we've been emotionally, and how we're both so curious about where these turns of events might be leading us. She leaves in about a week, and I'm actually kind of sad that she's moving so far away.

The two of us used to hang out a bunch, on what I'd consider "accidental dates." It was perfect in some ways, as we'd talk incessantly about whatever dates we'd gone on with other people, and commiserate about the crap we'd experienced. I feel like I learned a great deal about how to be based on those "unofficial dates," and our running commentaries. I'm scared that I'll lose not only a fun friend who lives in the hood, and is always up for hanging out, but I'll also lose her candid, snarky feedback that was so helpful. I really am happy for her, and wish her the best.

But I got some other big, shocking calls (and texts) over the past two days. One of my good friend's grandmother passed away unexpectedly right after Thanksgiving, and my heart broke for her family. And today another friend called to say that she missed my party because she was hit by a driver in the rain last night while she was stopped at a red light on her Vespa. So insanely scary! A third friend accidentally hit a pedestrian yesterday, who luckily was not seriously injured. And a fourth friend called for my birthday greetings, and then casually mentioned her little sister, (whom I've known for about 18 years), is six months pregnant, and got married in September. What's odd is that I've talked to this friend many times in the past six months. What??? How did we miss talking about that?

With so much happening in the world: more troops being deployed, the health care debate causing such a ruckus, so many people struggling with foreclosures and potential homelessness during this winter holiday season, people losing their loved ones, friends getting into vehicular accidents – I just wish we could have some universal, world-wide moment of silence to stop all the busy-ness, and just be still. It wouldn't necessarily stop the wars, or lessen how much we miss our loved ones, but the fact that we are literally crashing into each other violently from our distractions, some quiet stillness may help us regroup.

Feeling somewhat 'blessed' (and I never use that damn word) to have had so many friends focus on me for even a brief moment, I have *received* all of those good tidings. I guess part of me just naively hopes everyone could feel that same sense of protective insulation, if they could be the focal point of that kind of collective intension. I wish everyone could feel that lucky. (And that the gynormous pumpkin pizza could feed world at the same time!)

Thanks for making me feel like the luckiest boy in the world, pizza or not.