September 27th, 2011
a great lifetime to be alive!
“You get the world for your birthday, baby / open your eyes and say, yes, no, maybe”
—Frente, Ordinary Angels
“ITB / SIS / Stay In School / ’cause It’s The Best”
—Peaches
…Him Wong / Hung Duck / Chew Chow / etc.
—Jeff/Scott, 9/24/11
“THIS is the part I was BORN to play!”
—Alyssa, 2001(?)
time 11:50 AM feeling perfectly wonderful! + highly caffeinated… wearing TRENDFEST boots and awesome new teal shirt from Mom! music Frente etc. ready for 30! which I am next lunch? + weekly update
Happy birthday to me! 30, finally catching up. WHAT UP. I feel really good about 30 (AKA 2*3*5…oooooh primes. ooooh…), like really really good, better than I thought I would. I was pretty good at 20-29 but I think 30+ will be all “this is the part I was BORN to play.”
Oops, just wrote ‘party’ for ‘part’. Pretty sure that’s appropriate though as I’ve been partying like mad for the past 10 days. Honestly today is great but it’s been a pretty decadent 10 days so I think this will mark the end of the 30th celebrations, ha!
But really it has been AWESOME upon AWESOME. Jeff and my family and Jenny and everyone REALLY just went all out and I am the luckiest lady alive! So, that said, this update deserves a massive EOTW as it was spectacular. I will be back soon to do just that!
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OK back. So here is what was up: I already did the fun celebration weekend w/ Barb and Steve last weekend. Funfunfun! Then came this weekend:
Friday as I noted I had a solo slumber party which was AWESOME and just what I was craving. The night before I had a fun hangout night with Jeff and hit up Melissa’s going away, so down time was necessary. I should note here that I was on gchat with Jenny at work when she mysteriously disappeared at 12. Hmmmm…anyway. I left work late and headed to Target where I coveted some black boots (which I eventually purchased yesterday…yep trendfest here we come) and did the good ol’ grocery shopping. Home and putzed around, scrubbed the tub white, + eventually made myself a calzone using leftover pizza dough and settled in to watch Grey’s/eat calzone/drink beer+apple cider/eat jellybeans. Two episodes. They made me cry b/c I am a LOSER and Christie was RIGHT (about crying, not about being a loser…I don’t think anyway). Ha. Meant to read but fell asleep after talking to Jeff. Up late but I guess that’s what a slumber party is for?
Saturday I woke up alone in the house for the 2nd time EVER (first being last year’s ice storm incident). It was weird and awesome. Hung out reading for awhile and eventually got up to do some stretching/meditating. Meant to accomplish much, instead scanned in four photos, cleaned up the kitchen, and made myself breakfast. I can’t remember what else? Finally out on the bike at 12 when it was warmer. Not too many people out and fall colors peeking through. Up and around the chain of lakes…love it. As I was riding around Harriet I thought to myself “hmmm, I thought maybe Jenny would surprise me and be here this weekend. Oh well. But! Maybe she’s at Liz’s??” I then continued my ride.
Home to garden a bit and eat and clean up. Get Organized. Was waiting around for Jeff and started worrying about him, eventually I called. Phew, he was just chilling in the Grove. Set it up with Christie and we met up at Caribou for some fancy drinks and then park time with Laura! The sun had come out and Laura was delighted in the park and playing ‘store’. She is very shy and tiny and adorable (duh). Good chat with Critie and as always so nice to see her and the Bug. Thanks guys!
Home to get costumed up and head out to the MURDER MYSTERY which was a SMASHING SUCCESS if I do say so myself. AlyssaLexingtonExpress partying is BACK, bytchez! We encountered Kristin and Scott on our way there who surprised me by being all “oh hi guys!” in our weird nurse/detective outfit. Finally met up with everyone and went in to the restaurant. Ginger Hop. Everyone was in brilliant costumes and Ginger Hop was A.MAZ.ING. Seriously they were sooooooooooo freakin’ accommdating and awesome and I want to give them ALL of my business ALWAYS. Power cord, private room, etc. AWESOME. We are all seating ourselves and then from around the corner who should come but…
JENNY and HAKAN!!!!!!
…I was of course totally blown away but ALSO kind of like “OK YAY great you’re here!!” and so I may have failed to muster up an appropriate reaction. Sorry but REALLY I WAS way way way surprised and happy!!!!!!! My two JJs sneaking it up. Even my roommates knew of the surprise and did not spill. SO COOL. They flew all the way up just for the bday. I am totally totally spoiled!! They were with Liz and Alex just as I had briefly suspected. HA HA HA. Sister-minds. Jenny had the COOLEST costume and Hakan was cute in his chef hat. So. YES! Best bday surprise ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, we got on with it. Dinner, drinks, and game began in earnest. Jeff and Scott had the most amusing accents and really got into it (Jeff with his mustache-art, too), which was hilarious! Fancy drinks w/ St. Germain/yellow curry/key lime pie + goodness all around. Everyone was a great sport and we told some epic Apt 3/TT stories too. Diana showed up at the end which was super and I guessed the killer correctly (Alyssa did too – before the game even BEGAN haha!! poor Scotty). I give a lot of credit to Jenny and Hakan for hanging with my crazy friends without batting an eye, awwww. Um, AND for traveling ALL THE WAY UP to see me/visit. YAY!!! Sneaky Jeff…nice work!
ANYway…stayed for a drink with Misty and her man at GH again, then home…then bed!
Sunday we slept in which was awesome. Jeff got up and got going to see his Gma for her bday, and Jenny and Hakan and I went to brunch. Turtle! Chocolate french toast and good chats about homebuying! Lots of fun and a sunny nice day. Home then to MOA to see Desigual and talk about Turkey. ALSO where Jenny purchased boots. I know this is wacky but I kind of love being at MOA sometimes. What can I say. Anyway. We then drove up the U to partake in open swim and diving which was EPIC and wonderful. Went off 1m, then 3m, then 5m!!! They won’t let you go higher but 5m was freaky/cool enough! Lots of crazy boys diving. Jenny showed them up with a super pike 1 1/2. HAH.
We swam for awhile then after diving closed and Hakan and I raced. WHEW. GREAT workout! It was really fun to be at the Nat with them! We finally got home and showered and made chicken and veggies and rice (= standard Jenny dinner). Suuuuuuper yummy and we all four chatted it up. Out for ice cream (“we’re on vacation!”) at Pumphouse. LOVE. Burnt butterscotch and samples all around. Home and Jeff went to bed, we tried to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding since it keep coming up WRT Jenny and Hakan’s wedding. Fun but we fell asleep. To bed!
Monday I was/Jeff was smart enough to have me take the day off! We slept in again, Jeff got up and went to work. I made us all smoothies and Jenny made eggs. Ate and got ready for the day. Off to Caribou for tea and for Hakan’s second breakfast. We drove to Lake Harriet and walked around it for an hour or so…admired the pavilion, looked at bricks, enjoyed the SUN! Such a nice walk and day!! Running out of time so hit up Turtle again for delightful soup. Perfect and ate it outside. Chicago vs. Mpls. Wedding planning. Etc. Then J and H had to head out to the airport…awwwww. I said goodbye and sniffled. Went in and said hi to Gary (our new fish) and got ready for a bike ride…
…and INSTEAD went on a FIVE MILE RUN. !!! I know, I couldn’t believe it myself. (Tom, 2000: “Oh my God, if I hadn’t just seen that…”) To around and back from beloved Nokomis. I just got it in my head, got started, and my desperate desire and total DETERMINATION to RUN RUN RUN took over and I made it all five miles. OH YES I DID. NO knee pain. OMG. I think stretching and resting are super-key. Anyway. The weather was perfect – gray and cool and warm and windy and wonderful all at once. I stopped at one point just to take in the lake and the trees and the steel and blue sky and clouds and just thought “hey. wow. This is almost exactly where I could have ever hoped to be at 30.” In The Moment. Kismet and Fate. 2011.
Home and serious stretching and some cooking/meal prepping…Target for boots…then a bath and reading. Blissful lavender bath (thanks Jenny Jane!) while drinking beer and reading my book. Love love love. Then Jeff was home and I baked and made us apple pasta which we ate while drinking wine and watching The Office.
Epic celebrating and wonderful weekend.
This morning was also delightful as has this day been (that made no sense). Lots of wonderful greetings, TWO free drinks (sparkly tea and then COLD PRESS aw yeah baby, with Kara). Jeff and I danced around this morning to Peaches (ha!) and he listed all the ways 30 would make me old. My mom and dad called when I was born and I had strawberry oatmeal. Then to work, Getting Things Done, welcomed to 30, and a gossipy Grey’s lunch. Now – ?
Also, it’s raining. The last time I remember rain on my birthday was 18/1999. And that was a pretty dang great day!
WHEW! OK that was enough for now! HBD Google, Rich and Kelly too.
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Yep. Feeling fantastic. This IS the part I was born to play.