It's my birthday and I'll glow if I want to.

Another year has passed and I am 24. It’s a funny thing, because on the one hand, I still feel pretty young. Most the people I work with are in their late 20’s/ early 30’s. I am still the baby. On the other hand, I feel old. I’m in my mid 20’s for God’s sake. I still have a lot of shit I need to get done and time is a-ticking. I can’t complain too much because I’ve had a pretty spectacular birthday week. It started on the Friday before my birthday. Jascha cooked an amazing dinner and invited a few friends over to share it with me. The dinner included a sushi and egg roll appetizer, salmon and rice entrée and birthday cake to top it off. All of the food was fantastic, Jascha’s apartment was immaculate, there were balloons, friends, banners and happiness and it was just a wonderful present. Jascha’s brother-in-law asked me what I thought of all the work Jascha did. I told him I was very surprised and happy. Not that I don’t expect wonderful things from Jascha, but let’s face it, men aren’t always as sweet and considerate as we hope them to be. This was sweet and considerate beyond my expectations, so I was thrilled. Then it was my actual birthday that Tues. Nothing too spectacular there, mostly because I had school and was stressed out for a quiz on Thurs. Still, I had a record number of calls and emails wishing me a happy day. I always feel a little sheepish when I get that call from a friend wishing me a happy birthday when I have never once in the history of our friendship remembered theirs. My parents sent me flowers at work. Not just flowers. Orchids. And lots of them. They were so beautiful that they really cheered me up (not that I was really down, just not excited about going to class). Then I went to school (blaah blaah blaah) and then Jascha cooked me a birthday meal! Excellent. So then, birthday fun carried over to Wed. because I took the day off so I could relax a bit. Jascha and I went to the Lincoln Park Zoo because 1.) I like animals, 2.) He’d never been there and 3.) It was a beautiful, warm day. It was a lot of fun. For the record, my favorites are the apes and the seals. So finally, my birthday week was wrapped up yesterday. My parents came into the city and we went to see Les Miserables. Now, for the record, I hate musicals. I think they are cheesy and stupid and pointless. The music is awful and it sticks in your head in the bad way. However, there are two exceptions to my hating musicals rule. 1. Les Miserables. 2. Fiddler on the Roof. For this blog I will focus on Les Mis. The music is so beautiful and rich and catchy that I can’t help but either smile widely or cry hysterically. It always needs to be played at full blast and sung at the top of your lungs. I had tearstains on my shirt after the play was done. OH it was wonderful. I went on my first date ever to see Les Mis with my father when I was about seven. I was all dressed up and we went by ourselves to enjoy the theater. I even got out of school for it. So not only is it a fantastic show but it brings back good memories. We went to dinner at MK, a swanky restaurant downtown, afterwards. If you have the means (or your parent’s means) I highly recommend eating there. It was delicious. We went back to my apartment and opened some presents (more than I deserved) and said our goodbyes. It was a wonderful Sunday spent with my family.

So now, a week after my birthday, I think the festivities are about done. I think there is a bowling trip in the mix for a belated birthday, but that is yet to be decided. I’m 24 and couldn’t be happier. I am surrounded by sweet people who love me and I love them. I can’t wait for next year! Yeah Me.